Team Menard

Team Menard was an American auto-racing organization owned by John Menard Jr., the founder of the Menards home-improvement retail chain. Established in 1980, the team initially competed in CART and eventually became one of the more prominent privately backed organizations in the Indianapolis open-wheel racing scene. Its activities later extended into the Indy Racing League, the modern IndyCar lineage, and selected NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series programs. The organization became particularly distinctive because it developed and raced its own Buick V6 engines during the 1991–1996 period. The in-house engine effort gave Team Menard a degree of technical independence and produced some of its strongest Indianapolis 500 performances. Scott Brayton used the Menard-modified Buick to win the Indianapolis 500 pole position in both 1995 and 1996. Tony Stewart also raced the combination during the opening portion of his 1996–1997 IRL championship campaign, linking the team to one of the most important driver careers of the era. After the Indianapolis 500 pole successes, Team Menard continued to compete under increasingly demanding technical and sporting conditions. The organization won the 1999 IRL championship with Greg Ray, its most significant season-long achievement. Its driver roster over the years included experienced Indianapolis competitors such as Herm Johnson, Gary Bettenhausen, Tom Sneva, Al Unser, Nelson Piquet, Eddie Cheever, Geoff Brabham, Scott Brayton, Buddy Lazier and Arie Luyendyk, as well as later IRL drivers including Robby Gordon, Mark Dismore, Tony Stewart, Robbie Buhl, Jaques Lazier, Vítor Meira and Richie Hearn. Team Menard also made a limited move into stock-car racing. In 2000 it operated a NASCAR Cup Series No. 13 entry, with Robby Gordon driving most of the races and P. J. Jones making an additional start. The organization competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2000 and 2001 with Bryan Reffner and David Starr. These programs broadened the Menard racing identity beyond open-wheel competition, although the team remained most closely associated with the Indianapolis 500 and IRL. The organization’s competitive position weakened in the early 2000s as former CART teams entered the IRL and increased the depth of the field. In 2004, Team Menard merged with Panther Racing. The resulting car retained Menard-associated colors and was initially driven by Mark Taylor before Townsend Bell replaced him. In 2005, Menards served as an associate sponsor for another entry, while the former Menard No. 2 car, driven by Tomáš Enge, no longer visibly carried the earlier Team Menard identity. Panther dropped the No. 2 car for 2006, effectively ending the recognizable Team Menard lineage as a standalone racing operation. The Team Menard name was subsequently used more broadly as a sponsorship and driver-information identity. Menards sponsorship was associated with drivers including Paul Menard, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones and Matt Crafton in NASCAR, Simon Pagenaud in IndyCar and Frank Kimmel in ARCA. These sponsorship relationships did not mean that the cars were owned by John Menard or that they represented a continuing Team Menard race team. A TeamMenard.com portal promoted information about sponsored drivers and the Menards racing presence; the address later redirected to the Menards home page. In 2008, Menards returned as a primary sponsor on the No. 20 Vision Racing Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter, but this was a sponsorship arrangement rather than a revival of the original team.

Team Menard was founded in 1980 by John Menard Jr. to compete in CART. The organization developed from a privately backed Indianapolis racing effort into a multi-series motorsports operation, participating in CART, the Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Its most notable technical project was the modification of Buick V6 engines for competition from 1991 through 1996. The program gave the team an in-house engineering identity and produced two Indianapolis 500 pole positions. Scott Brayton took pole in 1995 and again in 1996 with the Menard-modified Buick package. During the same period, Tony Stewart used the car during the early part of his 1996–1997 IRL championship campaign. The organization fielded a succession of prominent open-wheel drivers, including Gary Bettenhausen, Kevin Cogan, Tom Sneva, Al Unser, Nelson Piquet, Eddie Cheever, Geoff Brabham, Buddy Lazier, Arie Luyendyk, Mark Dismore, Robbie Buhl, Robby Gordon, Greg Ray, Jaques Lazier, Raul Boesel, Vítor Meira and Richie Hearn. The late 1990s represented the team’s strongest competitive period. Greg Ray won the 1999 IRL championship for Team Menard, while the team continued to appear regularly in Indianapolis-centered open-wheel competition. Team Menard also entered stock-car racing. It ran a No. 13 NASCAR Cup Series car in 2000, primarily with Robby Gordon and once with P. J. Jones. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Bryan Reffner competed for the organization in 2000 and 2001, and David Starr drove for it in 2001. Team Menard’s competitiveness declined in the early 2000s as the IRL field expanded and former CART organizations joined the series. In 2004, the team merged with Panther Racing. Although the resulting car retained Menard colors and initially carried Mark Taylor before Townsend Bell took over, the separate Team Menard identity gradually disappeared. Menards acted as an associate sponsor in 2005, but the former Menard No. 2 car driven by Tomáš Enge no longer visibly identified with its previous lineage. Panther dropped the No. 2 entry for 2006. The Team Menard name later described a sponsorship network rather than a separately owned racing team. Menards supported drivers in several series, including Paul Menard, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones and Matt Crafton in NASCAR; Simon Pagenaud in IndyCar; and Frank Kimmel in ARCA. A TeamMenard.com information portal promoted these sponsored drivers, but the associated cars were not owned by John Menard and were not necessarily Team Menard entries. The web address later redirected to the Menards home page. In 2008, Menards became primary sponsor of Vision Racing’s No. 20 Dallara, driven by Ed Carpenter. This restored a prominent Menards presence in IndyCar without re-establishing the former standalone organization.

• 2008

  Menards sponsors Vision Racing

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Menards becomes primary sponsor of Vision Racing's No. 20 IndyCar entry driven by Ed Carpenter.

• 2006

  Menard racing identity disappears from the former No. 2 entry

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  After Panther drops the No. 2 car, visible traces of the former standalone Team Menard operation disappear from the series.

• 2004

  Merger with Panther Racing

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Team Menard merges with Panther Racing as the IRL competitive environment becomes more crowded.

• 2000

  Expansion into NASCAR

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Team Menard enters the NASCAR Cup Series with a No. 13 car and also begins NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series participation.

• 1999

  Greg Ray wins the IRL championship

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Greg Ray delivers Team Menard its first and most prominent season championship in the Indy Racing League.

• 1996

  Second consecutive Indianapolis 500 pole

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Brayton again wins the Indianapolis 500 pole for Team Menard. Tony Stewart also uses the team's package during the opening part of his IRL championship campaign.

• 1995

  Scott Brayton wins the Indianapolis 500 pole

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  Scott Brayton takes Indianapolis 500 pole position with Team Menard's modified Buick V6 package.

• 1991

  In-house Buick V6 development begins

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  The organization begins modifying its own Buick V6 engines for racing, an effort that continues through 1996.

• 1980

  Team is founded for CART competition

  [1]Team Menarden.wikipedia.org

  John Menard Jr. establishes Team Menard as a CART racing organization.

A privately funded, technically ambitious American racing organization whose identity was built around Indianapolis open-wheel competition, in-house engine development and Menards sponsorship.

• Open-wheel racing · 1980

  CART racing program

  Team Menard's original competition program, established in 1980, competed in CART with a rotating group of Indianapolis and international drivers. The program established the team's identity in American open-wheel racing before its later IRL participation.

• Race engine · 1991

  Menard-modified Buick V6

  An in-house engine program in which Team Menard modified Buick V6 engines for racing between 1991 and 1996. The package powered Scott Brayton to consecutive Indianapolis 500 pole positions in 1995 and 1996 and was also used by Tony Stewart during the early part of his IRL championship campaign.

• Open-wheel racing · 1996

  IRL and IndyCar open-wheel entries

  Team Menard competed in the IRL from 1996 through 2003 with drivers including Greg Ray, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Mark Dismore, Jaques Lazier and Vítor Meira. The program's principal achievement was Greg Ray's 1999 IRL championship.

• Stock-car racing · 2000

  NASCAR programs

  The organization operated a limited NASCAR presence, including the No. 13 Cup Series car in 2000 and entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series during 2000 and 2001. Drivers included Robby Gordon, P. J. Jones, Bryan Reffner and David Starr.

• Sports sponsorship

  Menards motorsports sponsorship

  After the standalone racing organization ended, Menards continued to use the Team Menard identity in connection with sponsorship and driver information. Sponsored or associated drivers included competitors in NASCAR, IndyCar and ARCA, while the 2008 Vision Racing program provided a later high-profile IndyCar sponsorship.

• 2008

  Return to prominent IndyCar sponsorshipStrategy

  Background

  Following the disappearance of the standalone Team Menard identity, Menards continued to maintain a motorsports presence through sponsorship.

  Action taken

  Menards became the primary sponsor of Vision Racing's No. 20 Dallara, driven by Ed Carpenter.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement restored Menards branding to a prominent IndyCar entry but did not revive Team Menard as an independently owned race team.

  Source

• 2004

  Merge the racing operation with Panther RacingM&A

  Background

  The IRL field became more competitive as former CART teams entered the series, making it harder for Team Menard to maintain its earlier level of performance.

  Action taken

  Team Menard merged with Panther Racing. Menard colors remained on the associated car, but the separate organizational identity was progressively reduced.

  Aftermath

  Mark Taylor initially drove the merged entry and Townsend Bell later replaced him. Menards served as an associate sponsor in 2005, and the former No. 2 entry was dropped for 2006.

  Source

1. 1Team Menarden.wikipedia.org