Race recap: Menard motors to Indy win

Paul Menard kisses the bricks

Nothing like getting your first win at a major track. That's something that few people can say. Paul Menard can now say it.

Menard won for the first time in 167 races and his fifth start at the Brickyard 400. His crew helped him tremendously, balancing his gas milage and enabling Menard to hold off the hard-charging Jeff Gordon. He was in the top part of the race for the most part and didn't take the lead until late in the race. He took the lead for good with 3 laps left.

The win moves Menard to 14th in the Sprint Cup standings and within reach of the finals.

And yeah, he's got a back story too. His family name is one very familiar in the racing business and Menard was a garage rat as a kid. He spent most of his childhood hanging around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his dad, who raced there and said he's been to every Brickyard 400 since the race began in 1994.

Here's to you Paul Menard, we hesitate to call you a racing jobber, since you race for Richard Childress racing but never the less, its a great win for the unsung guys.

Your race highlights from NASCAR.com:



And the 1st time winner victory lane thing: (Thanks NASCAR.com)