Patrick Carpentier Expects To Know Gillett Evernham Motorsports Future By Mid-August

[DebWilliams-GFN]

By Deb Williams

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 5, 2008) – NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Patrick Carpentier said Tuesday he doesn't know his status with Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the 2009 season, but he should have an answer by mid-August.

“I really hope that it comes out positive,” Carpentier said during a Dodge teleconference. “I think Gillett Evernham is pretty happy. Most of the sponsors that were at our sponsor summit in Montreal [Canada] last weekend were happy. I hope that they are happy enough to keep me for next year, and I hope Gillett Evernham is happy as well, because I like being here and I like driving this car. We’ve improved so much since the beginning of the year with the guys on the team and Mike Shiplett [team director], so I should know in a few weeks.”

Carpentier, who moved from open-wheel and sports car racing to stock cars, finished second in Saturday's Nationwide race in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In five Nationwide starts this year, Carpentier has recorded two top-five and four-top 10 finishes. In NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, the Ville Lasalle, Quebec, native who now lives in Las Vegas, has produced one pole in 17 starts and stands 37th in the point standings. He said he hoped his quick learning curve would help secure his future in NASCAR.

“The last five races and ever since we won the pole in Loudon [N.H., in June], it’s given us a little bit more confidence and now we’re running top-20 a little bit more,” he noted. “I’m starting to battle with these (Cup drivers) a little bit more where I couldn’t early on out here. I get along well on-track with most of these guys – I get by, they let me by, depending on who is faster. The last five races I’m starting to get really comfortable in the car. It’s like the car got a little smaller again. I think it’s happening at the right time and I think the team can see it as well. Plus we are starting to go back to tracks that we’ve raced at earlier this year, so if we can bring as good a race car as we’ve had the last five races, I think we’ll have some more fun.

“There are three things that I like. Formula Atlantic was fun. Grand Am was great to drive. But NASCAR is the most fun I’ve ever had racing. I’m enjoying myself more then I ever had in the past in racing. 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.”

Carpentier believes a lack of funding would be the only thing that might keep him from racing with Gillett Evernham next year.

“Racing always depends on sponsorship,” he continued. “ I think that I’m going to be at (GEM), but it’s racing and things happen pretty quickly.”

Carpentier said there were Canadian companies interested in sponsoring him. He cited Auto Value, which “has as many stores in Canada as they do in the United States.”

“Subway has a lot of stores in Canada, and they were excited (last) weekend sponsoring our car in Montreal. Valvoline sells oil; all those sponsors do business in both countries. I think we’re starting to see a little bit of a trend. Mr. Gillett owns the Montreal Canadians, so I hope the tie there is really good at looking at potential Canadian sponsors.”

When asked if he felt more pressure the next two races because he hadn't yet resigned with GEM, Carpentier said he'd been under pressure to make each race since the 2008 season began in February.

“I’ll give it my best and there’s nothing more that you can do,” Carpentier said. “If you worry about it, you’ll perform worse most of the time.

“In Montreal this year, I went back there expecting results and they don’t necessarily come. We never panicked and ended up in second place and if the race would have kept going, we may have won it. I’m having so much fun that I don’t let what’s happening with the race car or my contract bother me too much. I just go racing and focus on what I have to do and just have fun. If it [re-signing with GEM] is meant to happen, it’s going to happen.”

If the resigning doesn't occur, however, Carpentier said he wouldn't return to open-wheel racing.

“I’ll race Grand Am or a series like that,” he said. “But for me, I’m not going back to open-wheel. When I stopped in ’05, it’s because I decided to stop. I like NASCAR. I like the ovals and that’s what I want to do. The IRL is going away from ovals and for me, I have no interest in going back (to open-wheel). I’ve had a couple teams approach me, but we told them that we can’t talk until after Aug. 15.”

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