The official results of Saturday night’s Monster Energy Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway will show that Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team started 21stand finished 22nd.
What those numbers don’t show is a determined effort by Menard and the No. 21 team.
After taking the green flag outside the top 20 on a track that often means going a lap down early due to the relative shortness of the three-quarter-mile oval, Menard finished both of the first two 100-lap Stages on the lead lap. He did so thanks to a short-pitting strategy in which he stopped for four fresh tires under the green flag midway through the stage, falling two laps down to the leader in the process.
With the fresh rubber, Menard ended up passing the leader twice in each Stage to remain on the lead lap for both 100-lap segments.
Thanks to some great driving and equally good pit strategy by crew chief Greg Erwin and perfect execution by the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew, Menard was still in position for a lead-lap finish halfway through the final stage of the race when he was nabbed for speeding on pit road.
Erwin, who had seen all of his earlier strategy calls deliver the expected result, gambled on taking the wave-around to make up the time lost due to the speeding penalty, but a lack of caution flags pinned Menard and the No. 21 team three laps down all the way to the finish.
Eddie Wood said afterward that he felt good about his team’s performance despite the late-race disappointment.
“We weren’t going to win the race, but we were on track to finish a lot better than we did,” he said. “We ran a lot better than the results showed, and to do that at Richmond was a big improvement for us.
“With no cautions at the end of the race, we never got a chance to make up the ground we lost.
“But all in all, it was a great race, lots of excitement and a great crowd, which is good for the sport as a whole.”
Now Menard and the No. 21 team head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first-ever Cup race on the Roval, a new layout that includes portions of the traditional quad-oval and the remainder on the new infield road course.
###
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Fusion driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.
