Las Vegas, NV – Paul Menard predicted Las Vegas would be a tough race on hard tires and it lived up to that prediction. Menard started 19th Sunday in the UAW Dodge Dealers 400, the result of a spectacular qualifying effort that saw his #15 Menards Chevrolet slide sideways through the grass, become airborne and eventually slow to a stop without hitting anything. Sunday’s race was not as spectacular, but it did have its share of adventures (a broken shifter, a spin, and a speeding penalty) as Menard slid his way through Vegas with a 32nd-place finish.
The prevailing issue for Menard all day long was his car’s loose condition. Mostly attributed to the hard tire, and something most of the other competitors were battling as well, the race took on a distinct survival atmosphere.
Early on the grip was so bad Menard radioed in, “The track is so greasy you have to lift just to get through the tri-oval.”
Tony Eury Sr. made numerous changes throughout the day, track bar up and down, air pressure – you name it. Some seemed to work better than others in the early stages of a run, but mostly those runs ended up in the same loose condition.
By the checkered flag, Menard had survived - finished four laps down - but still survived. He now turns to Atlanta in his quest to reach the top-35 in owner’s points by the close of day at the Bristol Cup race.
“We weren’t exactly the best today, but we gave it a good effort,” said Menard after the race. “I hit the wall in practice, spun in qualifying and gave it a whirl today too. The guys did everything to keep us in the game and that’s what we need. Probably didn’t score as many points as we’d have liked today, but we did finish and we’re gaining on it. Going into Atlanta, it’s a little more of a known race and track for us so I’m confident going in there we can have a good weekend. But yes, I am glad this race is over!”
With the finish, Menard moved up six positions in the Nextel Cup standings to 37th overall. Next week’s Cup race in Atlanta starts Sunday at 1:30pm eastern.
