GEM/Carpentier to secure a major sponsor
08/1/08 Gillett Evernham will decide Aug. 15 if Carpentier will be with the team in 2009. A boost to Carpentier's contract renewal would be a top-35 finish in owner's points, guaranteeing his Dodge a starting spot in the first five races of next season. Carpentier is four spots behind that cutoff, still forced to qualify his way into each race. But he has only missed three races this year, two because rain canceled qualifying and the third for a blown tire. Qualifying, Carpentier says, is the easy part.
03/04/08 While sponsorship woes sidelined Jacques Villeneuve's NASCAR career this season, it appears the same will not happen to fellow Canadian Patrick Carpentier.
Gillett Evernham Motorsports co-owner George Gillett says they are on the verger of signing a sponsor for the No. 10 Dodge. Carpentier currently has partial primary sponsorship from Valvoline this season.
"I'm happy to report as recently as last night, we have a verbal agreement, which is being put into writing today, for a major, major, major new sponsor for the 10 car," Gillett said Tuesday.
"It's very exciting for all of us and the sponsors."
While several Sprint Cup teams report the search for sponsorship has been difficult due to a softening of the U.S. economy, Gillett says that has actually created opportunity.
"What we're finding is the really smart and sophisticated marketers are coming to us now and saying, 'Boy, oh boy, this is the time that we're going to put the pedal to the metal.'" TSN.ca