Richard Childress Racing

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April 23, 2012

Menard and the No. 27 Team Finish 18th in Kansas

"The team had a really good day in the pits. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite shake the tight-handling condition in the center of the turns."

RCR/HHP Photo RCR/HHP Photo

Start - 19                

Finish - 18              
 
Laps Led - 0               

Points Position - 14 

Paul Menard and the No. 27 Zecol/Menards Chevrolet were faced with handling issues throughout the STP 400 and returned home with an 18th-place finish in the first of two visits to Kansas Speedway by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Menard qualified the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing entry in the 19th position for the start of the Sunday afternoon event and took the green flag in front of an estimated 75,000 people. Crew chief Slugger Labbe and the Zecol/Menards team made adjustments to the yellow Chevrolet throughout the 267-lap event in the hopes of combating the simultaneous tight and loose-handling conditions that challenged the Welcome, N.C.-based team. A series of chassis and air pressure adjustments during routine pit stops provided little relief to the Eau Claire, Wis., native and the No. 27 Zecol/Menards team took the checkered flag in the 18th position, dropping Menard to 14th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 31 points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot.

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

"We struggled throughout the race to find the right setup for the Zecol/Menards Chevy but were never able to get exactly what we needed. Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) and the team worked really hard to find the car's handling balanced, making adjustments on every pit stop. The team had a really good day in the pits. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite shake the tight-handling condition in the center of the turns. At one point we were really loose on exit, too. We're leaving here scratching our heads."
 

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