Just who is Alain Menu?

Swiss driver Alain Menu is to return to Australian shores next month following the announcement that he will join Larkham - Orrcon Racing for the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst.

Menu, one of the most successful drivers from the super touring era of the British Touring Car Championship with 36 wins (second in the all time table of victories) and two championships, will line up alongside Matt Halliday in a Larkham - Orrcon Racing Ford Falcon in his quest to add V8 Supercar honours to his resume.

Although he started out in the French Formula Ford series in 1985, Menu carved out his career in British F3 and F3000 during the late eighties before tackling a year of International Formula 3000 in 1991. He switched to touring cars with BMW in 1992, competing half a season in the BTCC before a quad bike accident at Knockhill brought his season to a premature end.

The following season, Menu joined reigning BTCC champion Tim Harvey at Renault, taking his first win at a wet Donington Park towards the end of the season. Switching to the new Renault Laguna in 1994, Menu took another two wins to finish as runner-up in the championship standings to Gabriele Tarquini.

The following year Renault hired the experienced Will Hoy as Menu's team mate, the change signalling the start of the Swiss driver's most successful period in the championship. Finishing as runner-up again in 1995 and 1996, Menu powered his Laguna to a series record twelve wins in 1997 en route to his first BTCC title.

Following a further three wins in 1998, Menu made his debut in Australia's great race, the Bathurst 1000 alongside Thomas Mezera. The he switched from Renault to Ford where he went on to claim his second BTCC title in 2000 before making his second start at Bathurst, this time alongside Mark Larkham.

Menu turned his sights onto the DTM Championship in 2001 aboard an Opel Astra and also won the GTS class 1,000 mile Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta aboard a Ferrari 550.

The following two years Menu contested the DTM Championship while also dabbling in several sports car events across the globe include the prestigious Sebring and Le Mans 24-Race.

In addition to his DTM commitments in 2004 Menu won a round of the FIA GT Championship in Jarama and competed at the endurance races in Australia at Sandown and Bathurst in a Ford Falcon alongside Adam Macrow.

With his time in the DTM coming to a close at the end of last season, Menu now has his sights set on becoming a World Champion, and now competes in the World Touring Car Championship with the Chevrolet team - his best finish so far a sixth place finish at Spa Francorchamps at the wheel of the all new Lacetti WTCC.