Shortly after lunch hour on Friday, rain fell on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, scene of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series event this weekend.
During the morning pratice session of the Sprint Cup, Kurt Busch set the fastest time at the speed of 130.667 mph.
Canadian race car driver Patrick Carpentier is back in the series, driving the No 36 Toyota Camry for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
Carpentier lost the opening 45 minutes of the session so the crew could repair a broken bolt in the rear suspension. He went out late and managed to set the 42nd fastest time, one spot ahead of Mark Martin.
“This track is not easy because it is short and almost flat,” Carpentier told Auto123.com. “And these Sprint cars are very tricky to drive. You need to be smooth but quite aggressive in the entry of the corners not to lose speed. I am still unsure if my entry speed is okay or not. It’s difficult to judge from inside the car. I’m also learning how to talk with my crew chief. It’s a very different language from what I was used in the ChampCar series. But we’re improving!”
Because of the showers, NASCAR officials decided to cancel the qualifying session. Luckily for Carpentier, Tommy Baldwin’s car is qualified, meaning that Patrick will start Sunday’s race, the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 from 41st place.
There are two practice sessions scheduled for the Sprint Cup series on Saturday. This will provide Carpentier with some valuable track time to find the right set-up for the race.
photo:Philippe Champoux - Auto123.com
During the morning pratice session of the Sprint Cup, Kurt Busch set the fastest time at the speed of 130.667 mph.
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| Patrick Carpentier |
Canadian race car driver Patrick Carpentier is back in the series, driving the No 36 Toyota Camry for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
Carpentier lost the opening 45 minutes of the session so the crew could repair a broken bolt in the rear suspension. He went out late and managed to set the 42nd fastest time, one spot ahead of Mark Martin.
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| The No 36 Toyota of Carpentier. |
“This track is not easy because it is short and almost flat,” Carpentier told Auto123.com. “And these Sprint cars are very tricky to drive. You need to be smooth but quite aggressive in the entry of the corners not to lose speed. I am still unsure if my entry speed is okay or not. It’s difficult to judge from inside the car. I’m also learning how to talk with my crew chief. It’s a very different language from what I was used in the ChampCar series. But we’re improving!”
 |
Because of the showers, NASCAR officials decided to cancel the qualifying session. Luckily for Carpentier, Tommy Baldwin’s car is qualified, meaning that Patrick will start Sunday’s race, the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 from 41st place.
There are two practice sessions scheduled for the Sprint Cup series on Saturday. This will provide Carpentier with some valuable track time to find the right set-up for the race.
photo:Philippe Champoux - Auto123.com