Fast Times

A NASCAR BLOG BY Kris Johnson

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Northern exposure

Feb 24

Growing up within shouting distance of Quebec – the U.S.-Canadian border was a mere 20 minutes up the road on I-87 – it was interesting to me to watch two natives of the province start the season as Sprint Cup drivers.

Unfortunately, for Jacques Villeneuve, that number has been cut in half with the Cup circuit now in its second week of the season at California.

While Villeneuve is still determined to find his NASCAR niche – and first, the sponsorship that is required – Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ Patrick Carpentier continues to give Canadians a “homeboy” to root for in NASCAR’s elite series.

Carpentier made his first three Cup starts last year, but it was his second-place hometown finish from the pole in the Montreal Busch Series race that stands out.

In the eyes of some traditional fans, Carpentier probably has two strikes against him. First, he’s a foreigner (even though Carpentier resides in Las Vegas). Second, he’s an open-wheel driver who migrated to stock-car racing.

CART’s 1997 Rookie of the Year, Carpentier obviously has some driving ability. He’s also got an ample amount of personality, perhaps even enough to win over some of the xenophobes out there.

As they say in Quebec, bonne chance (good luck), Patrick. The fact is, without a guaranteed starting spot, you’ll need it.