Driver’s Bio:
Paul Menard’s racing career began to take shape at just eight years old when Menard won the Briggs Junior Class Championship in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wis. He later won the Briggs Medium Class Championship before working his way up the proverbial racing steps. Menard began ice racing when he was 15 years old and went on to win 10 International Ice Racing Association (IIRA) events in his career. To date, Menard continues to compete in IIRA events during the NASCAR off season.
Menard made his foray into NASCAR competition in 2003 and has since proved to be a rising star. The Wisconsin driver posted his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-10 finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the spring of 2006. Still a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Menard continued to show strength by earning great finishes including his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at The Milwaukee (WI) Mile in June of 2006. Overall, Menard earned one win, 10 top-fives, 16 top-10s and a sixth-place finish in the 2006 championship standings.
The 2007 season faced several significant challenges for the driver. Not only was Menard required to qualify on speed for the first 19 races of the season, but with as many as 55 cars showing up to each event, qualifying was nearly as notable as winning in ’07. In addition, many consider the competition among the Raybestos Rookie class to have been at an all-time high in 2007 and Menard was awarded Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors at four events throughout the season.
In 2008, Menard posted his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole at the historic Daytona (FL) International Speedway. Menard also posted his career-best Sprint Cup Series finish at Talladega (AL) Superspeedway.
The end of the 2008 season brought many changes as Menard made a major decision to join Yates Racing. Joining teammate Bobby Labonte at Yates Racing in 2009, Menard and his No. 98 Turtle Wax team posted seven top-20 finishes and finished 31st in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver standings.
In 2010, Menard joined Richard Petty Motorsports with teammates Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger. Behind the wheel of the No. 98 Turtle Wax Ford, Menard put together his best season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition with one top-five and six top-10 finishes. The driver finished a career best 23rd in the final Sprint Cup point standings.
Menard also took the opportunity in 2010 to return to full time Nationwide Series competition. He rounded out the season in the series with four top-five and 19 top-10 results placing him a solid fifth in the season-ending point standings, another career best for the driver.
The Wisconsin native rejoins the Chevrolet racing family for 2011 and will compete for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Menard will also race a partial Nationwide Series schedule for Kevin Harvick Inc. sharing driving duties with team co-owner Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Scott Speed and Max Papis in the No. 33 Chevrolet.
Off the track, Menard enjoys riding dirt bikes, go-karting, wakeboarding, and playing video games. The 30-year old driver resides in Charlotte, NC.