Paul Menard AAA Texas 500 Race Recap

Paul Menard and the No. 27 Quaker State/Menards team earned a 27th-place finish in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500. The Eau Claire, Wis., native started the 34th points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event of the 2012 season from the 27th position and immediately reported a loose-handling condition on the neon yellow and green machine. The 100-lap green-flag run that kicked off the 335-lap race proved costly as the No. 27 team became trapped multiple laps down to the leader while Menard battled an ill-handling Chevrolet. The Slugger Labbe-led team took every possible opportunity during green and yellow-flag pit stops throughout the 502.5-mile affair to make aggressive air pressure and chassis adjustments to the Richard Childress Racing entry in hopes of improving the car’s balance. Menard continued to wrestle the Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet around the 1.5-mile Fort Worth, Texas-based speedway, ultimately taking the checkered flag in the 27th position. Start – 27          ...