Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: More international drivers headed to U.S.

Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2002 | 10:35 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

NASCAR, the most popular form of auto racing in the United States, is out to conquer the rest of the world.

Petty Enterprises already has hired Brazilian driver Christian Fittipaldi away from the CART open-wheel series. The personable Fittipaldi will run a combination of NASCAR Busch Series, Winston Cup and ARCA races next year in preparation for a full-time Winston Cup ride in 2004.

Now, team owner Travis Carter is talking as if he will field two international drivers in the Winston Cup and Busch Series next season, if he can secure the funding.

Carter recently tested Hideo Fukuyama of Japan and former CART regular Max Papis of Italy with an eye toward running Fukuyama in Winston Cup and Papis in the Busch Series next season.

Carter said over the weekend that he plans to enter Fukuyama in three Winston Cup races this season -- at Dover, Martinsville and Rockingham.

Fukuyama, a Japanese GT champion, has made two NASCAR Winston West starts and also competed in a NASCAR exhibition race at Suzuka, Japan, in 1996.

Busch was to start 11th Sunday -- based on his standings in the points -- after Friday's qualifying was rained out. Busch was forced to start from the back of the 43-car field when his team had to change engines after Saturday's practice.

"We just never got ourselves in position to capitalize on our strong car," Busch said. "We were just running in the back of the pack all day and trying to get by lapped cars.

"We ended up brushing the wall pretty hard ... in turn two. We bent the trailing arm, so it made for an eventful day and to come away with seventh wasn't so bad."

"We worked hard on it and went back and forth for quite a few months," Petree said. "We did agree on everything, I'll say that. I agreed to everything and thought they did, too. I signed the agreements and I guess they decided they didn't want to do it for 2003."

"I think off-road racing is the neatest form of motor sports out there," Johnson said. "To cover the terrain you do in those types of vehicles is one of the most amazing things you can ever do.

"But we race and test so much as it is, my way of relaxing and having some fun doesn't consist of holding onto a steering wheel again. I'd rather spend some time with my parents and brothers and friends, or go overseas and see something or do something rather than get in a race car again."