NASCAR: Carpentier to make NASCAR return

Champ Car race winner Patrick Carpentier will make his first NASCAR Sprint Cup starts in five years after being hired for two events by Go Fas Racing.

The 44-year-old Canadian has retired from full-time racing but continues to make occasional appearances, most recently in his home round of the World Rallycross Championship in Trois Rivieres over the past two seasons. Go Fas has recruited him for the Sonoma and Indianapolis rounds of the Cup season.

"Even if I say that I'm retired, I could not miss the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, especially on circuits as interesting as those of Sonoma and Indianapolis," said Carpentier.

Team owner Archie St Hilaire added: "The last time he ran at Sonoma he finished 11th, and we plan on giving him a car that can give him a top 10 this June."

Carpentier was briefly a full-time NASCAR racer with the Evernham squad after his single-seater career ended, contesting 40 Cup rounds with various teams between 2007 and '11.

Go Fas is alternating between multiple drivers for its Cup entry this season, with Jeffrey Earnhardt – grandson of Dale Sr and nephew of Dale Jr. – contesting just over half the rounds.

Originally on Autosport.com