MENARD RETURNS: Paul Menard, the 2011 Brickyard 400 champion, reunites with the No. 33 Rheem/Menards team this weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International. Menard has five starts in the series at the Glen with one top-five and two top-10 finishes. The second of three road- course events on the Nationwide Series schedule this season will mark the driver’s fourth of seven races with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team.
BY THE NUMBERS: In three starts thus far this season with the No. 33 KHI team, Menard finished inside the top five in each race. He collected his third pole in the series at Michigan International Speedway in June and started inside the top 10 in his two additional starts with the team. Hot off his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory two weeks ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Eau Claire, Wis., native hopes that momentum will propel the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala to victory lane.
KHI SUCCESS AT THE GLEN: KHI has made a total of 10 Nationwide Series starts at the New York road course. The organization has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third in 2010 earned by team co-owner Kevin Harvick. KHI also has two pole awards at Watkins Glen with Harvick in 2009 and Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart in 2005.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Driver David Mayhew climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala for his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa Speedway this weekend. The Bakersfield, Calif., native qualified the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) machine in the 13th position and raced his way to the front of the field to lead twice for four laps before coming across the finish line in the 10th position.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem/Menards crew prepared chassis No. 75 for the road-course event this weekend. Driver Max Papis piloted this chassis in June at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Papis started the race from the outside pole and raced among the top 10 before falling victim to a late-race accident that relegated the team to a 23rd-place finish.
MENARD’S THOUGHTS ON WATKINS GLEN:
What are your thoughts about this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen?
“I really enjoy racing the road courses, and I am looking forward to the Glen this weekend. David Hyder and the guys have worked really hard on these cars. The Rheem/Menards Chevrolets have been really fast, and we’ve been able to put together some good runs so far this season together. It’d be great to get to victory lane with them this weekend.”