Max Papis to Compete at Road America for RCR
Road-course Specialist to Serve as Driver Coach
WELCOME, N.C. (January 25, 2012) - Richard Childress Racing announced today road-course specialist Max Papis has been tapped to pilot its No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet when the NASCAR Nationwide Series visits Road America on June 23.
In addition to competing at the 14-turn road course, Papis will serve as a driver coach for fellow RCR teammates, assisting in strengthening their road-course racing skills.
"It is an honor to join a history-making team like RCR and continue what I started with Kevin Harvick Inc. the last couple of years," stated Papis. "I feel ready to win races in NASCAR and, at the same time, I'm honored to have the chance to pass all the experience I built in my last 20 years of competition around the world to real racers like Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon and doing it with my never-give-up attitude that brought me all the way here."
Papis, a native of Italy who now resides in North Carolina, has nine road-course races on his Nationwide Series resume with his career best finish of second coming at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in August 2009. The 2004 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series champion has also competed in six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road-course events, posting his best finish of eighth at Watkins Glen International in the same year.
"Max is a great addition to our driver lineup and to RCR overall," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "He has shown his talents in many different forms of auto racing all over the world and will be able to share that knowledge with our less experienced drivers. He's the perfect driver for the No. 33 Menards Chevrolet when the NASCAR Nationwide Series gets to Road America. Max also has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm wherever he is, at the track or the shop."
The 2007 Petite Le Mans race winner made his NASCAR debut in 2006 when he joined the 43-car field in the Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International, posting a 14th-place finish. Since then, he has competed in 88 races across NASCAR's top three national series, accumulating two-top five and seven top-10 results.
Papis is scheduled to share the No. 33 Nationwide Series ride with teammates Brendan Gaughan, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard and Tony Stewart for the 2012 season.
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