Menard opens its counter in Indianapolis

Paul Menard celebrates his first Sprint Cup victory by winning on the Indianapolis oval. The No. 27 Chevrolet crossed the checkered flag without running out of fuel, in a race where refueling strategies determined the finishing position.

The winner climbs to 14th place in the Championship ahead of David Ragan (Roush Fenway Racing) and places himself as a contender for the Chase. “I can’t believe I won”, comments Paul Menard. “My crew chief (Slugger Labe) told me to watch my consumption in the last 15 laps. This race was magnificent, we had no problems. »

The Chevrolet driver is ahead of Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsport), well recovered after having been discreet for most of the race. “I had an incredible car”, explains the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet. “It got better when we corrected the understeer. I was hoping for Paul to run out of fuel, but I congratulate him on his first victory. »

The top six is ​​completed by Regan Smith (Furniture Row Racing), Jamie McMurray (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing), Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing) and Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing). Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing), championship leader before the race, ranks 14th.

Find the report of the Nascar in the Indianapolis in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, on sale Wednesday.