Paul Menard

John Paul Christian Menard (born August 21, 1980) is an American professional racing driver who currently competes full-time in the Trans-Am Series, driving the No. 3 Ford Mustang for 3GT Racing. Menard is the 2024 and 2025 Trans-Am Series champion in the TA class.

Menard competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2007 to 2019, driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Yates Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing. He retired from full-time competition after the 2019 season. He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the past, including running part-time with Andy Petree Racing in 2003 and 2004, full-time with DEI in 2005 and 2006, and full-time with Roush Fenway Racing in 2010. He has won one Cup Series race (the 2011 Brickyard 400), three Xfinity Series races, and one ARCA Menards Series race.

He is the son of entrepreneur John Menard Jr., the founder of the Menards chain of home improvement stores.

Racing career Early career

Menard's racing career began at the age of eight when he won the Briggs Junior Karting Class Championship in his native Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He later won the Briggs Medium Class Champion before working his way up to higher level racing. He began ice racing at the age of fifteen and won ten International Ice Racing Association events in his career. He continues to compete in IIRA events in and around Wisconsin. In the summers he raced legends cars on short tracks in Wisconsin. He borrowed Bryan Reffner's Late Model for a week winning his heat race and placing around fourth in the feature. On July 31, 2011, Menard won his first and only Sprint Cup race in his 167th start, in the Brickyard 400 at the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He did so by making his last pit stop with 36 laps to go. He led late, but with nine laps to go, he was passed by Jamie McMurray. With four to go, he regained the lead and held off Jeff Gordon, the winner of the inaugural Brickyard 400 in the final laps, having enough fuel to do so. He was the first member of the Menard family to win at Indianapolis, in any event, held at the track. He also joined Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan, and Marcos Ambrose as first-time winners in the 2011 season.

In September 2011 at Richmond, Menard and RCR became the center of controversy when Menard spun in the waning laps. It was believed that his accident was intentional, intended to assist his teammate Kevin Harvick who later won the race against Jeff Gordon who would have won if the caution did not come out.

In 2012, Menard did not perform well. He crashed during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega and went winless for 2012. In 2013, he slightly improved when he was briefly in Chase for the Sprint Cup contention. A blown engine early in the Coke Zero 400 caused him to be knocked out of the Chase with a few races left before the Chase began. In the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400, Menard's tire exploded upon stopping in his pit box; Menard stated, "About a lap later, they told me I was on fire. I lost my brakes, and the damned wheel blew right off." Fans waving to Menard, celebrating his third Xfinity Series win at Road America. In 2014, Menard scored thirteen top-tens (a career high) and held a chase spot for most of the regular season but two consecutive eighteenth place finishes at Atlanta and Richmond (final race of the regular season) dropped him out of contention.

Menard won the Nationwide race at Michigan for his first NNS win since 2006 in June 2014. He won after Joey Logano blew a tire with four laps to go.

In the 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, Menard won the pole for the race by drawing. He led the first seven laps until he was involved in a big wreck, finishing 21st. The race was later won by Matt Kenseth. Menard later finished in the top-five in Auto Club and in Talladega and got five top-tens and 22 top-fifteens. He made the Chase for the first time in his career mostly because he had only one DNF (a blown engine in Texas), grabbing the final spot by seventeen points over Aric Almirola. He was eliminated in the first round, but with Matt Kenseth's two-race suspension, Menard passed him and finished in a career-best of fourteenth in the standings. Also in August 2015, Menard took the checkers at Road America, holding off Blake Koch and Ryan Blaney for his third Xfinity Series win. Aside from the 2011 Brickyard 400, the win was Menard's biggest of his career, as Menard had grown up a few miles from the track.

In the 2016 Sprint Unlimited, Menard finished in a career best third place, after surviving several big ones.

To start of 2017, Menard survived wrecks in the Daytona 500 and brought home a fifth place finish after a few cars ran out of gas. The next week at Atlanta, he finished 25th. Menard scored his second top-ten of the year in the GEICO 500 at Talladega, finishing ninth. In the Coke Zero 400, Menard ran up front late and came home third, barely behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Clint Bowyer. Menard survived most of the carnage in the Brickyard 400 but crashed in a late big one.

Wood Brothers Racing (2018–2019) On July 26, 2017, Menard was announced as the replacement for Ryan Blaney in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford starting in 2018.

On June 30, 2018, almost ten years to the day, Menard got his second ever NASCAR Cup Series pole at Chicagoland Speedway for the Overton's 400.

On July 12, 2019, Menard announced he had a contract for the 2020 season, indicating that he planned to stay with the Wood Brothers. On September 10, 2019, Menard announced his retirement from full-time racing after the 2019 season.

ThorSport Racing (2021) On May 17, 2021, Truck Series team ThorSport Racing announced that Menard would return to NASCAR and compete in a fifth part-time truck for the team, the No. 66, in the series' new race at Circuit of the Americas. It is his first NASCAR start in his semi-retirement, and his first Truck Series start since 2007 when he competed in the spring Martinsville race in the No. 51 for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

Personal life A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Menard is the son of Menards founder John Menard Jr. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, majoring in business. He currently resides in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with his wife Jennifer. The couple had their first child, a daughter, on March 18, 2014. The family later welcomed another child, a son, in November 2017. Menard is a Roman Catholic and a fan of power metal music. Menard doesn't have any social media and he chooses to stay away from it because "it is nothing good and there's so much more to life than looking at other people's lives behind a screen."

Motorsports career results NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Rank Pts Ref 2003 Andy Petree Racing 33 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX TAL MAR CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SONDNQ DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN29 MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL PHO CAR HOM 66th 76 2005 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 1 Chevy DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN27 MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL TEX PHO 71st 82 Robby Gordon Motorsports 7 Chevy HOMQL† 2006 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 15 Chevy DAYDNQ CAL LVS ATL7 BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT14 DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHIDNQ NHA POC INDDNQ GLN29 MCH20 BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL34 CLT MAR ATL TEX41 PHO HOM17 45th 669 2007 DAYDNQ CAL20 LVS32 ATL31 BRIDNQ MARDNQ TEX15 PHO25 TAL43 RCH16 DAR31 CLTDNQ DOVDNQ POC28 MCH12 SONDNQ NHA39 DAY21 CHI42 IND20 POC26 GLN19 MCH39 BRI24 CAL24 RCH26 NHA24 DOV21 KAN27 TAL38 CLT22 MAR24 ATL27 TEX30 PHO22 HOM35 34th 2496 2008 DAY22 CAL27 LVS22 ATL19 BRI32 MAR16 TEX17 PHO21 TAL14 RCH31 DAR36 CLT41 DOV22 POC25 MCH11 SON34 NHA29 DAY15 CHI26 IND41 POC42 GLN28 MCH24 BRI16 CAL37 RCH34 NHA21 DOV21 KAN27 TAL2 CLT26 MAR27 ATL31 TEX22 PHO26 HOM30 26th 3151 2009 Yates Racing 98 Ford DAY38 CAL37 LVS35 ATL28 BRI25 MAR25 TEX13 PHO23 TAL13 RCH30 DAR15 CLT29 DOV32 POC29 MCH34 SON21 NHA30 DAY23 CHI35 IND29 POC26 GLN19 MCH26 BRI24 ATL15 RCH28 NHA34 DOV19 KAN30 CAL27 CLT27 MAR23 TAL42 TEX29 PHO29 HOM26 31st 2979 2010 Richard Petty Motorsports DAY13 CAL18 LVS17 ATL5 BRI18 MAR14 PHO29 TEX35 TAL25 RCH27 DAR30 DOV21 CLT8 POC16 MCH25 SON22 NHA28 DAY18 CHI10 IND14 POC13 GLN16 MCH35 BRI21 ATL35 RCH26 NHA28 DOV7 KAN8 CAL22 CLT24 MAR13 TAL13 TEX10 PHO29 HOM19 23rd 3776 2011 Richard Childress Racing 27 Chevy DAY9 PHO17 LVS12 BRI5 CAL16 MAR38 TEX5 TAL12 RCH37 DAR22 DOV24 CLT29 KAN19 POC14 MCH4 SON17 DAY8 KEN24 NHA24 IND1 POC10 GLN32 MCH26 BRI30 ATL18 RCH34 CHI20 NHA20 DOV16 KAN12 CLT17 TAL12 MAR24 TEX15 PHO9 HOM16 17th 947 2012 DAY6 PHO31 LVS7 BRI10 CAL19 MAR26 TEX18 KAN18 RCH13 TAL17 DAR13 CLT15 DOV17 POC9 MCH22 SON20 KEN12 DAY14 NHA17 IND14 POC11 GLN12 MCH9 BRI10 ATL8 RCH23 CHI15 NHA12 DOV22 TAL28 CLT27 KAN3 MAR12 TEX27 PHO9 HOM11 16th 1006 2013 DAY21 PHO20 LVS10 BRI9 CAL8 MAR19 TEX17 KAN10 RCH13 TAL26 DAR19 CLT13 DOV20 POC30 MCH14 SON14 KEN30 DAY43 NHA17 IND12 POC32 GLN17 MCH4 BRI6 ATL24 RCH5 CHI22 NHA22 DOV18 KAN7 CLT24 TAL4 MAR22 TEX15 PHO16 HOM39 17th 949 2014 DAY32 PHO23 LVS3 BRI21 CAL9 MAR10 TEX9 DAR41 RCH24 TAL6 KAN17 CLT8 DOV10 POC26 MCH4 SON5 KEN15 DAY16 NHA19 IND34 POC33 GLN32 MCH4 BRI9 ATL18 RCH18 CHI21 NHA15 DOV16 KAN9 CLT42 TAL36 MAR14 TEX17 PHO23 HOM4 21st 944 2015 DAY25 ATL13 LVS12 PHO14 CAL4 MAR23 TEX41 BRI11 RCH15 TAL3 KAN18 CLT14 DOV8 POC31 MCH8 SON13 DAY16 KEN15 NHA25 IND14 POC11 GLN13 MCH12 BRI24 DAR26 RCH26 CHI17 NHA15 DOV25 CLT36 KAN19 TAL6 MAR15 TEX13 PHO13 HOM21 14th 2262 2016 DAY18 ATL18 LVS15 PHO38 CAL15 MAR8 TEX26 BRI15 RCH22 TAL26 KAN40 DOV11 CLT17 POC33 MCH18 SON16 DAY36 KEN18 NHA18 IND10 POC35 GLN22 BRI32 MCH18 DAR16 RCH40 CHI21 NHA25 DOV22 CLT34 KAN20 TAL13 MAR25 TEX28 PHO10 HOM14 25th 678 2017 DAY5 ATL25 LVS19 PHO21 CAL28 MAR19 TEX36 BRI16 RCH25 TAL9 KAN35 CLT13 DOV33 POC20 MCH22 SON11 DAY3 KEN21 NHA22 IND16 POC19 GLN18 MCH34 BRI16 DAR16 RCH28 CHI14 NHA20 DOV26 CLT19 TAL12 KAN12 MAR20 TEX23 PHO15 HOM16 23rd 631 2018 Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford DAY6 ATL17 LVS9 PHO36 CAL19 MAR13 TEX30 BRI13 RCH24 TAL30 DOV34 KAN6 CLT14 POC11 MCH5 SON26 CHI13 DAY28 KEN11 NHA17 POC21 GLN28 MCH16 BRI36 DAR17 IND9 LVS10 RCH22 CLT33 DOV16 TAL9 KAN32 MAR22 TEX13 PHO29 HOM25 19th 692 2019 DAY29 ATL14 LVS15 PHO17 CAL20 MAR15 TEX19 BRI6 RCH10 TAL16 DOV17 KAN24 CLT14 POC18 MCH13 SON22 CHI21 DAY16 KEN11 NHA13 POC18 GLN18 MCH15 BRI23 DAR9 IND10 LVS14 RCH27 CLT16 DOV12 TAL16 KAN18 MAR21 TEX20 PHO12 HOM17 19th 777 † – Qualified for Robby Gordon

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2006 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet DNQ 2007 DNQ 2008 21 22 2009 Yates Racing Ford 19 38 2010 Richard Petty Motorsports 32 13 2011 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19 9 2012 37 6 2013 16 21 2014 10 32 2015 21 25 2016 37 18 2017 33 5 2018 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 16 6 2019 7 29

Xfinity Series NASCAR Xfinity Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 2003 Andy Petree Racing 55 Chevy DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSH12 KEN14 MLW DAY CHI37 NHA PPR23 IRP9 MCH BRI DAR RCHDNQ DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO22 CAR HOM 60th 629 2004 33 DAY32 CAR22 LVS21 DAR26 BRI28 TEX14 NSH16 TAL16 CAL28 GTY22 RCH33 NZH13 CLT19 DOV21 NSH 23rd 2742 Michael Waltrip Racing 99 Chevy KENQL† MLW DAY CHI Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 11 Chevy NHA18 PPR12 IRP20 MCHDNQ BRI36 CAL21 RCH13 DOV15 KAN17 CLTDNQ MEM11 ATL19 PHO14 DAR12 HOM34 2005 DAY17 CAL20 MXC34 LVS37 ATL24 NSH36 BRI22 TEX18 PHO15 TAL27 DAR30 RCH36 CLT12 DOV28 NSH13 KEN5 MLW3 DAY6 CHI9 NHA7 PPR12 GTY5 IRP7 GLN8 MCH6 BRI41 CAL10 RCH2 DOV10 KAN36 CLT3 MEM6 TEX17 PHO13 HOM5 6th 4101 2006 DAY38 CAL17 MXC5 LVS20 ATL10 BRI16 TEX7 NSH9 PHO17 TAL9 RCH8 DAR13 CLT24 DOV35 NSH5 KEN9 MLW1* DAY37 CHI39 NHA4 MAR12 GTY35 IRP9 GLN18 MCH25 BRI10 CAL4 RCH4 DOV37 KAN10 CLT13 MEM23 TEX27 PHO37 HOM3 6th 4075 2007 15 DAY17 CAL37 MXC LVS36 ATL18 BRI NSH TEX9 PHO TAL RCH DAR22 CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI6 GTY IRP CGV GLN4 MCH7 BRI CAL RCH40 DOV KAN7 CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 43rd 1208 2009 Yates Racing 98 Ford DAY CAL LVS BRI11 TEX5 NSH PHO14 TAL RCH DARDNQ CLT21 DOV6 NSH KEN MLW NHA35 DAY CHI14 GTY IRP IOW GLN29 MCH10 BRI9 CGV15 ATL12 RCH13 DOV KAN CAL11 CLT MEM TEX PHO30 HOM14 25th 1876 2010 Roush Fenway Racing DAY6 CAL19 LVS8 BRI11 NSH11 PHO7 TEX10 TAL8 RCH19 DAR10 DOV28 CLT18 NSH3 KEN32 ROA16 NHA9 DAY28 CHI11 GTY4 IRP9 IOW16 GLN17 MCH5 BRI13 CGV5 ATL9 RCH8 DOV7 KAN8 CAL12 CLT35 GTY9 TEX9 PHO13 HOM9 5th 4467 2011 Kevin Harvick Inc. 33 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX3 TAL NSH RCH2 DAR DOV IOW CLT CHI MCH4 ROA DAY KEN NHA NSH IRP IOW GLN6 CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI9 DOV KAN4 CLT8 TEX PHO HOM 102nd 01 2012 Richard Childress Racing DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX2* RCH TAL DAR IOW CLT DOV MCH8 ROA KEN DAY NHA CHI IND8 IOW GLN8 CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI5 KEN DOV2 CLT KAN16* TEX PHO HOM 109th 01 2013 DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR CLT DOV IOW MCH3 ROA KEN DAY NHA32 CHI IND6 IOW GLN MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN2 CLT TEX PHO HOM 98th 01 2014 DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX DAR RCH TAL IOW CLT DOV MCH1 ROA KEN4 DAY NHA19 CHI IND6 IOW GLN9 MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI11 KEN DOV KAN4 CLT TEX PHO HOM12 83rd 01 2015 DAY ATL6 LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL IOW CLT DOV MCH18 CHI DAY KEN6 NHA IND4 IOW GLN9 MOH BRI ROA1 DAR25 RCH CHI4 KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 88th 01 2016 2 DAY ATL4 LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV29 CLT POC7 MCH3 IOW DAY KEN NHA IND3 IOW GLN2 MOH BRI ROA DAR20 RCH CHI9 KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 95th 01 2017 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL36 TEX BRI RCH TAL CLT DOV POC31 MCH7 IOW DAY KEN34 NHA IND2 IOW GLN5 MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH19 CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 96th 01 2018 Team Penske 22 Ford DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC8 MCH5 IOW CHI8 DAY KEN9 NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH CLT DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 98th 01 2019 12 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH4* IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA5 IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH CLT DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 84th 01 † - Qualified for Michael Waltrip

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts Ref 2003 Andy Petree Racing 33 Chevy DAY DAR MMR MAR CLT DOV TEX MEM MLW11 KAN8 KEN GTW21 MCH IRP NSH BRI21 RCH NHA CAL LVS SBO21 TEX MAR PHO HOM 42nd 572 2007 Billy Ballew Motorsports 51 Chevy DAY CAL ATL MAR33 KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 104th 64 2021 ThorSport Racing 66 Toyota DAY DAY LVS ATL BRI RCH KAN DAR COA CLT TEX NSH POC KNX GLN GTW DAR BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO 45th 59

ARCA Re/Max Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Re/Max Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2003 Andy Petree Racing 33 Chevy DAY ATL NSH SLM4 TOL KEN CLT34 BLN KAN MCH LER POC POC NSH ISF WIN26 DSF CHI SLM TALDNQ 43rd 660 26 TAL1* CLT SBO 2004 33 DAY35 NSH SLM KEN TOL CLT KAN POC MCH SBO BLN KEN GTW POC LER NSH ISF TOL DSF CHI SLM TAL 172nd 70 2007 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 15 Chevy DAY USA NSH SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC35 MCH BLN KEN POC NSH ISF MIL GTW DSF CHI SLM TAL TOL 175th 55 2009 Kimmel Racing 98 Ford DAY SLM CAR TAL KEN TOL4 POC MCH MFD IOW KEN BLN POC ISF CHI TOL DSF NJE SLM KAN CAR 105th 210

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points

24 Hours of Daytona Results