Paul Tracy said [Friday] he’s closing in on a deal that would put him in a car for the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Busch Series race on Aug. 4, elite stock-car racing’s first foray into Canada. “I’m 90-percent sure I’ll be racing NASCAR in Montreal,” said Tracy, with 30 career victories the winningest active driver in Champ Car competition. “I’m pretty close to putting a deal together, (which) should come together in the next couple of weeks.” Tracy wouldn’t specify for whom he’d race, but did say “it’s a top team, and a top-level car that’s won races this year.” That’s “races” – plural.(Montreal Gazette)(5-26-2007)
UPDATE: Sources have told Sun Media that Tracy was contacted by his old buddy Richard Childress about the possibility of driving one of his Richard Childress Racing Chevys at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “There was some pressure put on NASCAR by Montreal race promoter Normand Legault to get Tracy a good ride and that’s how RCR got involved,” the source said. Most likely it will be the #21 Chevy — that already has been to victory lane this season with defending champion Kevin Harvick behind the wheel. It would make it the best car Tracy has had in his brief NASCAR career that started and ended last season with a series of back-of-the-pack teams with no real chance of competing with the likes of RCR. Adding Tracy to the line-up in Montreal will bring the Canadian content to five — the most ever to start a top NASCAR series race. The other four are Ron Fellows, who will drive a [#33] Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet; [#72] D.J. Kennington, who will drive the MacDonald Motorsports Dodge; J.R. Fitzpatrick in a Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet; and Andrew Ranger, who still is looking for a ride, but is said to be close to a deal.(Toronto Sun)(5-29-2007)
UPDATE 2: According to Doug Barnette of Player Management International, who handles Paul Tracy’s NASCAR endeavors, Paul is interested in running Montreal, however they have not had any conversations with the promoter of the Montreal race or anyone at NASCAR or anyone at RCR. Barnette has had contact with a high level Busch Series team (not RCR) and they are exploring opportunities, but that is as far as it has gotten at this point.(5-29-2007)
UPDATE 3: Paul Tracy says he likely won’t be at this summer’s Busch race in Montreal. The former Champ Car champion tells the Speed TV program “WindTunnel” that plans for him to drive the #77 car for Kevin Harvick Inc. simply fell through due to sponsorship conflicts. Tracy says he was contacted about a month ago by Kevin Harvick who offered him a competitive ride in his Busch Series car alongside fellow Canadian Ron Fellows. Tracy says both sides could not find a suitable compromise between one of his primary sponsors and Harvick’s sponsor, so the deal fell apart.(TSN.ca)(6-4-2007)
