TOLEDO OH (3-31-10) - There are millions of racing fans in Brazil, the largest country in South America, but they know very little about stock cars.
At 200 mph, Nelson Piquet, Jr., thinks he can bridge that cultural divide. The son of the three-time Formula One world champion of the same name is in this country to build that connection.
"F1 is huge there, because they have a lot of Brazilians racing in that series, and IndyCar is big, because of all the Brazilians, so I think stock car racing has the same potential," Piquet said during a visit this week to the Toledo area headquarters of the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards.
"If Brazilian drivers get involved and are doing well, Brazil can open up a whole new world for NASCAR and ARCA."
Piquet, who came to the United States recently to pursue his stock car racing future, was 27th in the February ARCA race at Daytona, his first stock car event, and was an impressive sixth a week later in the Camping World Truck Series race at the famous speedway.
"I am still learning, so this is still very much in the beginning stages, but if I take this year to learn things slowly, and get to know as many people as I can, we'll see what opportunities I can find and get more involved in the sport," Piquet said.
He expects to enter a select number of ARCA and Camping World races this year and runs next in the ARCA event April 16 at Texas Motor Speedway. Piquet also plans to run in the ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway in June.
The 24-year-old Piquet has assembled an impressive resume in a variety of racing series across the globe, and his Web site offers a glimpse into his extensive travels - offering information in eight different languages. He was the South American F3 champion and won that title in Britain at age 19, the youngest champion in the history of the series. After a year as a test driver for Renault in F1, he was promoted to official driver status with the team for two seasons.
After he was let go by Renault last year, Piquet considered his options and looked to stock car racing and ARCA and NASCAR.
"I considered IndyCar, but it is not doing too well right now, so stock cars made the most sense. Once I got to North Carolina and got to know some of the people and the passion they have for the sport, I was amazed," Piquet said.
"It's not like Europe where they just race and then fly home, and treat it like a business - here the people are in stock car racing because they love what they're doing. They love racing, and if they are not racing, they are in the shop working with the team."
Piquet has hooked up with Eddie Sharp Racing for his ARCA events, and drives for Red Horse Racing in the Camping World Truck Series. Red Horse partner Tom DeLoach said Piquet demonstrated his ability in testing sessions, and his name recognition won't hurt as the team pursues sponsorship.
"We believe he has a great future in NASCAR," DeLoach said. "He exhibits excellent car control, gives good feedback, but needs the side-by-side experience. Nelson has a huge international following, which hopefully will attract a race partner for the team."
ARCA president Ron Drager said Piquet is not the first young driver from a famous racing family to view the series as the gateway to NASCAR.
"We've had the son of Bobby Allison, and the son of Kyle Petty in our series, and now the son of a three-time Formula One champion," Drager said. "It is very validating for us - it shows that ARCA is a legitimate place for young drivers with famous surnames to work on their skills. Nelson is a straightforward guy, and someone who is very candid when he talks about racing. He's a great ambassador for the sport."
Piquet said he will target sponsors in Brazil, and while he is promoting the sport of stock car racing back home, on-the-track success will do the most to advance his efforts.
"I'm not American, so it's easier to go to Brazil for sponsorship, since our name in Brazil is really big," he said. "I have this concept that I will be the first Brazilian to win a NASCAR race, but I have convinced a few other guys to come here as well, work on their English, and then work their way up. A lot of these American guys in the main stock car series - they started with nothing, so the opportunity is there."
Piquet said that racing fans in Brazil know the history and the careers of his father and other Brazilian champions such as Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna, and they will pick up on NASCAR once Brazilian drivers find some success in the series.
"When Brazilians get to know who Richard Petty is, and know about Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and the Hendrick, Gibbs, and Roush teams, the sport will be much more interesting to them," he said.
"The fans in Brazil will see what I've seen, that stock car racing here has a pureness about it. The people in NASCAR and ARCA don't spend their money on yachts and penthouses, they spend it on buying more cars, outfitting the shop, buying tools. Racing isn't just their business, it's their life. The passion for racing here has really impressed me."
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