Car Notes - Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Nextel Cup Primary Car:Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chassis #029/ Back up Car #031
Last Used: This is a re-build DEI chassis with a brand new body. It was tested on the pull down plates all day Monday and the findings of which, were extremely encouraging according to Crew Chief, Dave Charpentier.
Fun ‘Cup’ Fact: Menard led a lap during Cup competition at Talladega in 2006. While it was only one lap, Menard says that the view from the front of a Nextel Cup draft of cars is one of his favorite memories from his racing career.
Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three
Menard led the way through Daytona pre-season testing by recording the fastest lap time of 64 participating drivers.
DEI and Menard Ready for Superspeedway Success
Menard’s precise driving talents have been conditioned for success at Daytona. Menard won an ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway in 2002 and has shown potential in each of his NASCAR Busch Series starts at the 2.5-mile trioval.
Raybestos Rookie Power
“Being a rookie in the draft is tough.” Menard has said of racing at Daytona. “The veteran drivers are used to working with each other so until I can earn their respect it’s tough to say who I can rely on out there.”
Currently, Menard stands third in overall Raybestos Rookie ratings. He has 113 points; 77 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya who leads the battle with 190 points. Menard has won Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in three events this season, including Michigan, Richmond and Phoenix.
Working Towards Top-35
Paul Menard is currently 38th in Driver’s Points, while the No. 15 team sits 39th in Owner’s Standings, 275 points outside of the top-35. Despite missing six events this season, Menard has kept the top-35 within striking distance. With his superspeedway powerhouse backed team, Daytona is the perfect venue for Menard to close in on a locked in position in the field.
Daytona Quotes:
Paul Menard on the Cup Race:
“We were fastest in the draft during testing so we should have a great car come race day, but getting in the show is our first challenge. Qualifying at Daytona is like driving down the interstate, you grab fourth gear and never check up. Bottom line is the car has to handle for us to make the show, but Dave Charpentier and the guys have been working really hard so I feel pretty good about this weekend.”
Nextel Cup Crew Chief Dave Charpentier on the the Cup Race:
“We’ve been working really hard for the past few weeks. After going to a variety of tracks, I think this team is very well equipped to run well at Daytona. Paul is a fan of speedway racing and DEI has typically run well at Daytona and Talladega. Speed on a single car run is obviously our biggest challenge for Friday’s qualifying. DEI cars are strong in the draft but not as dominating in qualifying and of course the 15 team has to find a way to overcome that challenge or we won’t have the opportunity to show our strength in the draft."
