Rookie #10-Patrick Carpentier said he should know by mid-August what car owner has planned for him for 2009. “And it all depends on sponsors, you know,” said the popular Carpentier. “I expect to be back next year, yes”¦. but I’m sure Dario Franchitti expected to run the full season too.”(Winston Salem Journal)(7-26-2008) UPDATE: Gillett Evernham will decide Aug. 15 if Carpentier will be with the team in 2009. A boost to Carpentier’s contract renewal would be a top-35 finish in owner’s points, guaranteeing his Dodge a starting spot in the first five races of next season. Carpentier is four spots behind that cutoff, still forced to qualify his way into each race. But he has only missed three races this year, two because rain canceled qualifying and the third for a blown tire. Qualifying, Carpentier says, is the easy part.(USA Today)(8-1-2008) UPDATE 2: Comments from #10-Patrick Carpentier about his future plans with GEM: “You know, I really wish I’d know because they haven’t told me. We talked and they said “We need a little bit more time’ so I said that’s fine. We’re going to start talking to other teams too and other guys. I know a couple of teams talked to Robert and we’ll see what happens. I like this team. I’d like to stay there. I think the #10 is getting better and better and the guys do such a great job. For me I’d be disappointed not to keep going on the work that we’ve been doing so hopefully it works well for us and I’m right here where I’m at for next year.” IS THERE A SENSE OF URGENCY? “For me, I would have signed myself in January for three years [laughs]. We’ll see. You know it’s their decision and I’m pretty confident it’s going to stay the way it is. I know a few sponsors seems to want to get back and we’ve got most of the season for next year so we’re waiting on a few things but if it works out we’ll be there. They told me it’s looking good right here. They said just be patient. We need to change a few things around and then we’re going to let you know but it’s most likely going to be positive. So hopefully that’s what it is and they said if not they’ll let me know so we’ll see what it is.” (Raybestos/Camp & Assoc PR)(8-16-2008)
