Championship Countdown - Paul Menard: TA National Championship
December 24, 2025
In 2025, Paul Menard powered his No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang to his second-consecutive Trans Am TA class championship in just his second full season in the series. In a close battle against series veteran Adam Andretti, the championship fight came down to the final race of the year, where Menard captured the crown and secured his place in the record books and 3GT Racing’s legacy as a championship-winning organization.
Menard kicked off the year much like he did in his 2024 championship run, with a victory at Sebring International Raceway.
"Today was eventful," said Menard. “I had a fast car all weekend. We finally put it all together for qualifying and had the track position to start up front and lead some laps. Brent Crews was just really, really quick, and after five laps, he ran us down. We had a little battle and he got by me clean. Then, Adam [Andretti] started running me down. We got that caution and it kind of saved me from him. We had short-run speed; we've got to work on a little long-run speed, but we know what we've got to do. I'm really proud of the guys. Hell of a way to start the year.”
He returned to Gym Weed Winners Circle two races later, capturing the win at Sonoma Raceway, where he held off a hard-charging Chris Dyson in a tight battle that ended with a 0.291-second margin of victory.
“It was a battle,” said Menard after the race. “We set the pace early. The track wasn't completely dry, so for the first couple of laps, we kind of tiptoed. After five laps in, we started pushing pretty hard and I felt like we had a good pace. We led every lap and won the race. It was a great points day.”
Following a podium finish at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Menard scored his third victory of the year at Lime Rock Park’s Trans Am Memorial Day Classic, leading a stout field and widening his championship lead.
“I just had an amazing car all weekend,” Menard said. “We’re trying to manage a gap with Adam [Andretti], but this is awesome. Seeing all the fans here and racing this series is a thrill.”
At Watkins Glen International, Menard notched his first win at the iconic track 22 years after making his first NASCAR start there.
“It's great to be back in the Trans Am Series at Watkins Glen, one of my favorite racetracks,” said Menard. “It’s just a badass racetrack, and I told Adam [Andretti], we just did 100 miles of qualifying. We were on it every single lap.”
Menard’s momentum carried until the end of the summer, with his fifth victory of the season coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a track where he also took the checkered flag the season before.
“It was an eventful race,” said Menard. “It’s always great to come back up here to Canada. There’s great race fans, and seeing the crowd all the way around the track and the support that we get with the series is amazing. I had a great car all weekend. We didn't have to adjust on the car much, just little tweaks here and there. 3GT just does an amazing job every week.”
Menard scored second-place finishes at both VIRginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park, the latter of which was a debut track for the Trans Am Series.
The championship finale at Circuit of The Americas saw Menard secure the title once again. He and long-time rival Adam Andretti traded positions in the closing laps, underscoring the intensity of the title fight all season long. “That fight at the end was pretty intense,” Menard said after the finale, acknowledging the hard work of his crew and the strength of his competition.
By season’s end, Menard had reaffirmed himself as one of the series’ top competitors, becoming a two-time TA champion with victories and poles at some of North America’s most iconic road courses.
“To be a two-time champion in Trans Am with Paul Gentilozzi and Tony and John and the history that they have and the history that the series has, means a lot,” said Menard. “It's a great series. I grew up watching [Trans Am]. They make a big push to bring it back to what it once was.
“I've driven a lot of cars. I've driven a lot of racecars on dirt, on asphalt, on road courses, on ovals. These are, hands down, the most fun, coolest racecars on road courses in North America. You can get into some ice racing or some dirt racing or something. Those cars are really fun too, but a totally different discipline. But these, hands down, if you're going to drive a road course car, these are by far the best. To be a two-time champion in that discipline means a lot.”
