Piquet looks to revive career in NASCAR

Nelson Piquet Jr.

(GMM) Nelson Piquet Jr looks set to turn to the world of American NASCAR racing to revive his disgraced motor racing career.

The 23-year-old Brazilian, fired by Renault for underperformance earlier this season and then embroiled in the crash-gate race-fixing scandal, has travelled to the US this weekend, according to Brazil's Globo television.

Piquet is headed to Mooresville, North Carolina, where he will reportedly have a seat fitting for the Red Horse team's Toyota Tundra racer. The outfit competes in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.

It is said that Piquet will test for the team on October 12, and hopes to progress to NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup series by 2012.

The plans may have followed the realization that he will not immediately re-launch his formula one career in the wake of his lackluster showing for Renault, and his admission to crashing deliberately in Singapore last year.

"I think on his performance, to be honest, disregarding the (Singapore) issue, I probably would not give him a drive and I would probably be further influenced in that decision by what took place," said Toyota's John Howett at Suzuka.