Patrick Carpentier not ready to give up NASCAR quest
Veteran Canadian racer Patrick Carpentier broke into the Sprint Cup ranks a few years ago and he isn’t ready to give up on NASCAR.
Carpentier, who competed in six Cup races last year and 33 in his career, said he is in discussions with some teams about rides for 2010. After being released by Gillett Evernham Motorsports at the end of 2008, four of those six events last year were for Tommy Baldwin Racing, while he competed on the road courses for Michael Waltrip Racing.
“The first year, it’s so much to learn and there are so many things [to learn], it’s very difficult to take it slowly,” Carpentier said in a phone interview. “Last year, for the races I did, was a lot of fun.
“A lot of times it was a start-and-park [with Baldwin], for sure. That’s not as fun as doing the whole race. But Tommy [Baldwin] gave me a chance. I miss it quite a bit.”
Just qualifying for a race – Carpentier made four of the five he attempted with Baldwin – was helpful, said Carpentier, whose foundation in racing was in open-wheel cars.
“It’s pretty important because if you made it in, you got to practice Saturday,” Carpentier said. “That was the most important to me because that’s the time you experiment with the car and try different things.”
Carpentier said he is still committed to pursuing a NASCAR ride and not committing to any other forms of racing. Last year, the calls began coming in March.
“Honestly, what I’m looking for right now is a team that wants to build, wants to grow and wants to do the full races,” Carpentier said. “The hardest is the first year. If you go back with a decent car and chief mechanic, it is fun.
“I am pretty hungry. … It’s my life. We’re starting to look at different businesses, but my primary stuff has always been racing. I’ve been racing for all my life pretty much. That’s what I do.”
