Read it hereWhat has been deemed truly impossible by many, has happened. European racing star Michael Schumacher has decided to follow Juan Montoya's footsteps and try something completely different from what he's been doing for many years.
Schumacher is ready and willing to participate in a NEXTEL Cup test session for the Evernham Motorsports team. This decision was totally unexpected, because several months ago he publicly declined any possibility of this happening, claiming he saw nothing that would interest him in the stock car series.
"Personally, I wouldn't do it. What do you do in NASCAR? What is exciting there? I can't see that, running around on ovals," Schumacher told the New York Times a few months ago. But, surprisingly, his opinion of stock car racing changed considerably over several months.
"I have to say, that dismissing NASCAR was a bit ignorant of me, honestly. I just thought it wasn't really a racing series, more of a TV show," confessed the seven-time world champion. "I didn't pay any attention to it before, and it was very easy to say I wasn't interested. Now, I decided to give it a shot. But that doesn't mean anything more than a test session yet."
Schumacher will be running with Evernham Motorsports team, probably as early as May 7-8 during the scheduled test of the series on Lowe's Motor Speedway. Further details of the arrangement are not yet known, though.
"I'd like to thank Ray Evernham for the opportunity, but, truth to say, I think the demand among the teams would be a lot higher than the supply," laughs Schumacher. Although he, of all european drivers, may have the most rights to say that, he still admits it a tough challenge for him. "There's a lot of different skills involved. If I'll like my first experience in the stock car, chances are I'll go for it seriously. Then, it's going to take some time to come to the top," continues Schumacher, "But let's not look ahead too far."
There probably isn't a man happier than Ray Evernham right now. "Honestly, this is fantastic. Even considering all the possibilities, the fact is, Michael's decision might turn the world of NASCAR upside down. So you'd better be prepared," claimed ecstatic Evernham.
