MENARDS RACING NOTES – KANSAS SPEEDWAY
No. 15 Johns Manville / Menards Chevrolet Monte Carlo – Nextel Cup

NOTES OF INTEREST ON THE KANSAS CUP CAR
Nextel Cup Primary Car: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chassis #038/ Back up Car #037
Last Raced: Chicagoland Speedway in July 2007 (qualified 16th; finished 42nd – engine)
Interesting Cup Fact: Menard’s best runs have come on intermediate style racetracks like Kansas Speedway. Menard scored his season best finish of 12th in the June race at Michigan. Additionally, Menard has had finishes of 7th (Atlanta – 2006); 14th (Charlotte – 2006); 17th (Homestead – 2006); and 15th (Texas – 2007) at this type of track.

OVERALL NOTES OF INTEREST
Pole Winning Milestone
Paul Menard is quick to cite his fondness for Kansas Speedway. Having won his first Busch pole award at the 1.5-mile tri-oval in 2004, Menard’s potential for Kansas success is evident.

Raybestos Rookie Power
Currently, Menard stands third in overall Raybestos Rookie ratings. He has 179 points; 43 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya who leads the battle with 222 points. Menard has won Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in four events this season, including Kansas, Richmond, Phoenix and Watkins Glen.

Standings Status
Paul Menard is currently 34th in Driver’s Points, while the No. 15 team maintained 29th place in Owner’s Standings following last weeks race at Dover International Speedway. The team is has a 401 point cushion on the top-35. Menard’s prowess on intermediate style racetracks should aid his Dale Earnhardt Inc. backed team in its quest towards the top-20 in owner’s standings beginning with this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway.

QUOTES ON KANSAS SPEEDWAY
Paul Menard on the Lifelock 400: “It’s safe to say we’ve had a lot of potential on this sort of racetrack so it feels good to take a break from the COT this weekend. I really thought we had a good shot at top-10 finishes at Chicago and Michigan and those days ended early because of engine problems, so I think we should expect the same from Sunday’s race – a solid top-10 finish would be a good day.”

Nextel Cup Crew Chief Dave Charpentier on the Lifelock 400: This is definitely going to be a good weekend. This is Paul’s favorite intermediate car and this is probably our best shot at a top-five finish. We’ve come a long way with our intermediate track program not only this year but in the last few years. Paul and I seem to really be on the same page about how to approach a weekend like this with regard to our qualifying package and race strategy.”