Max Papis: “Alonso come Senna merita di vencere il titolo”

By Max Papis Racing | October 4, 2012 at 12:45 pm

Max Papis: “Alonso come Senna merita di vencere il titolo”

Max Papis Interview: I Enjoy Every Second Of NASCAR Like A Race Fan Would

By Max Papis Racing | September 7, 2011 at 9:57 am

Max Papis Interview: I Enjoy Every Second Of NASCAR Like A Race Fan Would

By Jeff Gluck – Motorsports Editor

Sep 7, 2011 – Our series of weekly NASCAR driver interviews continues with Germain Racing’s Max Papis, who currently drives in the Camping World Truck Series. Papis spoke with us at Atlanta.


SBN: Who is the most underrated driver in NASCAR?

MP: Besides myself, I would say Joey Logano. I think people still see him like a young kid, and they have a hard time distancing him from the image of the happy-go-lucky, 18-year-old kid. But he’s been able to transform himself.

SBN: What’s a race in your career that you didn’t win and still bugs you because you didn’t?

MP: (Closes eyes for a moment) Oh yeah. That’s really clear: Leading the 1999 Michigan 500 in Champ Car. I came down to the last corner of the last lap and ran out of gas.

That was actually the beginning of my love and hate with superspeedways. I felt like I could have been crowned the king of the superspeedways, but I always kind of finished second or third. I led a lot of laps on superspeedways, but I never won one. And I really felt I was the guy that could have won four or five of those.

So at Michigan in 1999, I would have given my right nut to win my first race in America on an oval and in a 500-mile race.

SBN: If you could be on a four-car Sprint Cup Series team and pick three other guys to be your teammates, who would you pick?

MP: I would definitely pick (World Rally Car driver) Sebastian Loeb, because I think a guy with his level of talent and improvisation would be awesome. The only bad thing is that he’s French. But I think I could get past that.

Obviously, the team leader would be Jimmie Johnson – five-time. Because he knows his shit.

And (MotoGP rider) Valentino Rossi, because he has the personality and the ability to be a champion in anything he does.

SBN: So you think Rossi could make the transition to NASCAR successfully?

MP: Oh yeah. I really think a guy like Valentino or a guy like Sebastian Loeb have a far better chance than any open-wheel guy, because they have the level of control and ability to improvise, and that’s what you need in NASCAR.

SBN: What driver did you want to emulate when you were growing up?

MP: I always had two people who were my heroes. Obviously, Ayrton Senna because he was like my big brother more than my hero. And when you’re 12 years old and you go see Monaco Formula One, and you idolize him and he’s a friend of yours and treats you like a younger brother, it’s tough not to want to be like him.

The other guy that I admire more than anything is Mario Andretti. Because Mario, for me, is what a driver should be: Tough, straight to the point and someone who doesn’t say no to driving a midget on Friday, an IndyCar on Saturday and a Cup car on Sunday. I really think a race car driver should be someone like that, because if you’re a good race car driver, you shouldn’t be afraid to put your name on the line doing anything.

SBN: What’s a memorable post-race escape you’ve made from a track?

MP: First of all, you’re very much right. When I ran my first race in NASCAR, I came back over here (to the hauler), changed and came out and I was the last one standing. I realized right away, ‘Shit. Things here are kind of different.’

The most memorable one was coming out of Pocono and following Jimmie Johnson, because he was going to give me a ride back to Charlotte. Somehow, I got distracted and they cut the line off. I had to be on my own, explaining to the police people why I had to follow that guy. You know, it’s like, ‘That’s Jimmie Johnson. Who are you?’ I’m saying, ‘I’m a friend of Jimmie. I know you don’t believe me with this accent.’ They still let me go through and I made it to the airport, but it took me a long time.

The second most memorable was riding my Harley Davidson with (wife) Tati going to the Homestead-Miami Speedway. There was a police escort and I jumped right behind the police escort and I rolled with them for like 20 miles all the way down there. I think they had Edsel Ford. We rolled all the way down to Homestead and arrived right in front of the gate, and suddenly four police people block me, came and stopped me.

I gave them my driver’s license. They wanted Tati’s driver’s license, too – and thank God her driver’s license said ‘Fittipaldi.’ It was Miami and they knew who that was – because they had no idea who I was, obviously. I had to take them inside the garage to make them understand I (belonged) there for real.

SBN: So they were pissed you followed them down there?

MP: Oh yeah. Because I followed them for 20 miles, and they kept motioning and telling me to go away, go away. And I kept riding with them.

SBN: Who is somebody famous you’d like to meet who you haven’t met yet?

MP: I know this isn’t possible now, but I always dreamed of having dinner with Enzo Ferrari. And I know that cannot happen, but I really dream about that. You know, I’m fortunate enough to know his son, Piero. Sometimes, when we go to the Cavallino to have lunch or dinner with them, I always wonder how it would be to have his father there by his side.

And I would love to be able to the Vatican and sit down with the Pope, one-on-one, and ask him what he really thinks about using the condom.

SBN: Wow! I didn’t see that one coming.

MP: (Laughs as wife Tati covers her face) It’s true, Tati! I’m sure inside of him he knows that’s wrong what he’s saying.

SBN: Yeah, maybe…

MP: Not him using the condom, obviously. But I mean how he always says you can’t use it.

SBN: I knew what you meant. Anyway, if you could either win five Truck races but not win the championship or win the title but not win any races, which would you rather have?

MP: Oh, no doubt: I would like to win races. That’s for sure. I don’t want to be the guy who wins the championship without winning (a race). And I would want to win Daytona, Darlington, Martinsville, Bristol and have the bragging rights of winning Charlotte. That way I could invite my friends and say, ‘You know what? I kicked ass.’

SBN: Where does your motivation to win come from?

MP: I feel my drive to win is because of all the effort of all the people – starting from my father, my mechanic, my family. Like I feel that I’m not alone. I know some people don’t care about anybody else around them but themselves – they’re selfish and they want to win for themselves. But I feel my success would be the success of people that have been helping me for the last 20 years.

That’s why I don’t give up. And I know my success would be the success of people even like Jimmie Johnson; it would be a win for a lot of people who believe in me and haven’t had the chance yet to see me in the winner’s circle.

SBN: How much does your personality change from sitting here talking to when you’re inside the car?

Tati Papis: Would you like me to answer that? (Laughs)

SBN: Yes, I’d love you to!

MP: I am quite different. I feel that when I’m outside the race car, I really enjoy every second of my sport, like if I would be a race fan. I don’t know why, but I have it inside of me that I love cars. I love seeing them put together, I love the teamwork. And I really do love it. It’s not that I fake it. I like to be there, I like to learn about everything.

But you know, people say all the time, ‘You’re Smiling Max, you’re not Mad Max.’ And I say, ‘You need to take a picture of when I’m in the car. I’m not smiling.’ I’m really serious, I’m very focused. I am as far as you can get from the happy-go-lucky guy that I am outside the car.

SBN: Let’s say you can switch lives with an athlete from a different sport. Who would you want to be?

MP: I like my life, obviously. But if I had to choose, there are two people I’d like to be.

First of all, I’d like to be like Lance Armstrong. When it counts (in cycling), it’s your body and your ability and your determination. And the other guy I really like is Roger Federer. He’s been out there and winning for many years and is proving to everyone that age sometimes is good – it doesn’t mean retirement.

SBN: If you could take a year off from NASCAR and go do whatever you wanted, then come back knowing you had a ride guaranteed, would you ever want to do that?

MP: If the question is right now at this stage of my career, then no, I’m not ready to do that. But if I would have already won one or two races, I would say I wouldn’t mind to take one year off.

I’d be a better father, spend a little bit more time with my kids and give back to them all they’re sometimes not getting because I am just too busy being a race car driver. If now maybe they get 50 percent of a father and 50 percent of a race car driver, they deserve to have 100 percent father. And that’s the main reason why I would do it.

Tati Papis: Aww. You make me cry, Max.

MP: (Smiles)

SBN: When you eventually retire someday, what do you want your retirement story to say about you?

MP: I want to be remembered as a badass. I want to be remembered like a guy who enjoyed what he did, but was respected for how hard he worked. That would be the biggest gratification I could get.

SBN: Let’s say you’re going to win the championship. Would you rather have it wrapped up after Phoenix or win it off Turn 4 of the last lap at Homestead?

MP: I would like to win it passing Kyle Busch on the last lap, passing him on the outside through Turn 4, going down the frontstretch and then spinning across the finish line in reverse. (Grins)

STRATEGY CALL PROPELS MAX PAPIS TO 14TH PLACE FINISH IN ATLANTA

By Max Papis Racing | September 4, 2011 at 3:22 pm

STRATEGY CALL PROPELS MAX PAPIS TO 14TH PLACE FINISH IN ATLANTA

HAMPTON, Ga. (September 2, 2011) – Atlanta Motor Speedway is known for fast speeds and drivers holding the gas pedal wide-open around the entire 1.5-mile quad-oval. Add in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series making their one and only stop in Georgia and three and four wide action was sure to be the norm. Friday night’s Good Sam Club 200 was no exception.

Max Papis and the GEICO Racing team entered the Peachtree State with a plan of attack – keep the Toyota Tundra in one piece and finish inside the top-15. The one-day show started early with two practice sessions followed by qualifying before the race started shortly after 8 p.m. ET. During time trials, Papis clocked a solid lap of 31.679 seconds to place the Germain Racing entry in the 18th starting position.

As the green flag waved to start the 130-lap race, Papis quickly reported a loose handling condition and that he couldn’t “keep momentum all around the track.” The first caution flag flew on lap 20 for oil on the track, which allowed the No. 9 GEICO machine to come to pit road. The Como, Italy native received four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. Papis restarted on lap 27 from the 19th position.

Papis continued to wheel the GEICO Toyota despite the handling changing to “tight on entry and loose on exit.” The second caution of the night came on lap 38 for a two-truck accident in turn four. Papis returned to pit road for additional adjustments and fuel, before returning to green flag conditions on lap 43.

By lap 50, Papis had moved into the 21st position but reported to his GEICO team that the truck was now looser than it was before the previous adjustments. The third caution came on lap 60 and crew chief Randy Goss took the opportunity to bring his driver back down pit road. The No. 9 over-the-wall crew changed four tires, fueled the truck, and made major adjustments to dial in the truck.

The GEICO Toyota Tundra restarted from the 25th position on lap 65, as numerous leaders did not pit. In eight short laps, Papis drove up to 22nd-place before the fourth caution slowed the pace on lap 73 for debris. The truck was feeling better underneath Papis so the team made the decision to stay out, to restart in the same position on lap 77.

However, one short lap later another caution was displayed for a spinning truck on the frontstretch. Now that the GEICO team was inside their fuel window to make it to the end of the race, Papis brought his red and blue machine down pit road for fresh tires, fuel and one last set of adjustments. The field restarted on lap 82, with Papis in the 22nd position.

With the leaders unable to make it to the end of the race on fuel, Papis and the GEICO team were looking for the remainder of the event to be caution-free. Their strategy played out perfect as the frontrunners started to hit pit road around lap 115. On lap 120, Papis was running in the seventh position.

Over the final 10 laps, the competitors with fresh tires, who could run almost a second faster than those on old ones, caught Papis. The GEICO Toyota Tundra crossed the finish line in the 14th position.

“We raced hard all night long and finished the best way we could,” said Papis, after the race. “Our strategy was to stay out just like Hornaday did to win the race but we came up a little short when those guys with fresh tires caught us with only a few laps left. I’m proud of the GEICO guys to never give up and keep digging.”

With his top-15 effort, Papis moved up two positions, to 15th-place, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. Papis sits just one point behind 14th-place Jason White.

Papis and the No. 9 GEICO team have a one-week hiatus before returning to action at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, September 16th. Catch all the action live on SPEED Channel, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. MRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite Radio will also have the live radio broadcast.

INDYCAR: Jeff Krosnoff, Stay Hungry

By Max Papis Racing | July 18, 2011 at 8:27 am

15 years after Jeff Krosnoff lost his life at the Molson Indy Toronto race on July 14th, 1996, Marshall Pruett looks back at his life in a multi-part feature.

READ ARTICLE

Max Papis: acento italiano en la NASCAR

By Max Papis Racing | May 19, 2011 at 9:17 am

Max Papis: acento italiano en la NASCAR

Desde hace ya algunos años, un piloto de origen europeo intenta ganarse la vida en el siempre competitivo mundo de la NASCAR. Massimiliano Papis, italiano, como su propio nombre indica, milita actualmente en el equipo Germain Racing, pilotando la Toyota Tundra nº 9 en la NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Max se caracteriza por ser un piloto completo y versatil, un gran profesional que se ha labrado una extensa carrera profesional a base de talento natural, mucho trabajo, concentración y determinación.

En 1996, recientemente salido de la Formula 1, el joven Max Papis llegaba a America buscando un futuro en el mundo de la competición. Inmediatamente, el piloto italiano demostró quién era, y que no estaba en America de vacaciones. Al final de unas particularmente duras 24 Horas de Daytona, a los mandos de un prototipo Ferrari cubierto de cinta adhesiva por haber sufrido un accidente, puso toda la carne en el asador con un estilo de pilotaje “quien-dijo-miedo”, para alcanzar a los líderes de la carrera y terminar segundo. Ese día, Max se ganó el apodo con el que se le conoce en el mundo de la competición: Mad Max.

Tras su espectacular exhibición, Papis debutó en la Champ Car ese mismo año, sustituyendo al malogrado Jeff Krosnoff, fallecido en la carrera anterior en Toronto. Un par de temporadas después, Max se unía al equipo Rahal, mucho más competitivo, con el que terminó el campeonato en quinta posición. El año siguiente vencía en la primera prueba de la temporada, pero no la conseguía terminar entre los 10 primeros.

Su salto a la NASCAR se producía en 2006, debutando en el mes de Agosto en la Busch Series (actual Nationwide) en el Watkins Glen International, pilotando para el McGill Motorsports. El año siguiente, mientras pilotaba el coche nº 36 de la Busch Series, Max debutaba en la Sprint Cup, sustituyendo a Scott Riggs en el Infineon Raceway. Tras competir en varias carreras en circuitos no ovales, fue confirmado para ponerse a los mandos del Geico Toyota nº 13 en 18 carreras de la temporada 2009.

En su primera temporada como piloto de la Sprint Cup, Max logró su mejor resultado en Watkins Glen, donde fue octavo. Después el equipo decidió sustituirlo por Casey Mears, y Max pasó a competir en la Camping World Truck Series, donde milita actualmente.

A un nivel más personal, Max es un hombre de familia, al que le apasiona el ciclismo y el fitness. Comprometido con causas como la lucha contra el cancer, este licenciado en Ciencias Politicas por la universidad de Milan, compagina perfectamente su carrera profesional con sus otras pasiones.

Coincidiendo con el debut del finlandés Kimi Raikkonen, en NASCAR-EUROPE no nos queremos olvidar de Max, quien con su simpatía y profesionalidad lleva el acento italiano a la NASCAR.

19.05.2011 – www.nascar-europe.net

Kimi in NASCAR, i consigli di PAPIS

By Max Papis Racing | April 5, 2011 at 9:24 am

Articolo di Max su Autosprint

Scarica PDF

Papis Has Accent On Winning

By Max Papis Racing | March 13, 2011 at 9:14 am

Nice article by Jim Rising on speedtv.com

Read PDF of article:  Papis Has Accent On Winning

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