NASCAR: Paul Menard Adds Name to Elite List of Brickyard Winners

 Racin’ with Russ - Not many people would have picked Paul Menard as a possible winner of this year's Brickyard 400. After all, the Childress driver had gone 167 Sprint Cup races without a win, so why of all places would a win pop up now?Well, with careful pit fuel mileage strategy by crew chief Slugger Labbe, hard driving by Menard and a strong Childress powered Chevy did the 30-year-old Wisconsin driver take home the big brick trophy and the huge cash prize ($373,575) that goes along with it.The race started with David Ragan on the pole in his rapid fast Roush-Fenway Ford Fusion, but it was Kasey Kahne's Toyota that led early and the most laps on the day with 48. troubles later in the race dropped the red bull driver down to a disappointing 18th place finish.The rest of the race saw several different leaders such as Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Menard, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jamie McMurray.The long race came down to about a 30-lap gas economy run where about 10 teams rolled the dice with gas mileage strategies. Some pitted late in the go, some didn't.Menard and McMurray shared the lead over the final few dozen circuits with Gordon running more than a second faster in the closing stages. Gordon made up around one second a lap over the final dozen laps, passing nearly a car a lap.On the final lap, Gordon came up just a few car lengths shy of a fifth brickyard trophy, while Menard was starting to realize he'd just won his very first Cup event and what a place to do it. His billionaire famous father John Menard has been backing Indy cars and stock cars at this very famous venue, never coming away with the top prize....until today.Rounding out the top five included Gordon, Ragan Smith, McMurray and Matt Kenseth.

Notes: Dale Earnhardt Jr ran well for a while, only to get held up on pit lane, costing him more than a handful of spots late in the race. His 16th place finish dropped him to 10th in the Chase standings, precariously on the verge of dropping out with only six weeks remaining before the final spots are filled.

Nationwide

Ricky Stenhouse Jr took the pole and led most of the laps of the race at Lucas Raceway Park, only to be squeezed aside by Brad Keselowski in the final few laps, winding up third behind James Buescher and Keselowski.At on point, Stenhouse led teammate Trevor Bayne and Carl Edwards in what looked like a I-2-3 finish for Roush, only to Have Bayne blow and engine with 12 laps to go and Edwards receiving a speeding penalty during the next to last pit stop.Stenhouse now leads the points by a small margin over Reed Sorensen and Elliott Sadler.

Truckin’

Timothy Peters grabbed the lead late in the trcuk race at LRP to nail down his third career trophy. The Virginia driver bested James Buescher, David Starr, Miguel Paludo and Ron Hornaday Jr. Johnny Sauter still maintains the top spot over Austin Dillon and Buescher.

Open Wheel News

Jenson Button is becoming the F-1 reinmeister in difficult conditions during the Hungary F-1 race as the English driver took his second checkers of the season in front of points leader Sebastien Vettel and Ferrari hot show Fernando Alonso.Vettel still tops the charts by a comfortable margin.

From Rumorville

The big rumors of the week surround where Carl Edwards will wind up for next year and beyond. The most consistent conversations involve the current points leader in moving over to Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 20 Toyota. The tempting package may include a $10 million signing bonus and an $8 million annual starting salary. That’s a lot of money being tossed around, but I truly hope that Ford and Roush officials can come to terms in upping their offers to keep the talented driver.Besides, can you see Carl being buddy-buddy with Kyle Busch? Not me.

That’s it for this week. Next weeks RWR will review the action from the Cupsters and Trucks in Pocono while the Indy Car series competes at the Mid-Ohio road course.