Menard to drive No. 3 Rocketsports at Road America

Wisconsin native Paul Menard to drive for Rocketsports at Road America

LANSING, Mich. - NASCAR stock car driver and Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup veteran Paul Menard will drive the No. 3 Jaguar XKR in the Trans-Am 100, Round 8 of this year's championship, Sunday, Aug. 24 at Road America. Menard, who raced in the Series season opener at St. Petersburg, will drive the familiar red Jaguar, sporting sponsorship from Johns Manville and Menards.

Menard will compete in the car normally driven by three-time Trans-Am Series champion Paul Gentilozzi, who ended his record streak of 183 consecutive starts at Lime Rock earlier this year.

"My goal this season is to seek out championship-caliber drivers to compete in the No. 3 Jaguar XKR," said Gentilozzi, who will be in Montreal during the Road America weekend with his Champ Car World Series team. "Menard more than fits that description. He's been competitive in every series in which he's raced, and demonstrated his talent in the Trans-Am Series last season. He'll be a potent force in front of a hometown crowd, at his home track."

The son of IndyCar team owner John Menard, the younger Menard is a three-year veteran of NASCAR's RE/MAX Challenge Series and has also raced in the Winston Cup Series, Busch Series, Truck Series, and in ARCA. In fact, of Menard's many accolades, is a RE/MAX Series victory at Road America, in 2001. But Menard's Trans-Am Series experience speaks volumes of the young Eau Claire, Wis. native, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday the Thursday prior to the Road America event. In his six starts in Trans-Am Series competition, Menard has finished in the top 10 five times. Meanwhile, he earned two American GT class wins in Grand-Am competition last season.

"Road America is by far my favorite road course because it has a lot of neat characteristics like elevation changes and long straightaways," said Menard. "There is something about racing on your home turf. It's a pride thing. You want to show off to your home crowd. I think it's great that the most beautiful road course in the world is in my home state.

"We're coming here with an eye on the podium, if not a win," added Menard, who has one Trans-Am Series start here, last year, when he finished seventh, equaling his best career finish at VIR. "You always go for the win, and this Rocketsports team is the one to do it with. Paul Gentilozzi has put together a great team, and I'm looking forward to racing with them.

"Trans-Am cars are a blast to drive," said Menard, who'll drive in the Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway Wednesday night before the Road America event. "They've got a bunch of horsepower and stop well. The racing is really close, almost like going short track racing on a road course."

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