Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing teammates Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon and Paul Menard finished 12th, 20th and 41st, respectively, in the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
- Menard ranks 16th in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Kevin Harvick by 129 points, while Dillon ranks 22nd and Newman ranks 24th.
- Jimmie Johnson earned his second win of the 2015 season and was followed to the line by Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.
- The eighth race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 19, 2015, which is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Earns 20th-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon drove the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet to a 20th-place finish in the Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race under the lights of Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The Welcome, N.C., driver battled changing track conditions and a temperamental chassis throughout the course of the 334-lap event, with the Dow Chevrolet’s balance alternating from tight to loose throughout the race. Crew chief Gil Martin utilized green and yellow-flag pit stops on laps 31, 80, 110, 155, 172, 217, 229, 251, 266, 296 and 310 to try and alleviate the issues the driver was facing with four-tire pit stops that included air pressure, wedge and packer adjustments. Following the final pit stop on lap 310, Dillon restarted 18th when green-flag racing resumed but continued to battle handling issues and settled for a 20th-place result. He moved up one position, to 22nd, in the driver championship point standings leading into the next race on the 2015 schedule, the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 19.
Start – 14 Finish – 20 Laps Led – 0 Points – 22
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Mechanical Issue Relegates Paul Menard to a 41st-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway
A mechanical issue ended Paul Menard’s bid for a top-five finish during Saturday night’s 334-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The Wisconsin native started the 501-mile race from the eighth position and quickly noted a tight-center and loose-off handling condition. Crew chief Justin Alexander remedied the condition on lap 33 with four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. When green flag racing resumed on lap 36, Menard reported the car was handling a little worse over the bumps but turning better. The Alexander-led team made good adjustments on pit road four additional times and had Menard running well within the top 10 by lap 119. Charging towards the front of the field, the Richard Childress Racing driver found a spot within the top six and drove up to fourth before a mechanical issue brought him to pit road on lap 220. The No. 27 crew made the decision to take the car to the garage and found a mechanical problem that ultimately ended the night early. This finish moves Menard to 16th in the driver point standings, just 17 points away from the 10th spot. Up next for the No. 27 team is next Sunday’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Start – 8 Finish – 41 Laps Led – 0 Points – 16
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“The car was really fast. Our Quaker State/Menards Chevy was really good and qualified eighth yesterday. I fell back there when I got blocked in on a pit stop but drove back into the top 10. The guys always give me good pit stops. Things were looking good and we had decent speed. When the sun went down, it came to life.”
Ryan Newman Drives Up Through Field En Route to 12th-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to a 12th-place finish in Saturday evening’s 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., driver lined up seventh but dropped to the back of the field for the green flag for making a mechanical change after Friday’s qualifying session. The driver wasted no time in making up the lost real estate by racing to 23rd position in the first 25 circuits and up to 15th by lap 100. At halfway, Newman raced just outside the top 10. Crew chief Luke Lambert used a series of pit stops to make adjustments and the Cat crew averaged 11 seconds to complete the tasks. The team’s biggest challenge was loose in and tight off the corners. During the team’s service on lap 296, a lug nut issue with the left-rear tire occurred. It resulted in an extra visit onto pit road. Despite the setback, Newman restarted 23rd and raced up to 17th before a final caution flag waved on lap 307. Newman used the closing laps to race from 14th to a 12th-place finish. Newman now ranks 24th in the championship point standings heading into next Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. WIX Filters will be on board as primary sponsor.
Start – 7 Finish – 12 Laps Led – 0 Points – 24
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“Luke and the Cat crew gave me a solid car that allowed us to drive up through the field after we started in the back. It’s a real testament to this team and how well we work together. The pit crew once again did a good job on pit road to pick up spots during most of our stops. There at the end we raced hard with the 11 car and had a chance to get a top-10 but we just ran out of time.”
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