Don’t Cry for Me - Nelsinho
Despite impressive debuts in ARCA and the Camping World Truck Series, ex-Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. is already facing sponsorship issues.
“Don’t Cry for me” Argentina Nelsinho Piquet Jr.
Alas Nelsinho, now known world-wide as “The Race-Fixer,” is not among the 39 drivers entered in this weekend’s E-Z-Go 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Camping World Series’ second race this year.
As of Wednesday afternoon, though, team owner Tom DeLoach, (who also fielded Toyota Tundras in Daytona for race winner Timothy Peters and Justin Lofton) didn’t have anything for Piquet.
Last month, Piquet told a TV audience that NASCAR was “interesting and friendly, a lot of fun” and added that he’d like to “maybe do what Juan Pablo Montoya did” (move from F-1 into Sprint Cup).
I think it’s safe to say, fun while it lasted.
Piquet had a respectable sixth place finish at Daytona, the only caveat was his Toyota’s only sponsor was the race team itself, in effect no sponsorship at all.
Reality bites as they say and as the second event of the year fast approaches he’s ride-less.
Piquet said he was “very open-minded” about his NASCAR involvement and described 2010 as “a year of exploring.” (exploring sponsorship obviously -ed) He added that “nothing is finalized for the season because it doesn’t depend only on me” and said everything right now is “a race to race deal, but I can’t wait to go again.”
But wait he will.
UPDATE: Piquet may be many things, some not so nice, but I’ll give him his due for making an effort. At least he’s not sitting on his ass after failing to get NASCAR sponsorship.
Piquet is rejoining Eddie Sharp Racing for several forthcoming ARCA Racing Series events, the first being Rattlesnake 150 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 16.
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Oh well it had to come to an end. Thus far in his career he has never had any problems with either Dad writing a cheque, or one of Dad’s contacts throwing in a few buck e.g. Carlos Slim.
If you look at his junior career, it may be the most expensive ladder on the road to F1 ever. Even the F1 ride was payed for with Slim financing. Money talks……but so then does sticking a car into the wall on purpose.
I guess there is always Brazilian stock cars.
Hey don’t knock on the Brazilian NEXTEL Circuit, there’s has/is a couple F1 vets in that series. And the cars they run are pretty cool.
As much as I hate to, I’ll give Piquet some credit - see the update.
No slurs from me on Brazillian stock cars, that is a great domestic series with fantastic cars. Old Ingo Hoffman is still out there carving up the youngsters.