Patrick Carpentier will make his Nextel Cup bow in the final two races of the 2007 season in place of Scott Riggs at Gillett-Evernham Motorsports.
The Canadian former single seater star will take the reigns of the #10 Valvoline Dodge on a full-time basis in 2008 but with the #10 team now all but certain to miss out on a place in the top 35 in owner points the team has elected to release Riggs early in order to get stock car rookie Carpentier some valuable extra seat time.
Although Carpentier, who has thus far only competed in two road course
NASCAR events, isn't guaranteed a place on the grid for the races at Phoenix and Homestead, the extra seat time during official Cup Series practice sessions and the all important Bud Pole sessions could prove invaluable at the start of next season when Carpentier will have to try and race his way into at least the first five races of the season.
Riggs, who has scored just one top ten finish this season and who slipped out of the top 35 in owner points after starting the year with a guaranteed grid position, has subsequently failed to qualify for six races and was replaced by Carpentier for the road course event at Watkins Glen.
Haas CNC Racing have already signed Riggs for the 2008 Nextel Cup season in their #70 team but unless they can shift outgoing incumbent Johnny Sauter out of the seat before the final two races Riggs may end a disappointing year on the sidelines.
