Menard Rolls To The Pole At Chicagoland

On a sweltering afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway, Paul Menard and his No. 21 Menards/Sylvania Ford Fusion turned up the heat in qualifying and won the pole with a lap at 180.102 miles per hour. 

It was Menard’s second career Cup pole, the first coming in July, 2008, at Daytona International Speedway. It was the 119th for the Wood Brothers team and their first since last fall at Phoenix Raceway.

Menard and the Menards/Sylvania team posted mediocre speeds in the two practice sessions on Saturday, posting the 15th fastest speed of 176.102 mph in the first session and the 24th best speed in Happy Hour with a lap at 173.249 mph.

Then in qualifying, Menard sped to the top of the speed chart in the first of three qualifying rounds with a speed of 180.120 mph.

He was seventh fastest in the second round, then won the pole in Round Three.

“My guys did a hell of a job today,” said Menard, who rehydrated with pickle juice after running the Xfinity Series race prior to qualifying. “We weren’t very good in practice. We did a mock run that was so loose that we had to abort it and never really got a true mock run.

“We had speed and all through those rounds we got a little too loose in Round Two, and we adjusted for it.

“Round Three drove like rails. It was good.”

In recent qualifying sessions Menard and the No. 21 team have often been fast in the first round only to struggle in the second. At Chicagoland, they maintained their speed through all three rounds.

“I just hit my marks and [crew chief] Greg [Erwin] and the guys made good adjustments,” Menard said.

Menard went on to say that the pole at Chicagoland is another sign that he, Erwin and the No. 21 team are continuing to improve in their first season together.

“All the Fords have been fast all year,” he said. “We have been on the back side of that with the 21 and playing catch-up a little with a new group of guys that have never worked together before.

“We are all learning each other, and I am really proud of all of them. We had a good test in Indy earlier this week and learned some things. Not that this is applying much from Indy but we have a little momentum going.”

Among those congratulating Menard was the team’s previous driver, Ryan Blaney, who will start alongside Menard in his No. 12 Ford from Team Penske, which shares an alliance with Menard and the Wood Brothers.

“I hate to lose the pole, but if I have to lose it to anybody it is cool to lose to my former team,” Blaney said. “The Wood Brothers and Paul have been good all year. It is cool that they got themselves a pole this year now.”

The Overton’s 400 is scheduled to start just after 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 

• Next Race: Overton’s 400 
• The Place: Chicagoland Speedway 
• The Date: Sunday, July 1 
• The Time: 2:30 p.m. 
• TV: NBCSN, 2:00 p.m. ET 
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio 
• Distance: 400 miles (267 Laps)
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)

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Making memories, meeting your favorite drivers and getting that 🖊 at the Red Carpet Walk #Overtons400 #StarsAndStripesWknd #NASCARSalutes pic.twitter.com/i1WdzREacn

— Chicagoland Speedway (@ChicagolndSpdwy) July 1, 2018

Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team a 13th-Place Finish at Martinsville

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.

Most green-flag runs saw Menard fade back a bit on fresh tires then pick up speed and positions as the laps went by.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he continues to see improvement and building chemistry in what is essentially a new team.

After six races together, Menard, crew chief Greg Erwin and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team have two top-10 finishes and four top-20 finishes. Menard is 15th in the Monster Energy Cup standings.

Monday’s race was another race free of major mistakes for the No. 21 team.

“Paul did a great job,” Wood said. “Greg called a great race, and the pit crew gained spots on nearly every stop, which is hard to do at a tight place like Martinsville.

“We had another solid run, and this team is really impressive with the way everyone works together.

“We’re all looking forward to the rest of the season.”

After an Easter weekend break, Menard and the No. 21 Wood Brothers team return to the track for a 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway on April 8.

Source

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Army Spc. James "Jimmy" Beckstrand : Remembering Their Names

NASCAR Salutes Service Members With Windshield Tributes

Jimmy Lee Beckstrand

As we prepare in these wee hours of the morning for our exciting trip to the Charlotte Motor Speedway (thanks to all my friends’ votes #HisenseDualThreat) my gleeful thoughts drifted to my memories of my hometown fallen hero.

For the third consecutive year, windshield headers on all forty Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars will be replaced with the names of fallen military service members during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

“There is no prouder moment for our sport than when the entire NASCAR family rallies to honor and pay tribute to the United States Armed Forces,” said Brent Dewar, NASCAR chief operating officer. “NASCAR Salutes continues to grow thanks to the support of our industry and partners who believe just as strongly in recognizing those who’ve served and continue to serve today.” 

Many of the service members whose names will be displayed on the race cars Sunday were chosen by the race teams, including some with unique connections to the fallen. U.S. Army sergeant Gregory Allen Belanger, who was killed in Hallia, Iraq in 2003, was a friend of Team Penske employee Darin Russell, engine tuner for Ryan Blaney’s No. 21 Ford Fusion.

Harold Tussey, whose name will be proudly displayed on Paul Menard’s No. 27 Chevrolet SS, lost his life in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The third-class petty officer’s great nephew, Troy Tussey, is a mechanic with Richard Childress Racing. 

What do you think? RT if you like our @CLTMotorSpdwy scheme! #merica #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HK9qtAprH9

— LeafFilter Racing (@LFRacingTeam) May 24, 2017

Here is my personal story:

Jimmy Lee Beckstrand was an audacious preteen in the late eighties, a year younger than my oldest son Moses and a year older than my youngest Zachariah. I remember the laughter as the three bounded through the doors looking for a drink of water after playing outside in the cul-de-sac for as long as they could under the warm California sun.

I have to laugh as I recall the night Jimmy and Zack spent the night in a makeshift tent they had pitched in our backyard grass. My husband Paul, waited till after midnight and after their giggly noise faded to creep outside and pretend to be a bear to scare them.

After high school, the three childhood chums set out to make their mark in the world in their own unique way. A few years later, I spotted Jimmy walking uphill towards his father’s house, dressed in his uniform. As I ran outside to say “hi,” I could not contain my awe and surprise. Jimmy Lee looked great and held himself with extreme confidence. I joked that his beloved roller blades would not be an acceptable fashion accessory for his current look.

That was the last time I spoke to Army Spc. James "Jimmy" Beckstrand. On April 29, 2004, during a four-month extension of duty, Jimmy and seven other soldiers from his unit, the 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division out of Baumholder, Germany, were killed when their convoy was attacked and a car bomb exploded near them. Jimmy Lee was just twenty-seven years old and a newlywed. He earned a Purple Heart medal for wounds received in action, and a Bronze Star medal for meritorious service and for his ultimate sacrifice.

NASCAR Race Mom is extremely grateful to all American citizens and businesses for remembering and honoring the true expense our military families pay to protect our rights and freedoms.

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5. All-Star Team for the All-Star Race - Jimmie Johnson

These guys are helping with last minute prep work for the #CocaCola600 #nascar pic.twitter.com/Q94Zgn9Z0U

— Loc-Doc Security (@locdocinc) May 25, 2017

Meet #NASCAR Sprint Car Chase Driver Paul Menard

Richard Childress Racing, No. 27 Chevrolet

Outlook: Menard's consistency in top-15 finishes all season long paid off in clinching a Chase berth, but he might have something to worry about once he gets to Chicagoland with only one top 10 in the books in his eight starts at the track.

Chase history: This is Menard's first appearance.

Best Chase track: Kansas, with an average finish of 15.8.

Worst Chase track: Chicagoland, with an average finish of 23.9.

Photo by Todd Warshaw/2015 NASCAR

Source: NASCAR.com

Tomorrow: Clint Bowyer

Good Thing I Did Not Bet On Dale Jr.

NASCAR Race Mom spent three fun packed days playing in Laughlin, Nevada this weekend. Yes I know that was the Daytona 500 weekend. Not to worry, the race was streaming from televisions in every casino and restaurant we frequented. That was a good thing too; what with the six-hour – twenty minute rain delay – it would have been criminal to be stuck in a room somewhere waiting with the rest of NASCAR Fanatics.

If you are not familiar; Laughlin is a sliver of the Colorado River Valley where Nevada, California and Arizona meet. The city by the river now attracts nearly two million visitors annually and experience gambling and high-profile special events.

Our group of four fun seekers relished our premium seats to the LeAnn Rimes concert. LeAnn Rimes is an American country and pop singer and her rich vocals entertained us on Saturday night.

Sunday was dedicated to the ‘500.’ NASCAR Race Mom had placed her bets early. You can do that in Laughlin! NRM put $5.00 each on Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, Brian Vickers, and Cole Whitt. Since Whitt was not listed separately, the bet was a “field” bet.

Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of NASCAR Race Mom’s favorite driver, I resisted the urge to bet on him. Probably a good thing, because the NRM jinx hit all of her Daytona 500 picks.

Sprint Cup Rookie Kyle Larson hit the wall at Daytona International Speedway twice in the opening laps of Sunday’s race. He was the first one drivers out of the race!

Austin Dillon (3), Kyle Larson (42), Danica Patrick (10), and others
including Paul Menard crash. (AP Photo/David Graham)

Paul Menard, in a backup car due to a wreck during Wednesday’s practice Wednesday, had led three times for twenty-three laps, getting to the front for five laps before the rain delay. He was also strong through the first full-field round of stops.

Unfortunately, a twelve-car wreck on lap 145 caused significant damage to the front of Menard's car. Repairing that damage cost him sixteen laps and he finished the race in thirty-second place.

"I had a really good car," Menard reported "We kind of got messed up on pit sequence a little bit, came out by ourselves once and got shuffled back, and that's about when everybody decided to wreck."

Brian Vickers fared a tad better. He managed to stay up front in the top five before the cycles of pit stops. Then on lap 162, he was collected in a multi-car incident when Pole Winner, Austin Dillon’s race car broke loose and triggered the pile up. Brian jumped to the high side, slammed on the brakes, but it was just too much, too fast- and he suffered significant damage to the car that dropped him out of contention and crossed the stripe at the end in 30th place.

“We had a good car, but just got caught up in one of the wrecks. A couple of those guys were just racing really aggressive and bouncing around, moving a lot. I knew it was a matter of time.” said Vickers.

NASCAR Race Mom still had one driver in the ‘Great American Race’ and had high hopes for Sprint Cup Rookie Cole Whitt. His race was going exceptionally well. Unfortunately, Austin Dillon gave teammate Ryan Newman a hard bump, sending him into the wall as he took out all the cars behind him. Yup, Cole Whitt was there and painted the Daytona Speedway wall his #26 Speed Stick Gear Toyota. Whitt finished the race in 28th position.

Ryan Newman (31), Brian Scott (33), Cole Whitt (26), Justin Allgaier (51),
Terry Labonte (32) and Parker Kligerman (30) (AP Photo/Mike Troxell)

“We were in position for a great finish. I was nursing the No. 26 Speedstick GEAR Toyota late in the race because of some water pressure issues but with 20 to go crew chief Randy Cox gave the order that it was ”time to go.” We raced up into the top 20 but then got caught up in a wreck that also collected my teammate Parker Kligerman.” Whitt explained.

Bad News: NASCAR Race Mom did not win on any of her bets!

Good News: Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominated a frantic two-lap dash to the finish to win his second Daytona 500.

Best News: NASCAR 2014 is here and made its arrival known with a thrilling event with a “feel good” ending.

*****Keep your eye on racing youngster, Cole Whitt. NASCAR Race Mom is predicting great finishes for him in his rookie season.

Who Will Be Kissing The Bricks Next Week?

Jimmie Johnson and his daughter Genevieve kiss the bricks following
his 2012 Brickard 400 win.  (Credit: 288251Getty Images)

Paul Menard celebrates his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win by kissing the
Brickyard bricks in 2011.  (Credit: 288249Getty Images)

Jamie McMurray kisses the bricks following his 2010 Brickyard 400 triumph.
(Credit: 288248Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson kisses the bricks in 2009 following his Brickyard 400 win.
(Credit: 288238Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson and Rick Hendrick kiss the bricks together again in 2008 at the Brickyard.
(Credit: 288247Getty Images)

Tony Stewart puckers up for a second time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following
his 2007 Brickyard 400 triumph.  (Credit: 288246Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick enjoy the sweet taste of Brickyard success
by kissing the Bricks in 2006. (Credit: 288245Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon not only kisses the bricks in 2004, he becomes NASCAR's first four-time
winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  (Credit: 288244Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick kisses the bricks with his Richard Childress
Racing teammates in 2003.  (Credit: 288243Getty Images)

Awesome Bill enjoys an awesome thrill by kissing the bricks in 2002 at the Brickyard.
(Credit: 288242Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon kisses the bricks following his third Brickyard 400 win in 2001.
(Credit: 288241Getty Images)

Bobby Labtone and crew kiss the bricks in 2000.
(Credit: 288240Getty Images)

Dale Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott began the brick-kissing tradition in 1996.
(Credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

The 2009 Shootout Format - Good or Bad?

NASCAR arrives at Daytona International Speedway this week for Saturday night’s annual preseason classic, the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. There will be a new format for the Budweiser Shootout. In past years, the field was composed of pole winners from the prior season plus former champions. The smaller, “invitation-only” field will now consists of twenty-eight (28) cars; the top six teams of each manufacturer from the previous year, and four "wild cards." The starting lineup will be determined by a random draw.

From the beginning in 1979 until last year, the drivers themselves qualified as eligible for the Budweiser Shootout, not the teams. If an eligible driver for the upcoming Shootout switched teams in the off-season, the driver, not the team, was eligible for the race and that driver competed in the race with his new team.

Unlike previous formats, this year, the entry receives the berth, not the driver. If a driver finishes in the top six of his manufacturer, then departs his team at seasons' end, the driver who replaces him races in the event. For example, Tony Stewart would have been eligible had he stayed with Joe Gibbs Racing's #20 team, but he instead left to start his own team, and his replacement, Joey Logano, will drive the #20 in his place. In addition, each of the four manufacturers receives one "wild card" berth for a car/driver not already qualified, to bring the grand total to 28 cars.

Many race fans are of the opinion that this “wild card” entry was crafted so that driver Tony Stewart, who will be driving a Chevrolet rather than a Toyota in 2009, by virtue of the wild card rule, will be allowed to compete in the Budweiser Shootout. Others blame the change of sponsors; from Budweiser to Coors.

Is this new “Wild Card” format fair? I guess it would depend on which of the drivers you ask. Tony Stewart has to be pleased. However, drivers who earned a pole position in 2008, like Ryan Newman (Phoenix), Joe Nemechek (Talladega), Patrick Carpentier (New Hampshire) and Paul Menard (Daytona) but will not be in the Shootout due to the format changes are probably not too happy.

Express your opinion. Cast your vote in the “2009 Shootout Changes, Good or Bad” poll posted in the sidebar to the right.