Sports News
NASCAR Needs Patrick Carpentier
Patrick Carpentier's stint in limbo -- will he or won't he have a full-time ride in 2009? -- is supposed to end this week, and it could be the beginning of a mutual success story for the Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver and for NASCAR.
"There are three things that I like," Carpentier said earlier this month. "Formula Atlantic was fun. Grand Am was great to drive. But NASCAR is the most fun I've ever had racing.
"I just appreciate the moment. We race in front of crowds that are unbelievable. To be able to be a part of the Sprint Cup Series, I feel like a pretty fortunate guy."
And NASCAR is fortunate to have someone with such international flair -- Carpentier is a native of Joliette, Quebec -- who so ardently wants to be in the series.
Carpentier, 37, didn't come to stock cars with an Indianapolis 500 win or a Formula One championship on his resume, but his desire to learn and excel -- and his ability to qualify -- has kept him in the driver's seat while others in his rookie class with more luminous open-wheel credentials fell by the wayside.
Dario Franchitti's team at Chip Ganassi Racing folded in July because of a lack of sponsorship. Jacques Villeneuve was a nonstarter who exited Cup racing after failing to qualify for the 2008 Daytona 500.
Carpentier, already a pole winner in NASCAR's top two series, will learn soon enough whether he can get the financial backing to keep him in the No. 10 Dodge next season. The wait has been tedious, but he has borne the stress with grace.
"I really hope that it comes out positive," he said. "I think Gillett Evernham is pretty happy. Most of the sponsors that were at our sponsor summit in Montreal were happy. Valvoline, LifeLock, Auto Value. I hope Gillett Evernham is happy as well because I like being here and I like driving this car."
George Gillett, majority owner of GEM, also owns 80 percent interest in the Montreal Canadiens. It would behoove Gillett to keep Carpentier around -- if only to avoid being run out of Canada's second-largest city on a rail.
Beyond that, Carpentier is a key to unlocking an unfailingly enthusiastic and largely untapped fan base for NASCAR racing north of the border. Those who saw either of the first two Montreal races also saw the potential for growth.
Beyond that, he's one of the most humble and likable men in motorsports, someone who can represent NASCAR racing to the world.
As much as Carpentier wants to stay in a stock car, NASCAR needs him to be there.
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