NI Top 25: Paul Menard must learn to finish strong at RCR
Paul Menard is looking for more consistency from his team this season. // Ivan Veldhuizen, NASCAR Illustrated
Editor’s note: SceneDaily is counting down NASCAR Illustrated’s Top 25 drivers for 2012.
NI Ranking: 22nd
DOB: Aug. 21, 1980 (31)
Marital Status: Single
Hometown: Eau Claire, Wis.
Resides: Mooresville, N.C.
Cup Starts: 183
Team: No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Crew Chief: Richard “Slugger” Labbe
Paul Menard has to be downright giddy heading into 2012. During a season in which Richard Childress Racing struggled, he had his best year to date in Cup competition.
The Wisconsin native took his first Sprint Cup win and finished a career-best 17th in the point standings.
One area of concern for the team, however, is that during both of the last two seasons, Menard jumped out to a strong start but was unable to keep pace with the frontrunners late in the year.
“It was a struggle since the second Pocono race,” Menard said. “We had good cars and qualified really well but it seems like we just miss on something.
“We are aware of it, and we are working hard to fix it — although we’re not sure why that happens.”
Another area of concern for the No. 27 team is finding speed throughout the races and being able to come on strong at the end. It’s something crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe is addressing during the offseason.
“The biggest thing we need to work on is being there at the end of the race,” Labbe said. “If you’re running in the top five all day, there’s no reason you shouldn’t finish at least in the top 10. There were a lot of races last year that when it came time to get paid, we didn’t get paid very well.
“And we always work on things. I could do things better, Paul could do things better, the team could be better. There are a lot of things that we’re looking at to get better.”
While teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton have new crew chiefs and the No. 33 entry has been shuttered, Menard’s team saw just one crew member leave during the offseason.
“We’ve got the whole group of guys that worked together last year coming back this year, and we’re way further ahead to be prepared for Daytona and beyond and grow as a team,” Menard said.
And in a Cup career that saw Menard bounce around from a number of teams, he believes he’s found a home at RCR.
“I feel like I’ve been welcomed into the whole group a little bit more so than in the past,” Menard said. “Richard [Childress] is a guy that’s at the shop basically every day. I see him a lot. I talk to him on the phone. It’s a family atmosphere.
“There’s a lot of people that have been with Richard for a long time. We’ve got some good, hard-working young guys coming into the fold, too. That is kind of the future of the company so it’s a pretty exciting place.”
Pros
Menard doesn’t wreck cars and crew chief “Slugger” Labbe calls a race well, which often puts Menard in position to capitalize on others’ mistakes. Menard also has more confidence now than he has in previous years.
Cons
The RCR stable took a step back in 2011. Menard doesn’t take too many chances, so if he doesn’t have confidence to make a move, he won’t wreck his equipment — but he won’t gain those valuable points for a successful pass, either.
Fantasy Prediction
With RCR power, Menard finished no worse than 12th in the 2011 plate races. He won last year at Indy, but his best finish there prior to last year was 14th.
From The Pits
“If RCR as a whole is a tick better this year, Menard will make the Chase. If they’re not, he’ll be a close miss. I look for Menard, ‘Slugger’ Labbe and company to win a race — maybe even two — and finish 14th.” —Allen Bestwick, ESPN/ABC
– For a complete look at NASCAR Illustrated’s Top 25, see the February issue on newsstands now.
