Italian racing driver Max Papis will be back in action in this year's Nationwide Series, after signing a deal with Richard Childress Racing to compete in three summer events at Iowa Speedway, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
"Having the trust and support of a man like Richard Childress ... shows me how far I have come in NASCAR," said Papis on Wednesday.
Papis will be driving the #33 Chevrolet Camaro with sponsorship from Menards, Rheem, WESCO, Armour Vienna Sausage, Hunt Brothers Pizza and Fast Fixin'.
Papis drove in seven F1 Grand Prix races in 1995 with the Footwork team, and since then has competed in 113 Champ Car races, 2
Indianapolis 500 events, 44 races in the Camping World Truck Series and 35 races in the Sprint Cup championship. He has also entered the
Le Mans 24 Hours seven times and notched up two second place and three third place finishes between 1997 and 2008.
Papis previously competed in 11 Nationwide Series races over the course of seven series, and is primarily regarded as a road course specialist drafted in by teams to fill in for drivers with less road racing experience at venues including Watkins Glen and the Circuit Gilles Villenueve in Montreal.
Papis competed in last year's Road America event with RCR, starting from fifth place on the grid and going on to finish in fourth place. The 43-year-old is clearly hoping to build on that showing by re-teaming with RCR again in 2013.
"With RCR and ECR Engines, I will have the best opportunity in my career to accomplish my goal of winning a
NASCAR race," he said. "It fills my heart with joy to know that I did enough to earn an oval race opportunity and I will make everyone proud of their decision."
"Max brings a great deal of talent and energy to the race track and everywhere else he goes," said Richard Childress. "We know Max will do a great job for RCR and the #33 team on whatever track he's racing.
Papis will be joined by the team's full-season entries driven by Brian Scott and Austin Dillon, Childress' grandson and 2012 Nationwide Series rookie of the year.