Paul Menard Federated Auto Parts 400 Race Recap

Paul Menard and the Moen/Menards Chevrolet team were plagued with handling issues throughout the 400-lap race that extended into the early Sunday morning hours under the lights of Richmond International Raceway, resulting in a 23rd-place finish. The start of the Federated Auto Parts 400 was delayed due to inclement weather in the greater Richmond, Va. area, but when the green flag was displayed, Menard started the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event from the 25th position and quickly drove the Moen/Menards Chevrolet into the top 20. The momentum was short lived as the No. 27 machine developed a tight-handling condition in the center of the turns. Falling back to the 23rd position in the running order, acting crew chief Shane Wilson called for a series of chassis and air pressure adjustments in an effort to neutralize the car’s balance. Long green-flag runs allowed the leader to pass the Moen/Menards Chevrolet and a green-flag pit stop on lap 132 just before the lap-135 caution trap...