As water came pouring down on a freezing Friday at Daytona, Paul Menard was faced with a cold reality all his own. 49th in the qualifying draw, a rainout would mean an automatic DNQ for him under the NASCAR rulebook, shattering dreams of a title in the sport’s second-tier series before they even got off the ground. It was a bad break that would leave the best of men searching for answers. Turns out they were right inside his wallet all along. Menard’s #98 sneaked into the grid Friday not on speed, but through cold, hard cash, with car owner Jack Roush buying off five teams ahead of him to jump up to the 43rd starting spot. The move was an unprecedented display of money and power in the Nationwide Series, with Roush infusing several underfunded operations with engineering support, extra equipment, or simply a handwritten check to ensure Menard’s presence on the grid. Technically, this convoluted system will go down as a long list of withdrawals, moving the #98 up the ladder until it became eligible to start the race. Originally, with NASCAR’s decision to use qualifying draw to fill out the final 10 spots in the field, Menard’s number (49) left him ranked behind four cars who didn’t qualify under other circumstances: the #52 of Donnie Neuenberger, the #96 of Dennis Setzer, the #49 of Mark Green, and the #42 of Parker Kligerman. For Menard to make the race, all had to pull out along with the #97 of Jeff Fuller, whose 32nd best position in the qualifying draw left him safely in the field in 34th. Needless to say, the financial maneuvering opened eyes in the Nationwide garage. While no team would confirm the amount given to them by Roush, last place Saturday will win $45,585 meaning there needed to be serious financial incentive for teams to bend. Add up the numbers, and you’re faced with a number approaching $225,000 in “support” promised in order for Roush to get his way. Read more at Fronstretch.com.(2-13-2010)
UPDATE: Kligerman told reporters that his team backed out in favor of Menard, with the compensation including help in future races. The payout for today’s race shows the last-place team earning more than $45,000, so it adds up that some six-figure money changed hands. But in NASCAR, that’s apparently OK, according to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston. “What happened there didn’t involve us,” Poston said, adding that “It’s a pretty unique situation.”(Racin’ Today)(2-13-2010)
