MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Could the marriage between Paul Menard and Richard Childress Racing go its separate ways at the end of the year?
It might not be as far-fetched as one might think.
With the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series silly season starting to rumble to the surface, speculation is stirring Richard Childress Racing’s Paul Menard may take his talents elsewhere next year.
Menard is in a contract season, and his performance has been lackluster (two top 10s and only 20 laps led in 22 races) after making the Chase Grid just one year ago.
With the backing of his father’s company in his hip pocket, it would seem that Menard just might have the pick of the lot when it comes to finding a home for the foreseeable future in the Cup garage.
But why would he leave RCR, and where would he go?
Let’s dig a little deeper.
For RCR, the pressure is on to make team owner Richard Childress’ youngest grandson Ty Dillon a full-time Cup driver in 2017. The younger of the Dillon brothers, Ty has paid his dues for three years in the XFINITY Series and has proven via his limited starts this season for Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing that he is ready to make the move to the Cup level.
However, for this to be a reality, there needs to be an open seat available for him to occupy.
Enter Menard, a 13-year veteran of the Cup series, whose sideburns were as rough as his Cup Series beginning with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated in 2006. Menard’s move to RCR in 2011 started to see a turnaround in his luck, however, as he scored his first (and currently only) career victory with the team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 2011 Brickyard 400 and qualified for the Chase last season with fellow teammate Ryan Newman.
Despite his increased success in recent years, Menard finds himself 22nd in points this season in a sport defined by “What have you done for me lately?”
Could Menard’s disappointing body of work spark a change in scenery to be made? And if so, could that change in scenery actually benefit Menard?
The answer could be yes to both.
And consider that the answer to the question “Where?” could lie with the same team that provided a similar change of scenery for Joey Logano, who has gone on to contend for championships and multiple race wins in each of the past two seasons.
Look at Logano, who underperformed during his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing but blossomed when he moved to Team Penske in 2013.
Imagine what the possibilities could be if Menard made the same move.
There’s at least some basis for the thought. Consider these recent developments:
— Paul’s father John struck a deal to sponsor Penske’s IndyCar team on a three-race deal (Indy G.P., Indy 500 & Road America) earlier this year with Simon Pagenaud.
— Then, this past weekend at Mid Ohio, Team Penske announced they will expand to field a second XFINITY-level team, which will run for the driver’s championship next year.
Keep in mind, John Menard has always been willing to pay top dollar to support talented individuals in their racing endeavors. From Tony Stewart’s 1997 championship run in IndyCar to hard nosed team owner Robby Gordon, Menard has known talent when he’s seen it. He’s also a very clever businessman and knows an opportunity when it presents itself.
So wouldn’t it make perfect sense for Paul to land in a Menards Ford Fusion for ‘The Captain’ if he does leave Richard Childress Racing at the end of the season?
The partnership would not only be a solidly-grounded, long-term extension of Penske’s partnership with John Menard and his company, it might also explain the recent announcement of Penske’s XFINITY expansion.
Does it make business sense? Well, why not?
It allows Paul Menard to take a step up in equipment from arguably the highest-level second-tier team in the Cup Series to one of the premier teams in all of motorsport, while also allowing John Menard to further align with another of the most successful businessmen in the world in his massive racing endeavors.
