Paul Menard Crash Quotes from 2012 Bud Shootout

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PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 PEAK/MENARDS CHEVROLET, involved in a multi-car accident on lap nine of the Budweiser Shootout:

WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE? “Just tandem draft in a pack and it was a big mess really. I had a run on Kevin (Harvick). I was getting to his bumper and David (Ragan) was pushing me from behind. I got hooked from the left side and just went around. It was a lot of fun while it lasted. Kevin and I started in the back and he led a little bit. We came up through there together. It was a lot of fun, just hate to tear up a really good race car. We weren’t planning this next week, but it is still a damn good race car.

“It is a little bit of pack racing; a little bit of tandem drafting. I was trying to get to Kevin’s bumper and I had the No. 34 (Ragan). I think he was getting pushed. Then he was pushing me and I got to Kevin’s bumper and the No. 34 kept pushing me until I went around.
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Paul Menard Interview at Daytona Press Conference

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NASCAR Sprint Cup

PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 PEAK/MENARDS CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed winning the Brickyard 400, his chances of winning the 2012 Daytona 500 and his high school classmate Bon Iver front man Justin Vernon. Full Transcript:

WHAT CHANGED FOR YOU AFTER YOU WON THE BRICKYARD? IN TERMS OF YOUR CONFIDENCE OR HOW YOU WERE PERCEIVED ON THE RACE TRACK BY YOUR FELLOW COMPETITORS, DID YOU NOTICE A DIFFERENCE AT ANY POINT?: “Nothing really, honestly I get that question a lot. I still approach my race weekends the same way. Obviously going to Pocono the next weekend, it was a hectic week; there was a lot of stuff going on. Going to Pocono was really cool, walk through the garage and seeing a lot of the crew members and drivers say congratulations. That was one of the best parts about winning the race. Once you sit back in the car for the first practice, its business as usual. This off season I’ve had some time to reflect and spend some time with family and friends and I’ve gotten to enjoy it. It’s still hard to believe that actually happened. I go about my business the same way though. This off season I’ve had a little bit of fun, done some work, been trying to do what I can personally to be competitive when we roll down here to Daytona.”

REGAN [SMITH] WAS SAYING THAT AFTER HE WON THE SOUTHERN 500 HE FELT LIKE GUYS WERE GIVING HIM MORE RESPECT WITHIN THE FIELD. DID YOU EVER HAVE A POINT WHERE YOU FELT LIKE GUYS WERE GIVING THAT TO YOU?: “This sport is so up and down that you might feel like that one weekend and get into it with a guy the next weekend. I guess I haven’t really noticed that. I feel like I have a good rapport with all my competitors and I’ve never really had that big of a run in with that many people. That has never really been an issue for me. I’m not sure if that is the case or not, like I say we just go about our business. Whatever happens, happens.”
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