NASCAR Notes and Quotes
Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018
Date: Feb. 18, 2018
Event: Daytona 500
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 500-miles, 200 laps
Stage 1 Winner: Kurt Busch (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney (Ford)
Race Winner: Austin Dillon (Chevy)
Paul Menard, No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion
· Started: 16th
· Stage 1: 10th
· Stage 2: 2nd
· Finished: 6th
Summary
· Paul Menard scored a sixth-place finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
· The No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion scores driver points in all three race stages.
· Late-race cautions and green-white checkered finish stall Menard’s push to the point.
Menard Quotes:
TALK ABOUT YOUR RUN: “We had a really fast Omnicraft Ford today. These guys are awesome. Great race car. I ran upfront the first-half of the race. I got shuffled out. Denny (Hamlin) bumped me in Turn 3 and got loose and lost all my track position. I just kept fighting from there to get my track position back. Great run for us. We had shot to win the Daytona 500 at the end of the race. We just came up short.”
TALK ABOUT YOUR DEBUT WITH THE WOOD BROTHERS: “We had a really fast Ford Fusion. The guys have been great all week. The Omnicraft Ford Fusion was a rocket ship. It was really fun tonight. I’m so proud of this team. The car was fast all day. We survived and were able to bring it back home in one piece.”
TALK ABOUT HAVING A SHOT TO WIN THE DAYTONA 500: “We were so fast. I just wasn’t able to get the restart that we wanted on the green-white checkered. I had a bit of a run, he blocked and just got outrun on the outside.”
YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY THAT YOU SCORED STAGE POINTS IN ALL THREE ROUNDS: “It was huge. To score points in all three stages is awesome. That’s good for the overall picture. I had a shot at a stage win. It was a good points day for sure.”
Next Up:
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend for the Field of Honor Quick Trip 500. Race coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Next FCSD Race:
FCSD livery on the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Fusion returns at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4 for the Pennzoil 400.
