Finally Official: Carpentier to remain with Player's

[Jay]

From Robin Miller:

In the world of motorsports, you won't find a better person than Patrick Carpentier. Humble, polite and armed with a wicked sense of humor, the personable Canadian has also blossomed into the driver everyone expected when he dominated the 1996 Toyota Atlantic championship.

So, in this time of indecision and recessed economics, it's only fitting he's been rewarded appropriately--with a new deal at Player's/Forsythe Racing.

It will be made official in the near future, but Carpentier is staying with his Canadian team in 2003.

"I'll admit it didn't look too promising in June or July, but it started turning around a few weeks ago and everything worked out," he said from his Las Vegas home.

"I didn't want to leave this team or CART so I couldn't be happier."

The 31-year-old native of Quebec knows that owner Gerry Forsythe played a major role in making sure he stayed.

"Player's has a maximum budget they can spend on racing in Canada and they always wanted Paul (Tracy) for the past two or three years. Alex (Tagliani) had already signed so they couldn't afford to offer me anything.

"But Gerry told me to be patient and that things would be worked out and he kept his promise. You know he's always told me the truth and he was a big part of my decision to stay.

"I really respect him a lot."

The respect for Carpentier's talents swelled this season as he captured races at Cleveland and Mid-Ohio and currently ranks fourth in the CART FedEx Championship Series.

"Winning at Cleveland was even bigger than my first win at Michigan in 2001," he continued. "I always loved road courses, but I hadn't won on one since my Atlantic days and I was expected to be up front.

"That race really helped my confidence and my team's confidence in me. And then we repeated our performance at Mid-Ohio, which is a very demanding track. I did what I was expected to do."

Before Forsythe intervened, Patrick was being seriously pursued by two teams in the rival Indy Racing League.

"Yeah, I had two good teams that were really interested and I was looking at it seriously," he admitted. "You know I didn't run my first oval until 1995, but I really like them. I guess maybe it had something to do with my speed skating.

"But I still feel like the IRL cars are pretty risky and our CART cars are still safer. I enjoy ovals but not 16 of them. I like CART's mix of ovals, road courses and street circuits.

"I don't think there's a tougher test in motorsports and I'm glad I'll still be in it."

Following his Mid-Ohio guarantee, when he promised to run around the track naked if he won the race, Carpentier donned a checkered flag and kept his word. It's helped raise his profile.

"I went to get a message here the other day and the woman said, 'Oh my God, you're the guy we saw on TV wearing a checkered flag,' " laughed Carpentier. "I guess it was a good career move, but next time I'll make sure not to say anything about being naked."