Paul Menard 2013 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
2012 Stats: Points Finish 16th, 0 Wins, 1 Top Five, 9 Top Tens, Average Running Position 17.3 , Average Finish 15.5, Laps Led 26 , Driver Rating 78.0
Strengths- Paul Menard like his RCR teammate Jeff Burton is at his best on plate tracks. He’s also not a bad fantasy NASCAR option at flat tracks.
Weaknesses- I would never consider Menard at a road course. He also struggles greatly at some short tracks.
Intermediate Track Grade- B, Paul Menard’s best finish of the season and only top five came on this track type in the fall race on the reconfigured Kansas. For the season at these venues he had a 15.5 average finish and scored the 15th most points. If you pick Menard don’t expect flashy performances. Last season he had four top tens and in 2011 he only had two such finishes. At these tracks you should expect mid pack performances out of him. For the most part Menard does a pretty good job avoiding really bad finishes. In 3/4ths of these races last season he finished in the top twenty.
Flat Track Grade- B, Paul Menard had solid, safe fantasy production on this track type last season. In the spring race at Phoenix he crashed but in five of the seven races on this track type he finished between 9th and 14th. For the tier of driver he’s associated with that’s pretty good. On this track type last season he scored the 13th most points in the series. If you take away his bad Phoenix finish last season then on this track type he had a 12.0 average finish and a 11.7 average running position.
Short Track Grade- B-, In four of the six races on this track type last season Paul Menard finished between 10th and 13th. I’ll take that fantasy production any day at short tracks. Menard’s best short track by a wide margin is Bristol. Last year he finished 10th twice and in three of the last four he’s finished in the top ten. Richmond could arguably be his worst track. Last year he had his best finish there (13th) but it’s important to note that in the last 11 races at Richmond that’s his only finish better than 23rd. His Richmond average finish is 27.1. Menard doesn’t have much fantasy potential at Martinsville. He finished 12th last fall but that’s fantasy racers fools gold. In eleven races at the paper clip he only has three top fifteens and seven finishes of 23rd or worse. In 2013 I think it’s unlikely Menard will perform as well on this track type.
Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B+, Paul Menard isn’t a bad fantasy option on this track type. Last season he scored the 9th most points and only crashed at Talladega. In 2011 on this track type Paul Menard lead the series in points scored. In the last two season’s combined he’s averaged 31 points per race (third most) and has a 13.3 average finish (third best). I wouldn’t expect Paul Menard to win at these tracks but he can be expected to avoid trouble and have a solid finish.
Road Course Track Grade- C, Paul Menard is a “sure thing” at road courses. It’s a sure thing he should be on your bench. At Infineon he has a 22.8 average finish and a best result of 17th. In his five races there he’s completed all but 1 lap. He performs just like his stats line. He hasn’t fared much better at Watkins Glen. This year at that venue he had his best finish (12th) but it’s important to note that’s his only top fifteen. His average finish there is 23.4 and always starts near the rear of the field (29.8 average starting position). One positive aspect about him on this track type is that he does a good job avoiding trouble, but his finishes are right around the “trouble range”.
How to use Paul Menard from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2013? The way to use Paul Menard in fantasy NASCAR is to use him at plate tracks, flat tracks and at intermediate tracks if you’re in an allocation based league.
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