In 2007, Paul Menard continues his ascension through the stock car racing ranks. Menard will pilot the No. 15 Menards Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and part-time in the NASCAR Busch Series. With partner sponsors including John’s Manville, Turtle Wax, Moen, SYLVANIA, Quaker State, Pittsburgh Paints, Splash, Peak and Akona, Menard will have plenty of support in his bid for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. 

To preserve his rookie status, Menard ran a limited Nextel Cup schedule in 2006. Menard logged four top-20 finishes in seven starts, including an awe inspiring seventh place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Menard spent his early years racing go-karts before taking on the frozen lakes in ice racing.  Menards sanctioned 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, Wisc. He later won the Briggs Medium Class Champion 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 events in his career. To date, Menard continues to compete in IIRA events during the NASCAR off season.

In 2000, Menard made the jump to a limited schedule in the NASCAR ReMax Challenge Series. Despite a part-time program, Menard finished 13th in points.

In 2001, Menard formally became a ReMax rookie. In a full-time race season, which included one pole and one victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Menard brought home a top-10 finish in the championship standings.

The 2002 season gave Menard a wide variety of racing experience. He continued to compete in ReMax, logging two poles and finishing seventh in points. In addition, Menard earned one front-row start and four top-10 finishes in the SCCA Trans Am Series. Adding excitement to his jam packed racing season, Menard logged victories at Fontana and Phoenix in the Grand Am Series and the NASCAR Southwest Tour, respectively. The latter victory remains one of the most exciting days in Menard’s career.  Menard maneuvered a last lap pass over veteran Ken Schrader for the thrilling win.

The 2003 season brought even more experience when Menard joined Andy Petree Racing to compete in an array of NASCAR sanctioned events while working towards success in the ARCA Series.

In his first ARCA start at Salem, Ind., he qualified second and finished fourth. Later that year, he won the pole at Winchester, Ind. Moving forward, Menard continued to show strength and capped his year with his first ARCA victory at Talladega Superspeedway. He also added a ninth place finish in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park and an eighth place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway to an already successful race season.

In 2004, Menard continued with Andy Petree Racing and focused on a full-time effort in the NASCAR Busch Series.  But his tenure driving the No. 33 Menards Chevrolet quickly came to a close. The light at the end of the tunnel came in the way of the No. 11 car at Dale Earnhardt Inc. It didn’t take long for Menard and his new race team to find their groove winning the Bud Pole Award at Kansas Speedway in less than 10 starts together. Clearly, Menard and the team showed they had what it took to become winners.

With Dan Stillman as crew chief beginning in 2005, they started out by leading 57 laps in the season curtain raiser at Daytona International Speedway. Winning his second career Bud Pole Award at Talladega Speedway further solidified their position in the superspeedway powerhouse organization. 

Menard and the No. 11 team finished up the season sixth in points with six top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes. During that same year, Menard made his second career Nextel Cup start at Watkins Glen International.  Menard’s continued growth behind the wheel made the perfect foray for an even more successful 2006 campaign. 

Menard posted his first Nextel Cup Series top-10 finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the spring. Still a full-time driver in Busch, Menard continued to prove he was ready for the premier Nextel Cup Series by earning great finishes. When the NASCAR Busch Series made its annual visit to Menards home state of Wisconsin, he didn’t disappoint the home town fans. Holding off a hard charging Kevin Harvick, Menard earned his first NASCAR Busch Series victory in spectacular fashion.

Overall, Menard earned one win, 10 top-fives and 17 top-10s and a sixth place finish in the championship standings. 

Clearly Menard is primed and ready to run for Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition. While Menard is a favorite for the title, many expect more than a rookie performance out of the Wisconsin bred racer. His laid back demeanor off the track may lead you to believe he is a relaxed competitor, but in reality he is determined to log solid results with his Dale Earnhardt, Inc. team. History suggests that for this particular driver and esteemed organization, the probability for success is high and the possibilities are endless.