Hub Issue Leads To Long Day At Dover For Menard

May 6, 2018

Paul Menard and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had a fast Ford Fusion for Sunday’s 400-miler at Dover International Speedway, as evidenced by their practice speeds on Friday and Saturday.

But a loose wheel and a trip to the garage to change a damaged hub just before the end of the race’s first Stage kept Menard and the team from capitalizing on the speed in their No. 21 Fusion. Menard had moved up to 16th from his 20th starting position before the mechanical issues sent him to the garage for repairs. Continue reading Hub Issue Leads To Long Day At Dover For Menard →

Menard Leads Friday Practice At Dover But Will Start 20th On Sunday

May 4, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team showed good speed most of Friday at Dover International Speedway, but that speed eluded them in the second round of qualifying, leaving them with a 20th-place effort.

Menard set the pace in the opening practice session, topping the speed charts with a lap at 159.830 miles per hour.

In the first round of qualifying, he ran a lap at 155.246 mph to easily be among the 24 drivers who advanced to the second round.

But his progression ended there as his lap at 155.166 mph was just 20th fastest, and that became his official qualifying position. Continue reading Menard Leads Friday Practice At Dover But Will Start 20th On Sunday →

Menard Heads To Dover With Spring In His Step

May 2, 2018

Paul Menard and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team didn’t get the finish they were hoping for at Talladega Superspeedway, but they did leave the track feeling good about the performance of their No. 21 Ford Fusion.

“It was a good day overall,” Menard said as he prepared for a day of testing on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway before beginning his preparations for this weekend’s 400-miler at Dover International Speedway. “We ran up front. We got our first Stage win of the season and we got some Stage points (16 of them including six for a fifth-place finish in the first Stage), which we needed. Continue reading Menard Heads To Dover With Spring In His Step →

Talladega “Big One” Spoils Strong Run For Menard, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team

April 29, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had one of their best runs of the season going before being swept up in a late-race, multi-car melee.

Lenard, who wound up with a 30th-place finish, started 13th but was racing in the top five by the end of the race’s first 55-lap stage, thereby earning six stage points with his fifth-place stage finish.

He continued his march to the front and took the lead on Lap 105 and led a six-car string of Ford Fusions to the line at the end of Stage Two. Menard’s first-ever stage win paid another 10 stage points plus a playoff point. Continue reading Talladega “Big One” Spoils Strong Run For Menard, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team →

Menard To Start 13thAt Talladega

April 28, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion will line up 13thfor Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Menard posted a qualifying lap at 191.486 miles per hour, which was just .018 seconds shy of allowing him to advance to the second and final round of qualifying.

But there was little disappointment among the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew members because the team spent most of the two practice sessions on Friday getting their car tuned for racing conditions. Menard also slipped by the big wreck of the day on Friday, a move that kept him in his primary car for Sunday’s race. Continue reading Menard To Start 13thAt Talladega →

Alabama Gang And The Wood Brothers Were A Tough Tandem Back In The Day At Talladega

April 25, 2018

It wasn’t like tandem drafting, but the one-two combination of the Alabama Gang and the Wood Brothers was a powerful pairing back in the day at Talladega Superspeedway.

The Wood Brothers, who now campaign the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion driven by Paul Menard, got the first of their five Talladega wins in 1971 with Donnie Allison of Hueytown aboard their 1969 Mercury. Continue reading Alabama Gang And The Wood Brothers Were A Tough Tandem Back In The Day At Talladega →

Menard Finishes 24thAt Richmond

April 22, 2018

The good news for Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State team on an otherwise disappointing night at Richmond Raceway was the team’s ability to fix an ill-handling car and turn it into a fast one.

The bad news is that due to the way the caution flags fell – or didn’t fall – the team wasn’t able to capitalize on the chassis changes dictated by crew chief Greg Erwin or his late-race tactics.

Menard did go from being three laps behind the leaders to just one, but an uncontrolled tire on the team’s final stop negated Erwin’s last move, and Menard wound up 24that the finish. The result dropped him from 16thin the Monster Energy Cup standings to 18thheading into next Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Continue reading Menard Finishes 24thAt Richmond →

Menard To Start 20th At Richmond

April 20, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State Ford will start 20thin Saturday night’s 400-lapper at Richmond Raceway.

Menard earned that spot by advancing through the first round of qualifying with a lap at 123.164 miles per hour. In the second round, he ran a lap at 122.510 mph, securing his spot on the outside of the 10throw.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood pointed out that the Menards team focused on a set up for racing conditions during Friday’s practice sessions, and didn’t make a mock qualifying run.

Menard was 14thfastest in the opening practice session with a best lap at 119.893 mph. He was 24thin Happy Hour with a best lap at 119.011 mph.

“We won’t be back on track until the race starts Saturday night, so the priority on a weekend like this is getting the car tuned for the race,” Wood said.”

Menard Looking Forward To Racing A Ford At Richmond

April 18, 2018

After an up-and-down race at Bristol Motor Speedway that saw Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards team run as high as third place before finishing 13th, the Menards/Quaker State team heads to Richmond Raceway for the first night race of the Monster Energy Cup season.

Menard, who enters Saturday night’s 400-lapper in 16thplace in the Monster Energy Cup Series standings, said he’s had mixed results over the years on the three-quarter-mile oval at Richmond.

“I’ve run well there in the Xfinity Series but not as well in the Cup series,” Menard said. “We’ll go up there and give it our best shot and see what happens.” Continue reading Menard Looking Forward To Racing A Ford At Richmond →

Menard Hangs On For A 13th-Place Finish At Bristol

April 16, 2018

When rains brought the cars to a halt on Sunday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway, Paul Menard and his No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford were running third and poised for a great finish after starting the race a season-best seventh.

When racing resumed on Monday, Menard continued to race inside the top 10 until around Lap 350 of 500, when the handling inexplicably got a little off on the Menards/Dutch Boy Fusion.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said that from that point on, Menard, who had already missed several cars that spun ahead of him, did some of his best driving of the day. Continue reading Menard Hangs On For A 13th-Place Finish At Bristol →

Menard Earns First Top-10 Start Of 2018

April 14, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford team qualified a season-best seventh on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

For most of this season, Menard and the No. 21 team have been fast in the first of three rounds of knock-out qualifying but struggled in the second. On Friday at Bristol, they were consistently fast throughout all three rounds.

At Bristol, Menard was fast again in the first round, posting the fourth best speed of 127.563 miles per hour to easily be among the 24 drivers who advanced to the second round. Continue reading Menard Earns First Top-10 Start Of 2018 →

Menard, Wood Brothers Ready For Another Memorable Trip To Bristol

April 11, 2018

For anyone who loves NASCAR-style auto racing, from drivers to fans and every one in between, any trip to Bristol Motor Speedway is a memorable one, especially that first visit.

For Eddie Wood, co-owner of the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford driven by Paul Menard, that first Bristol trip as a true member of the Wood Brothers race team came in the summer of 1968.

“That’s the year I turned 16, and you had to be 16 to be in the garage,” Wood said. “It was the first time I got to wear one of the red-and-white crew shirts.” Continue reading Menard, Wood Brothers Ready For Another Memorable Trip To Bristol →

Early Crash Leads To A Long Day For Menard At Texas

April 8, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quick Lane team ran into misfortune early in Sunday’s 500 miler at Texas Motor Speedway, and that led to a long, disappointing day at the track.

Menard started 19thafter rain cut Friday’s qualifying session short, and the race was just three laps old when he was swept up in a multi-car crash. His Quick Lane Fusion received damage in the left front and in the right rear, which is a critical part of the car from an aerodynamic perspective. Continue reading Early Crash Leads To A Long Day For Menard At Texas →

Menard Set to Start 19thAt Texas After Lightning Cuts Qualifying Short

April 7, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quick Lane team were poised for a strong qualifying performance at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon when Mother Nature cut the qualifying session short and left Menard and the team with the 19th-place starting spot for Sunday’s 500-miler.

Menard was 17thfastest in the opening practice session with a best lap at 193.750 miles per hour and then posted a lap at 194.426 mph in his first run against the clock in what was scheduled to be three rounds of knockout qualifying.

Before the second round could commence, lightning in the area led officials to cancel the remainder of the qualifying due to safety considerations. Continue reading Menard Set to Start 19thAt Texas After Lightning Cuts Qualifying Short →

Menard Ready To Take On Tricky Texas Track

April 4, 2018

When Paul Menard hits the track at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend he’ll be venturing into relatively uncharted territory.

For starters, the veteran driver of the No. 21 Quick Lane Ford Fusion hasn’t raced at the Fort Worth track in a Ford in several seasons. And like his fellow drivers he’ll be racing on an evolving track surface as this weekend’s Monster Energy Cup race is just the third on the track since it was repaved before last year’s races at the Fort Worth quad-oval track.

“There will be a lot of unknowns,” Menard said. “The repave of the track changed it a lot.

“The first race it was single groove and if you got out of the groove there was not a lot of leeway. It was treacherous. It was a lot better last fall, and I anticipate it being better this time. But you really don’t know what to expect.” Continue reading Menard Ready To Take On Tricky Texas Track →

Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team A 13th-Place Finish At Martinsville

March 26, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team continued their forward progress this season with a solid 13th-place finish in Monday’s snow-delayed STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Menard started 15th after qualifying was cancelled due to snow and rain and the line-up was set according to the points standings.

He raced his way into the top 10 at times and spent much of the 500-lap race just outside the top 10. Continue reading Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team A 13th-Place Finish At Martinsville →

Menard Proud To Be Part Of The Home Team At Martinsville

March 21, 2018

When Paul Menard takes the wheel of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, he’ll make his first appearance in the No. 21 at the track where Glen Wood made the team’s first Cup start back in 1953.

Now, 65 years later, Menard will make career start No. 1516 for the Wood Brothers, NASCAR’s longest continuously operating race team.

That’s something he’s looking forward to. Continue reading Menard Proud To Be Part Of The Home Team At Martinsville →

Tire Issues Spoil Strong Run For Menard at Auto Club Speedway

March 19, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team overcame one cut tire in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., but couldn’t completely overcome two and wound up with a 19th-place finish.

Menard started 14th but soon raced his way into the top 10 and ran around 10th for most of the first 30 laps of the race. Soon after that, some damage to the right-rear of the No. 21 Fusion put Menard and the team in catch-up mode. But it wound up being a problem with the other side of the car with 11 laps remaining in Stage Two that presented the bigger challenge. Continue reading Tire Issues Spoil Strong Run For Menard at Auto Club Speedway →

Menard Qualifies 14th At Fontana
March 16, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team had a strong run going in Friday’s Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying session at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

He was fourth fastest in the first of three rounds of knockout qualifying, but hit a little bump – literally – in Round Two, which puts him starting 14th . Continue reading Menard Qualifies 14th At Fontana →

Menard Ready For Some Slippin’ And Slidin’ On Fast Fontana Track

March 14, 2018

Paul Menard’s preferred form of racing pavement is old, gray, abrasive and bumpy.

Therefore it’s no surprise that the veteran driver of the No. 21 Menards/FVP Ford is looking forward to getting back on track at Auto Club Speedway in California, especially after a disappointing run at ISM Raceway, where hit the wall after a bead failure on a tire.

“I feel like our intermediate-track program is better than our short-track program,” Menard said, adding that the safety equipment in his Menards Ford kept him from feeling any soreness following Sunday’s crash at Phoenix. “I’m looking forward to getting to Fontana and seeing what we have there.” Continue reading Menard Ready For Some Slippin’ And Slidin’ On Fast Fontana Track →