Labbe named Crew Chief for Menard

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.