Petree to run full-time Busch team for Menard.

Andy Petree Racing has signed driver Paul Menard to race fulltime in the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series after spending the summer of 2003 nurturing the talented 23 year-old in a variety of different Championships.

The 23 year-old driver competed for Petree in a limited schedule of ARCA, NASCAR Busch, Truck and Winston Cup events in 2003, and will race for rookie-of-the-year honours next season in a Menards Chevrolet.

The deal, which will span three years with sponsorship from Menards Home Improvement, leaves the 2006 season open as an option to move the team up from the Busch Series to the Nextel Cup level should Petree and Menard feel they are ready.

"We're all really excited to get this done and get into the Busch Series fulltime next year with Paul," said team owner Andy Petree. "Paul has been so much fun to work with this year, I'm really happy to be a part of his future in this sport and see him continue to progress upward as a stock car driver."

Menard contested six NASCAR Busch Series events in 2003 with a top finish of ninth at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

"For me, it's such a good opportunity to continue working with Andy and build on what we've learned together this year," said Menard. "Of all the different cars we've raced, we always seemed to have a better handle on the Busch cars and really I've felt the most comfortable racing in this series. We're going to focus on that next year and hopefully win some races and challenge for the rookie-of-the-year."

Petree and Menard captured one win, one pole position and four top-10 finishes in a combined 16 races during 2003.

2004 will be Andy Petree Racing's first full-time, fully sponsored campaign since he temporarily bowed out of the Winston Cup ranks at the end of 2002 and only landed enough sponsorship to contest a handful of events in 2003.