You’ve driven two Sprint Cup races this season for Michael Waltrip Racing. Now, you get behind the wheel of the No. 99 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota for the Nationwide race. Talk about this opportunity.
“I am really looking forward to running at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. I always seem to run well there so hopefully I can do the same thing this year with the NAPA AUTO PARTS team. I got to test with Jerry Baxter and the team a few weeks ago so I think we are ready for it. We are looking forward to it and it should be a fun race. There are going to be a few Sprint Cup guys coming over because they don’t have a race this weekend. It should be fun especially if it does not rain. It’s been raining almost every day up here in the last month so hopefully we can get a little bit of a break and it clears up.”

Are you looking at the Sprint Cup drivers as being your toughest competition?
“I look at everyone as being really good competition. We’ve got the Sprint Cup guys and some good road-course racers like Ron Fellows who won it last year. Jacques Villeneuve is planning to race and so is Carl Edwards. There are quite a few guys coming up here so it is going to be interesting. We will see how it will all play out.”

What does it take to be successful at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
“You have to be fast. That’s what it takes. You also need good traction. That track has a lot of high-speed straightaways. All of the corners are first and second gear. You really need to come out of the corners in good shape. That is the main thing. Also, brakes are important too. Braking is hard at every corner because they are pretty much high-speed corners.”

Patrick Carpentier Fast Facts

• Patrick Carpentier will be driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. He will be competing in his 13th NASCAR Nationwide Series race when the 25th event of the 2009 season, the NAPA AUTO PARTS 200, gets underway
  at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, in Montreal, Canada.

• Carpentier has competed in two NASCAR Nationwide events at Montreal. His best start is first (Aug. 4, 2007)
  and best finish is second (Aug. 4, 2007 & Aug. 2, 2008) in both races he has competed.

• Carpentier has completed 123 of 123 laps (100%) at the track and has led a total of 14 laps in competition. His average start is third and average finish is second.

• His NASCAR Nationwide Series career statistics at road courses are impressive with five starts. He has
  earned one pole (2007 Montreal), three top-five (second – 2007 Montreal, fifth – 2008 Mexico City and second – 2008 Montreal) and five top-20 finishes (19th – 2007 Watkins Glen, 22nd – 2008 Watkins Glen).

 

NAPA AUTO PARTS Driver Patrick Carpentier Sprint Cup Statistics – Watkins Glen 2008

DATE	START	FINISH	LAPS	STATUS	WINNINGS
8/09/2008	1	2	75/75	Running	$74,025
8/02/2007	4	2	48/48	Running	$76,043

 

No. 99 2009 NAPA AUTO PARTS PIT CREW – CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE

Ryan Langley	Front Tire Changer
Chris Hall	Front Tire Carrier
Tony Cardamone	Jack Man
Mike Ellershaw	Rear Tire Changer
Eric Wakeland	Rear Tire Carrier
Art Harris	Gasman
Joel Cox	Catch Can