Fast Facts Redux: Paul Menard

credit: NASCAR Media

Richard Childress Racing driver Paul Menard just celebrated his 35^th birthday, but he’s been racing for more than 25 of those years. Here’s an updated look at Menard’s career, originally published in July 2011.

• Paul Menard was born Aug. 21, 1980 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the son of Menard’s home improvement stores founder John Menard Jr. He started racing karts at age eight and won the Briggs Junior Karting Class Championship; at age 15 began ice racing – Menard won 10 International Ice Racing Association events. He also raced Legends and Late Models on his way through the stock car racing ranks.
• After a few years driving in various series around the country, Menard signed with Andy Petree Racing to race in NASCAR’s top three series as well as the ARCA Racing Series in 2003. He moved up to the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series, joining Dale Earnhardt Inc. midway through 2004, then put together an impress 2005 Nationwide season, finishing sixth in points; he repeated the showing in 2006 while also driving part-time in the Cup Series. He went full-time in the Cup Series in 2007.
• Menard drove for Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports before moving to RCR in the No. 27 Menard’s Chevrolet in 2011. That year, he won his first Cup Series race, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Menard spent much of his youth around the historic speedway because of his father’s interest in and sponsorship of IndyCar racing.
• Menard and his wife Jennifer are parents to a daughter born March 18, 2014.
• Find out more about Menard at www.menardsracing.com.