Richard "Slugger" Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and
the No. 98 Menard's Ford in 2010. A formal announcement is expected
from Yates Racing on Monday.
Labbe parted ways with TRG Motorsports on Thursday to accept
the new role.
Labbe was touring the Yates shops on Friday and was
introduced as "Menard's new crew chief," several sources confirmed
to FOXSports.com
Labbe most recently worked with Bobby Labonte at TRG. The
40-year-old Saco, Maine native worked with Terry Labonte when he
won the 1996 Cup title and led Michael Waltrip to his win in the
2003 Daytona 500.
Menard just completed his third full season on the Cup tour
in 2009. He finished 31st in the point standings with an average
finish of 26.9. His best effort last season was a pair of
13th-place finishes at Texas and Talladega in the spring. He led
seven laps throughout the season.
Menard's previous crew chief Larry Carter parted ways with
the organization at season's end.
