Catchfence

No. 98 Richmond / Menards Ford Fusion - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Race: Sam’s Town 300 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Team: No. 98 Richmond / Menards Ford Fusion

Crew Chief: Matt Puccia

Broadcast Information: 4:30 p.m. (EST) ESPN2 and PRN radio affiliates

FAST FACTS

- PAUL MENARD will make his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Saturday’s Sam’s Town 300. This will be Menard’s first NNS event at the 1.5-mile Nevada track since 2007.

- MENARD AT LAS VEGAS… In four starts at LVMS, Menard has three top-15 starts and one top-20 finish. This weekend will be the first time Menard has raced a Ford at LVMS. Menard raced Chevrolets in his previous four starts and captured a best finish of 20th place.

- LAPS… Menard has completed 678 of 806 (84.1 %) of the laps he has attempted in NNS competition at LVMS. Over his last three NNS races at LVMS Menard spent 210 (34.7%) laps in the top 15. Unfortunately, crashes took Menard out of two NNS events at LVMS prior to the checkers.

- ON THE TRACK… The No. 98 team will once again carry the Richmond/Menard’s paint scheme on their Ford Fusion for this weekend’s NNS Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas.

- REWIND, STATER BROS. 300… The NASCAR Nationwide Series traveled west to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. for the second race of the 2010 season. Coming off a top-10 run at Daytona, Menard and the No. 98 team were optimistic heading into the Stater Bros. 300. After posting fast speeds during Friday’s practice sessions and qualifying a respectable 17th, it seemed as though the team would be a force to be reckoned with.

From the drop of the green flag Menard reported that his Ford was “loose in the turns”, in spite of the handling issues he kept the No. 98 inside the top 15 for 78 laps. Through a series of scheduled pit stops the Menards crew tweaked the handling of the No. 98 and by mid-way through the race Menard was running inside the top 10. On lap 143, just seven laps shy of the finish, the right front tire blew on the Menards Ford and Menard was forced to pit for fender repairs. Valuable time and track position were lost in the pits and Menard would ultimately finish the race in 19th place.

MENARDS ON THE TRACK… In addition to their partnership with Roush Fenway Racing and the No. 98 Ford Fusion NASCAR Nationwide Series team, Menards is also affiliated with the racing ventures: Matt Crafton and Frank Kimmel, as well as the No. 98 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

ABOUT MENARDS …

Menards is well-known throughout the Midwest for its complete selection of high-quality, name brand merchandise, tools for any job, and state-of-the-art in-store computers to help guests design their special projects. Menards carries the materials and tools for all of your home improvement projects from just needing a light bulb to building a new house! Plus, many Menards stores also carry name brand appliances, pet products, lawn and garden supplies, and even groceries as your one-stop shopping experience. As always, Menards is known for its excellent guest service and the place to “Save Big Money.” There is something for everyone at Menards from the beginning do-it-yourselfer to the experienced contractor. For more information and to find a store near you, please visit www.menards.com. For more Menards Racing info, please visit www.menardsracing.com.

Paul Menard

Paul Menard on racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

“We had an unfortunate ending to a pretty decent run last week at Fontana. So, this weekend we’re definitely looking to get a better finish and make up some ground. I’m impressed with this team and I feel like we should be contenders for top-five finishes each week.”

Crew chief Matt Puccia on racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

“Obviously last weekend was disappointing. We had a good car, capable of a top-10 finish at least, but cut a tire so close to the end of the race. If we’re going to be a top-five, top-10 team, we have to do better than that. Our guys have what it takes to contend for wins each week, we just have to stay focused and everything will fall into place.”

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release