Menard Optimistic As NASCAR’s Western Swing Moves To Phoenix

March 7, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Fusion team head to ISM Raceway, formerly Phoenix Raceway, for the first race of the year on one of the shorter tracks on the Monster Energy Cup Series circuit.

The race on the one-mile, relatively flat oval outside Phoenix, follows races on the 2.5-mile superspeedway at Daytona and on the intermediate-length tracks at Atlanta and Las Vegas. Continue reading Menard Optimistic As NASCAR’s Western Swing Moves To Phoenix →

Menard Finishes Ninth On Fun Day At Vegas

March 4, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team turned in a solid performance in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Speedway and came away with a ninth-place finish, the team’s second top-10 in the three races of the 2018 season.

Menard started 12th and drove into the top 10 just after the 30-lap mark. He finished Stage One in 10th place, earning one Stage point.

He duplicated that performance in Stage Two, coming from 12th to 10th and scoring another Stage point. Continue reading Menard Finishes Ninth On Fun Day At Vegas →

Menard Qualifies 12th At Las Vegas

March 2, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had a fast Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as Menard posted the third-fastest time in practice and was fastest in the first round of qualifying.

The only hiccup came in the second round of qualifying when the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion developed a tight handling condition, forcing a second qualifying run in that round.

Menard’s extra lap allowed him to move from 17th place into 11th, which put him in the third and final round but also put him at a disadvantage tire-wise entering the final round. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 12th At Las Vegas →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
PENNZOIL 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MARCH 2, 2018

TOP TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
5th KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1
6TH CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
14TH JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CAMARO ZL1
16TH AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW SILASTIC SILICONE ELASTOMERS CAMARO ZL1
17TH WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
1ST Ryan Blaney (Ford)
2nd Kevin Harvick (Ford)
3rd Kurt Busch (Ford)
4th Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
5TH Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)

The Pennzoil 400 is scheduled to begin on Sunday March 4th at 3:30 pm, EDT. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Las Vegas–Qualifying →

Menard Looks To Capitalize On Vegas Test In Pennzoil 400

February 28, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 with an optimistic air about the team.

In his first two races since joining the Wood Brothers team, Menard has finishes of sixth at Daytona and 17th at Atlanta, which have him in ninth place in the Monster Energy Cup standings.

Also in the plus column for the team is the fact that Menard and the No. 21 team had a successful test at Las Vegas in January.

“The test was a huge help in getting acclimated,” Menard said. “It was my first time in a car since Homestead last November.” Continue reading Menard Looks To Capitalize On Vegas Test In Pennzoil 400 →

Menard Finishes 17th On Soggy Sunday At Atlanta
February 25, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Moen Ford Fusion team had a solid run on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in their first race together on a track where handling is a key component of success.

Menard was fast in practice, qualified 15th, and never ran worse than 17th before coming home 17th at the finish of the rain-delayed Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

The race, scheduled to start at 1 p.m., eventually got the green flag at 3:30 p.m. after the track was dried following morning rains. Continue reading Menard Finishes 17th On Soggy Sunday At Atlanta →

Menard To Start 15th At Atlanta
February 23, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Moen Ford Fusion qualified in the 15th position for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

At the first downforce track on the 2018 Monster Energy Cup schedule, Menard opened the day by posting the 15th fastest speed in practice with a lap at 183.765 miles per hour.

Then in first of three rounds of knockout qualifying, he was 16th fastest with a lap at 183.321 mph to advance to Round Two. Continue reading Menard To Start 15th At Atlanta →

Atlanta Track Suits Menard Just Fine
February 21, 2018

When Paul Menard driver of the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Menards/Moen Ford Fusion, talks about the racing surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of this weekend’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, he uses terms like old, worn out and hard on tires.

But to real racers, those are positive attributes. Continue reading Atlanta Track Suits Menard Just Fine →

Menard Dodges Multiple Wrecks En Route To Sixth-Place Finish In Daytona 500

February 19, 2018

Paul Menard had a bird’s-eye view of most of the big wrecks in the 60th annual Daytona 500, but he steered through them all and came away with a sixth-place finish in his 400th career Cup start.

His finishing points, coupled with his Stage points earned, put him in third place in the championship standings, six markers behind leader Ryan Blaney and tied for second place with Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon. Continue reading Menard Dodges Multiple Wrecks En Route To Sixth-Place Finish In Daytona 500 →

Menard To Start Sixth In Thursday’s Can-Am Duel Qualifying Race At Daytona

February 11, 2018

Paul Menard will make his first official start in the No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion from sixth position.

Menard earned that spot in Thursday’s second Can-Am Duel qualifying race with a 12th-place effort in pole qualifying at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Menard was 10th fastest in the opening round of qualifying, which locked in the top-two starting spots for the Daytona 500 while also setting the starting field for Thursday’s 150-mile Duels, which will establish the rest of the starting order for next Sunday’s Great American Race.
Continue reading Menard To Start Sixth In Thursday’s Can-Am Duel Qualifying Race At Daytona →

Menard, Omnicraft Team Hoping The Numbers Line Up At Daytona

February 8, 2018

As veteran driver Paul Menard makes his final preparations before leaving for Daytona International Speedway, where his first drive in the No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion will also be his 400th career Cup start, his goals for the opening weekend are pretty simple.

“Hopefully we’ll sit on the pole,” Menard said, adding that his goal is within reason. “We have a fast Ford Fusion, and Fords typically are fast at Daytona.

“We have the horsepower and we have the aero. All we need to do is make it happen.”

While Menard acknowledges that in some ways, his 400th start is just another number in a long career, it’s also an important milestone in his career. Continue reading Menard, Omnicraft Team Hoping The Numbers Line Up At Daytona →

Wood Brothers Remember The Great Dan Gurney
January 16, 2018

When Glen Wood looks back on his time racing at Riverside International Raceway with the great Dan Gurney, who died Jan. 14 at the age of 86, it’s not so much about the four wins in five starts or the 540 laps led.

Instead Wood recalls a tall, handsome man who was as friendly as he was talented. Continue reading Wood Brothers Remember The Great Dan Gurney →

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Claims Ninth-Place Points Finish Despite Disappointing Homestead Run

November 19, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team weren’t able to close their time together with a strong finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway as they had hoped, but that was only a hiccup in what has been a remarkable 88-race run for the young driver and the sport’s oldest continuously operating race team. Continue reading Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Claims Ninth-Place Points Finish Despite Disappointing Homestead Run →

Blaney To Start Among The Top 12 For the 26th Time In 2017

November 17, 2017

For their final race together, Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers team will start the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway from a familiar position.

Blaney, crew chief Jeremy Bullins, and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team bounced back from a mediocre practice session to advance through all three rounds of knock-out qualifying and earn the 11th starting spot for Sunday’s finale of Ford Championship Weekend.

It was the 26th time in 36 races this season that Blaney and the No. 21 team have qualified among the top 12. Continue reading Blaney To Start Among The Top 12 For the 26th Time In 2017 →

Ford Championship Weekend At Homestead Marks Ryan Blaney’s Final Ride In The No. 21 Fusion

November 14, 2017

The Ryan Blaney chapter in Wood Brothers history comes to a close this weekend with the running of the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Beginning next season, Blaney and crew chief Jeremy Bullins will return to Team Penske, and the iconic No. 21 Fusion will be driven by Paul Menard, with Greg Erwin serving as crew chief. Continue reading Ford Championship Weekend At Homestead Marks Ryan Blaney’s Final Ride In The No. 21 Fusion →

Valiant Effort At Phoenix Not Enough To Keep Blaney SKF/Quick Lane Team In The Playoff Picture
November 12, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 SKF/Quick Lane Ford team came up short of being among the four drivers and their teams that will compete for the Monster Energy Cup Series championship at Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week. Continue reading Valiant Effort At Phoenix Not Enough To Keep Blaney SKF/Quick Lane Team In The Playoff Picture →

Blaney Adds Phoenix Pole To List Of Season Accomplishments
November 11, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 SKF/Quick Lane wrote another chapter in their storybook 2017 season by winning the pole for Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

It was Blaney’s second career pole and the 118th for his Wood Brothers team. Continue reading Blaney Adds Phoenix Pole To List Of Season Accomplishments →

Blaney, SKF/Quick Lane Team Head To Phoenix Still In The Running For 2017 Championship
November 8, 2017

For Eddie Wood, there are two ways of looking at his team’s status headed into this weekend’s Can-Am 500, the final race of the Monster Energy Cup playoffs Round of Eight. On one hand, it’s a “must-win” race if Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 team want to advance to the final round of the playoffs and compete for the Cup title in Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead Miami-Speedway. It is possible for Blaney to get a berth in the title round without a Phoenix win, but it would take a combination of a great finish by Blaney and poor finishes by the other five playoff contenders not already assured of advancing.

On the other hand, it’s a “can’t lose” time for the team, as Blaney and the crew can celebrate a fantastic season no matter how they finish at Phoenix.

With three drivers – Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. – already assured of being in the elite four on Ford Championship weekend, there’s only one spot left and Blaney is sixth in the standings, 22 points below the cut-off line for advancement.

“I think it’s quite an accomplishment to go into the next-to-last race of the season and still be in the running for the championship,” said Wood, co-owner of the No. 21 team. “Going into the season I would have been happy just to make it into the playoffs, so getting through the rounds and coming this far has been a bonus.”

Indeed, Blaney and the team have had an amazing season considering Blaney and his crew chief Jeremy Bullins are just in their second full season in NASCAR’s elite division. And the Wood Brothers are back on a full time basis for just the second year after running a limited schedule for the previous seven seasons.

They scored a win at Pocono, Blaney’s first and the Woods’ 99th, a pole at Kansas, Blaney’s first and the team’s 117th.

So far this season, they have four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes and 290 laps led.

They’ve held their own against the Cup circuit’s elite teams during the eight playoff races to date. As in most years, the playoff participants have been at their best.

“You’ve got to give credit where it’s due,” Wood said. “The teams headed to the championship round have really stepped up their performance,” Wood said. “And Ryan and Jeremy and all of our team members have done the same.

“To have finishes of third, eighth and sixth in the past three races and still needing a win at Phoenix to advance shows just how tough this playoff competition has been.”

Heading into this weekend at Phoenix, Blaney has three Cup starts on the one-mile oval in the Arizona desert. He has two top-10s there, and an average finish of 13.7, but he has a runner-up finish there in the Xfinity Series earlier this year and two top-fives in three Camping World Truck Series starts.

For Sunday’s race, the blue and white colors of SKF will be on the hood, while Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center will be on the quarter panels. SKF was a primary sponsor for the Wood Brothers in two races last season and has been a long-time supporter of motorsports, including a relationship with Wood Brothers’ technical partner, Team Penske.

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services. The company is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide.

Qualifying for the Can-Am 500 is set for Friday at 4:45 p.m. (6:45 p.m. Eastern Time), and Sunday’s 312-lap race is scheduled to start just after 12:30 p.m. (2:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on NBC.

Blaney Continues Impressive Playoff Run With Sixth-Place Finish at Texas

November 6, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team turned in another strong playoff performance in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, finishing sixth and scoring a total of 42 points. Continue reading Blaney Continues Impressive Playoff Run With Sixth-Place Finish at Texas →