Music: {allcanada} CARPENTIER TO RACE IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP EVENT IN KANSAS

Monday, May 30, 2011

{allcanada} CARPENTIER TO RACE IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP EVENT IN KANSAS

MONTREAL -- Patrick Carpentier will race in his first NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the year at Kansas Speedway.

The veteran driver from Joliette, Que. announced Monday he will pilot the No. 32 Ford for Frank Stoddard Jr. on the 1.5-mile oval for Round 13 of the Sprint Cup on Sunday.

It will be the 40th Sprint Cup event of his career.

"This will mark the first time in my Sprint Cup career that I will be driving a car that is already qualified for the race," the 39-year-old said in a statement. "There will be a lot less pressure when we practice on Friday because we will be able to work on both qualifying and race set-ups."

Carpentier is on the rebound from a tough Indy 500, where he crashed Scott Speed's car during practice and the team did not have another car available to qualify.

He is also confirmed to race for a fifth time at the NAPA Auto Parts 2000 NASCAR Nationwide series event in Montreal in August, driving for Michael Waltrip's team.

Carpentier, a former CART and IndyCar regular, finished second in Montreal in 2007 and 2008, taking pole position in 2007, but retired with mechanical problems the past two years.

Carpentier is also a avid cyclist and will take part in a two-day Montreal-to-Quebec City charity event, the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, July 10-11.