Wisconsin Native Paul Menard To Drive for Rocketsports at Road America

CONTACT:  Harry Warren, (517) 927-3613

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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 yearıs 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.

 ³My goal this season is to seek out championship-caliber drivers to compete
in the No. 3 Jaguar XKR,² said Gentilozzi, who will be in Montreal during
the Road America weekend with his Champ Car World Series team. ³Menard more
than fits that description. Heıs been competitive in every series in which
heıs raced, and demonstrated his talent in the Trans-Am Series last season.
Heıll be a potent force in front of a hometown crowd, at his home track.²

The son of IndyCar team owner John Menard, the younger Menard is a
three-year veteran of NASCARıs RE/MAX Challenge Series and has also raced in
the Winston Cup Series, Busch Series, Truck Series, and in ARCA. In fact, of
Menardıs many accolades, is a RE/MAX Series victory at Road America, in
2001. But Menardıs 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.

³Road America is by far my favorite road course because it has a lot of neat
characteristics like elevation changes and long straightaways,² said Menard.
³There is something about racing on your home turf. Itıs a pride thing. You
want to show off to your home crowd. I think itıs great that the most
beautiful road course in the world is in my home state.

³Weıre coming here with an eye on the podium, if not a win,² added Menard,
who has one Trans-Am Series start here, last year, when he finished seventh,
equaling his best career finish at VIR. ³You 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 Iım looking forward to racing with them.

³Trans-Am cars are a blast to drive,² said Menard, whoıll drive in the Truck
Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway Wednesday night before the Road
America event. ³Theyıve got a bunch of horsepower and stop well.  The racing
is really close, almost like going short track racing on a road course.²

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