Filed under: Sprint Cup

Paul Menard never was much of a threat to win last Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but his 5th-place finish left the driver of the No. 98 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford as the most surprising entrant into the top 10 in the Sprint Cup point standings.

Thanks to a crafty call by Menard's crew chief, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, to go with a two-tire pit stop during the final stops of the Atlanta race, Menard lined up on the front row for the second-to-last restart. His two tires quickly showed to be a disadvantage to the drivers who had taken four, but a quick crash in turn four not only helped equalize the tire situation, but also eliminated some contenders who could have taken spots from Menard.

After the final restart, Menard held on to his fifth-place position -- the second best finish of his career -- and jumped from 17th to 9th in the Sprint Cup standings.

 

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