NASCAR: 'Mad Max' to make NEXTEL Cup debut
Perennial open-wheel and sports car fan favorite Massimiliano (Mad Max) Papis will become the first Italian in NASCAR's modern era to compete in NASCAR when he pilots the Furniture Row Racing entry at the Watkins Glen NEXTEL Cup road course event August 13. Papis is having quite a year, racing at the Daytona 24 Hours, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500, and a host of other races, including NASCAR's IROC series. Papis has seemingly raced in nearly everything with four wheels, with an extensive Formula 1, Champ Car, and sports cars resume.
Regular viewers of the Rolex Sports Car series will know that Max is no stranger to NASCAR-style beatin' and bangin' - he should fit right in!
Denver-based Furniture Row Racing is new to NEXTEL Cup this year. Watkins Glen will mark the team's first road course race. Papis and the team recently completed a right turn/left turn test session at Virginia Interational Raceway.
[Source: Furniture Row Racing]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jaymez 5:46PM (7/31/2006)
Ever wonder why international sports, such as F1/Indy, and Soccer never took off in America? Americans want to watch other American's compete, not a bunch of foregiers whose names they can hardly spell or pronounce. This move of foregin open-wheelers entering NASCAR is a bad thing for the sport.
While I lost interest in NASCAR after Earnhardt died, I'd hate to see the series fade away.
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Keith 5:52PM (7/31/2006)
Max Papis? I havent heard of that name in years. Didnt he used to race F1? Or was it Cart?
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RacetrackOwner 6:10PM (7/31/2006)
Sportscar favorite? Hell, if everybody drove like Max, they'd rename it "bumper cars." He should have been suspended for the year for the way he blatently rammed Liddell's Porsche so he could take first place at Petit Le Mans last year.
He'll probably fit right in with the NECKCAR guys.
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Fabulo 7:11PM (7/31/2006)
Well, Jaymez, you prove that you don't have to go as far as foreign names to misspell, of all, the word foreign. Twice. That's just priceless.
And if you lost interest, why would you hate to see it fade away? (i.e. losing interest = you don't care)
Then again, watch for the next turn. I hear it's a left.
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Scott Wylie 8:08PM (7/31/2006)
Max Papis never raced in F1. He was a prospect and did a few test sessions for back marker teams but never was an official driver of an F1 team.
He raced extensively in CART and won a few races in the mid nineties.
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Dan 10:15PM (7/31/2006)
What is "NASCAR's modern era"? I there a war or a meteor strike or something that delineates it?
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All World 12:03PM (8/01/2006)
I say give him a shot. If he cant cut it, he won't be around the following year
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