Roswell, GA (August 3, 2011) – Slugger Labbe, crew chief for the No. 27 Nibco/Menards Chevrolet team driven by Paul Menard, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After Menard avoided a wreck on lap 120, Labbe called his driver to pit road for two tires and fuel during the caution period. Two laps later -still under the yellow flag – Labbe took a gamble, calling Menard back in the pits to top off the fuel with the intention of no further pit stops. As the rest of the field ran through green-flag pit stops, Menard, not at full throttle, slowly moved to the front, listening to the instructions from Labbe to conserve fuel. The strategy worked and Menard collected his first career NSCS victory – at the track he has loved since he was a child.
“It seems to be a trend in the Sprint Cup Series, that people take gambles on pit road,” said Labbe. “It was our turn to get aggressive. I told Paul he had to support me. He supported me a hundred percent today. Three times he had an occasion where he could have said no, I don’t want to do that, but he did. Fortunately, it worked out.”
“The threesome of [Richard] Childress, Paul Menard and Slugger just works,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “They made nothing but progress and improvements this year. Paul’s confidence in his crew chief really shows. Slugger is smart and knew just how to reign his driver in to keep within that fuel window.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team had to settle for a 21st-place finish after battling ill-handling issues and getting caught in an accident with 40 laps remaining.
“Our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge was good in practice, we qualified well and we were making changes that helped the handling,” said Busch. “We didn’t need to get caught up in that mishap.”
“It was pretty bizarre out there,” said Addington. “After we got caught up in the wreck with 40 to go, we did the best job we could in turning that negative into a positive. We looked to still be about one lap shy on the fuel, but Kurt did a great job on saving all he could. The car was just so tight because of the damage done. Guys were catching us too fast from the rear and I couldn’t believe there were like eight guys in front of us who made it on fuel without having to pit. The way it has become out there, it’s almost like we’re looking at applying the road course strategy at so many more of these tracks.”
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski finished ninth after running in contention for the win.
“It was kind of an up-and-down day for the Miller Lite Dodge,” said Keselowski. “At the three-quarter part of the race I thought that we were going to win the Brickyard. It just didn’t quite work out, but we made our car faster throughout the day and I was proud of that. We knew that we had to do a one-stop at the end. I thought Paul made the right move. We need to gamble a bit to get that second win, but we also have to be conscious of earning points. I was really surprised that so many cars were able to stay out there as long as they did. It kind of caught me off guard and we just weren’t able to run that long and not pit. We were fast at the end and it was fun.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Voting Team
Addington and Wolfe, along with Hammond and Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Claire B. Lang, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners.
Each weekly WYPALL Crew Chief Challenge winner will be a guest on Lang’s “Dialed In” program on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesdays throughout the season.
The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $10,000 check during the weekend of the WYPALL 200 Presented by Kimberly-Clark Professional Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, November 12, 2011.
About WYPALL Wipers:
Since 2004, Kimberly-Clark Professional’s WYPALL Wipers brand has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provides race teams with a number of products providing strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2011 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.
About Penske Racing
Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.
