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Menard to leave DEI for Yates Racing?

Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season and move to Yates Racing along with his sponsor, the Associated Press reports.  Menard is 28th in the driver standings but this will carry some weight because some will see it as a sign of further decay at DEI (starting with Dale Jr.'s departure last year). With the economy the way it is, one has to wonder how this might slow companies from pursuing multi-million dolllar sponsorships or if it will cause them to reduce their investment in the sport. Thus, Menard and his father's company as sponsor, is a lift for Yates Racing, which also has relied on a patchwork of sponsors for Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland. Despite the sponsorship situation, which led some to wonder how long this team would last, it's around and while it might not be flourishing certainly deserves credit for lasting this long. That said, there's a lot of work ahead to turn this team into one that can reguarly compete for wins. Kvapil is 24th in the driver standings and Gilliland is 26th. They've combined for five top-10 finishes this season.  (From HamptonRoads.com)

Driver Comments from Talladega

Chevy
comments from Joe Nemechek
comments from Aric Almirola, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr.

Dodge
comments from Robby Gordon
comments from Kyle Petty and Bobby Labonte
comments from Ryan Newman
comments from Sam Hornish Jr.
comments from Kurt Busch
comments from Kasey Kahne
comments from Elliot Sadler

Ford
comments from David Ragan
comments from Greg Biffle
comments from Jamie McMurray

Toyota
comments from Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin
comments from Tony Stewart

Almirola, Menard and Smith test at Infineon Raceway

Three DEI drivers visited Infineon Raceway on Wednesday to hone their skills on the challenging 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. NASCAR drivers Aric Almirola, Regan Smith and Paul Menard came to the track for a one-day test session before the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in the Sonoma Valley, June 20-22.

The drivers piloted GT America stock cars supplied by Pioneer Motorsports out of Lake Oroville. They were coached by road-course veteran Chris Cook and completed approximately 100 laps combined in the full-day test.

Smith is the only driver among the three with any Cup Series race experience at Infineon Raceway. He finished 30th in last year's event. "I raced here last year, so it's nice to come back here and get in that road-racing mentality again," said Smith.  "It's a totally different approach than an oval, and it's nice to come here and refresh your memory."

"I've been road racing since I was eight years old, so I'm more comfortable on road courses than on ovals.  It was a good day, and it's a great facility to be at," said Menard, who is in his second year of full-time Cup Series competition piloting the No. 15 Menards Chevrolet. He failed to qualify for the Sonoma race in 2007.

Almirola, who shares driving duties with veteran Mark Martin in the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet, is currently in his second partial season of Sprint Cup Series competition.  This marked his first visit to the Sonoma Valley road course. "This track is tough, but it's fun," said Almirola.  "The elevation changes and blind turns make it really difficult.  It's definitely something different."

Cook said all of the drivers took well to the road course, and he enjoyed working with all three teammates. "I think Aric was most focused being his first time here, and he made big gains by the end of the day," said Cook.  "Paul and Regan were a lot more disciplined with the track, and we worked on shifting points and braking points." (From InfineonRaceway.com)

Almirola and Menard to test at Infineon Raceway April 9

April 7, 2008 // SONOMA, Calif. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Aric Almirola and Paul Menard will come to Infineon Raceway on Wednesday, April 9, for a one-day test session.

Almirola, who shares driving duties with veteran Mark Martin in the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet, has never competed on the Sonoma Valley road course in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Neither has Menard, who drives the No. 15 Menards Chevrolet.

Almirola and Menard are expected to test the challenging 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in late-model stock cars provided by a Northern California-based race team. They will be coached by road-course veteran Chris Cook, who has also worked with NASCAR drivers David Reutimann, Johnny Sauter and AJ Allmendinger. (From InfineonRaceway.com)