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Paul Menard Returns Home for Bucyrus 200

Paul Menard is going home.

The Eau Claire, Wis., native will return to the Badger State for this week’s Nationwide series Bucyrus 200 at Road America.

"I am really looking forward to racing in front of my hometown crowd," he said.

Home cooking has treated Menard well in the past. He captured his first career Busch Series win on June 24, 2006, at the Milwaukee Mile.

But unlike America’s Legendary Oval, Road America is true to its name, featuring the winding turns and limited continuity of a road track.

This is the inaugural event for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Road America, but Roush Fenway has taken steps to prepare itself.

"We’ve been out testing this car at Road America and most recently at Road Atlanta," crew chief Matt Puccia said. "We are very confident that we will have a fast car, and with Paul’s experience, we are going to be running up front this weekend."