Paul Tracy becomes a truck driver

Paul Tracy

Rationale would tell you that 2003 Champ Car Champion Paul Tracy would be turning laps in the newly unified IndyCar Series. However, those who know PT know that he is not always a rational guy. Tracy is a guy who wants to win and a guy who races with passion beyond comprehension. He is a guy who will fit beautifully into NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series.

Imagine a green, white, checker finish and coming to the checkered flag are Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner and Paul Tracy. I think we all can agree that it would most likely get very interesting. This is where Tracy belongs. He fits in perfectly.

While he was the Champ Car leader in wins with 31, Tracy has an incredible respect for NASCAR drivers and he looks forward to racing with them when his opportunity rolls around in the fall. This opportunity will find him in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he will be behind the wheel of the #03 Germain Racing Toyota Tundra when the series visits Las Vegas on September 20th.

Paul Tracy is a racer pure and simple. Some would think that he is sitting around missing driving open-wheel cars, but they would be wrong. When Forsythe Racing abruptly chose to pass on the opportunity to join the IndyCar Series when the merger was completed in March, Tracy took the news in stride and began to focus on himself and his family. He also continued his rigorous physical training regimen, but picked it up a notch. This is not a guy who sits around.

On May 28th, Tracy took to the track at Chicagoland Speedway for a Toyota engine test that found him clocking lap times close to those of Germain Racing teammate Todd Bodine. Tracy has a great respect for Bodine and enjoyed the opportunity to provide him with an extra half-day of rest when Tracy took the wheel after lunch and allowed Bodine to get home before leaving the next day for Dover.

While some would question Tracy’s move to trucks from open-wheel cars, the reality is that Tracy is one of the most versatile race car drivers in the world. He has raced virtually everything that moves and he learns quickly. Versatility is a trademark of PT, as he has raced open-wheel cars, Grand-Am cars, NASCAR, and off-road trucks, all in the last two years.

Tracy is certainly one of the most talented, colorful drivers in the world and he looks forward to taking part in some of the most exciting racing in the world.

“I watch the Truck Series races and think to myself that this is some of the most exciting racing that I watch and I want to be a part of it," Tracy said. “I can’t thank Bob Germain, Todd Bodine and Toyota enough for allowing me this opportunity to be a part of what they’ve built. I’ll do whatever I can to help them win the championship and that’s all I’m really after. Whether it’s testing or running a race I don’t really care because it’s exciting just to be a part of a championship team and contribute in some capacity."

Tracy continued, “If you look at my racing career I’ve always been a very loyal guy, so it’s been nice to have loyal personal sponsors in Monster Energy Drink and Claus Ettensberger Corporation. I’m looking forward to representing them in a new venue and hoping to get them additional exposure as well."

Tracy will be at home when the green flag waves under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night, September 20th. The open-wheel star resides just 20-minutes from the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval.