Formula One news

Trulli and Salo to test NASCAR

As Nelson Piquet Jr. prepares for a NASCAR Truck Series test, Toyota's Jarno Trulli has also been revealed as a name for a trial in America. The Italian will be testing a car for the Michael Waltrip Racing team in Lakeland, joined by former fellow F1 competitor Mika Salo.

With Salo having left Formula One after being dropped by Toyota at the end of 2002 and Trulli out of contract in two races' time, the MWR outfit has been reported by Fox News as preparing to test the duo at the International Speedway in Florida just one week before this season's NASCAR climax in Miami.

Salo drove 8 seasons of F1 between 1994 and 2002

"We're serious about the test, we're not going to jack around," Cal Wells, Executive Vice President of the team, commented of Salo in particular. "It's a real deal. But I'm not sure what it's going to turn into - it depends on what is real and it depends on what we can afford to do; we don't have a sponsor here saying 'Let's go get a Finnish driver' but I think, after a proper evaluation, if he can go to Finnish companies - which would support him in the US - then that would be wonderful."

"As you well know, this is not an easy sport," added Steve Hallam, a former McLaren engineer who now works as Director of Competition for MWR. "From time to time an opportunity arises for both them and us to take a look at them; it's very premature to get carried away with this because it takes a long time for both parties to know where they are in terms of performance."


Reaction: NASCAR test is curiosity only, says Trulli

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