Carpentier seeking part-time Busch ride

By Bob Pockrass

Sunday, November 12, 2006

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AVONDALE, Ariz. - Former Indy Racing League driver Patrick Carpentier was roaming in the Busch Series garage Saturday looking for a possible part-time ride next season.

Carpentier already has inked a deal to run the entire Grand American Rolex Road Racing Series schedule next year but has some funding to bring to a Busch team.

"Hopefully we can come up with something," Carpentier said. "I would like to do between five and 15 races next year."

Carpentier was 10th in the IRL standings in 2005.

He wants to run the Busch races on the road courses as well as some ovals.

"I raced IRL last year and for me, I don't want to race open-wheel on the ovals anymore," Carpentier said. "I like ovals. I always have. ...

When you touch [IRL] wheels, the car goes up in the fence. That neve used to happen before and for me it's a safety issue."

The 35-year-old Canadian does have some stock-car experience, having competed in a CASCAR race.

"I loved it," Carpentier said. "It's like a rental car on steroids.They're hard to drive, but they're fun."

Carpentier says he needs fellow open-wheel drivers Sam Hornish and Juan Pablo Montoya to do well to boost his chances.

"They have to do well," Carpentier said. "There are too many guys that came in that didn't do well. We had a lot of guys that came in that crashed a lot of cars, but that's what they did in the open-wheels, too."