Sprint Cup Primary Car: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chassis #048
Last Used:   California Speedway – February, 2008 (Qualified 29th; Finished 27th)

Overall Notes of Interest
With 10 races in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup record books, Menards Racing and the Dale Earnhardt Inc. backed team turn its attention to Darlington Raceway for the running of this Saturday night’s Dodge Challenger 500.

While many drivers are skeptical of the on track action at Darlington, Menard enjoys a chance to race at the feisty 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.

“I’d say Darlington is right up there as one of my favorite tracks, behind only Indy and the road courses,” Menard said.

Crew Chief Doug Randolph hopes his driver’s affection for the track translates into race day success and perhaps the team’s first top-10 finish of the season.

Standings Status
Paul Menard is currently 21st in Driver’s Points, while the No. 15 team remains 22nd in Owner’s Standings following last weeks race at Richmond International Raceway.

Over the Wall Crew Hoping to Lock Into Pit Crew Challenge
Menard hopes for great things out of his DEI Chevy at Darlington, seeing as how the No. 15 Menards team is right on the bubble of competing in it’s first ever pit crew challenge.

“We not confirmed in the crew challenge yet,” Randolph explains. “But the cutoff is after this weekend’s race at Darlington, so I hope we have a strong finish and lock ourselves in the competition. It would mean a lot to our team, since our pit crew is one of the best in the business.”

The NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge will take place at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on May 15, 2008. The skills competition showcases the talents of NASCAR's pit crew members, but only certain teams are eligible for the competition. Menard will have to have a solid run at Darlington to lock his pit crew into the competition.

“I definitely want to have a strong run this weekend, and not just for myself or for our sponsors, but for our pit crew so that they can have the chance to compete in the Pit Crew Challenge,” Menard said. “The pressure is definitely on this weekend.”

Darlington Quotes:
 
Paul Menard on the race:
“Darlington is a track that requires a lot of patience out of us drivers. Who knows how the new surface will react. There will be a lot of grip and I'm sure the tires will be hard as rocks so that combination leaves very little room for mistakes. You could almost flat foot turns one and two before so it's going to be hairy in qualifying, as I'm sure we'll be able to completely flat foot it now. Overall, it's a great track to drive, but the walls will bite you if you get too comfortable. Everything has to go your way to have a top ten at Darlington. You’re not going to win here by being lucky, the car has to handle for the whole race to stay near the front and as a driver you have to try to hit the wall as few times as possible.”

Crew Chief Doug Randolph on the race:
“For Paul to like coming here definitely helps the team feel more confident going into this weekend,” Randolph said. “If a driver is comfortable with racing at Darlington it could really pay off, especially in a race as long as this one. Our goal is a top-10 finish on Saturday night.”