RCR Post Race Report — NSCS Charlotte 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Early Incident Relegates Paul Menard and the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Team to a 27th-Place Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Paul Menard and the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards team lost ground early in the 501-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway when damage sustained during a restart relegated them to a 27th-place finish. The Eau Clair, Wis., native started the 334-lap event from the 24th position and quickly drove into the top 20, when the restart following the lap-12 caution period resulted in melee and damaged cars. Although it appeared unharmed, the No. 27 Chevrolet received damage to the splitter and fender causing a violent chattering of the tires. Menard fell in the running order and was scored in the 31st position when the right-front tire blew, sending the neon yellow machine into the outside wall of the 1.5-mile race track. The Pittsburgh Paints/Menards team made three visits to pit road to repair the damage. Throughout the remainder of the event, the Shane Wilson-led team made a series of chassis and air pressure adjustments during pit stops under green and yellow-flag conditions to assist Menard with the tight-handling condition that developed following the on-track incident. The car’s handling improved towards the end, but Menard was ultimately relegated to a 27th-place finish.

 

Start – 24 Finish – 27 Laps Led – 0 Points – 16

 

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

“This was not the result we had hoped for today with the Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet. We had a really good car, but with the damage after that first restart, we just lost too much ground. With long green-flag runs, there was no way of getting back on the lead lap. Shane (Wilson, crew chief) and the No. 27 guys did a great job making something out of the car after we hit the wall. It was running well at the end.”

 

 

Kevin Harvick and the Jimmy John’s Team Finish 16th at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Jimmy John’s team collected a 16th-place finish under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The 36-year-old driver started the race from the 11th position and quickly became a fixture in the top 10 during the early laps. Following the team’s visit to pit road on lap 37 for right-side tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment while under caution, Harvick returned to the track in the fourth spot and continued to run within the top five until lap100 when he reported to crew chief Gil Martin that the Jimmy John’s Chevrolet developed a loose-handling condition. The Martin-led pit crew made adjustments to the Richard Childress Racing machine during scheduled pit stops on laps 128 and 168 in an effort to alleviate the handling issues Harvick was battling. Back on track, the Bakersfield, Calif., native alerted Martin the changes created a tight-handling condition, which made the car difficult to maneuver around the 1.5-mile track. Harvick ultimately fell back in the field, crossing the finish line in the 16th position. Harvick remains 10th in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, 56 points out of the lead.

Start – 11 Finish – 16 Laps Led – 0 Points – 10

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

“This was a tough night for the Jimmy John’s team. We started the race headed in the right direction, and lost our way toward the end. We never could find the right setup we needed to keep the car running near the front of the field.”