Top 35 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers: No. 31 - Paul Menard
Yates Racing's Paul Menard managed to move his team into the top 35 in owners points and keep it there for much of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. // LaDon George, NASCAR Scene
Paul Menard joined Yates Racing for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season after previously competing with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and though his results slipped slightly, he secured a spot for the future with a team that plans significant changes in the offseason.
Menard, who managed to remain in the top 35 in owner points for much of the year and ended it with the team locked into that group for 2010, has been announced as part of the planned offseason merger of Yates with Richard Petty Motorsports.
The Eau Claire, Wisc., native finished 31st in the series standings and earned $4,298,508 in purses.
During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 35 in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here’s how Menard’s season unfolded:
By the numbers: For the third consecutive season, Menard finished in the top 35, and for the second straight year he started every race. Menard had four top-15 finishes in 2009 as well as four DNFs.
Season highlights: Menard's 13th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April allowed him to climb into the top 35 and remain there the rest of the season.
Key setbacks: Menard had four DNFs in 2009, two more than in 2008. He also fell from 26th in 2008 to 31st in 2009 in the standings. He struggled with qualifying, earning a starting average of 31.0.
Newsworthy moment: The announcement in September of a planned merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports included Menard and his family-sponsored entry. It will include the switch from Dodge to Ford and Roush-Yates engines for the other entire organization.
In his words: "We will take the next couple of months to look back on this season, see where we can improve and start getting ready for Daytona. I think since the middle of the season we have started to turn things around and have started working really well together as a team and are certainly looking forward to a fresh start in 2010.”
