Piquet to run Nationwide full time

By foxsports
Published

Nelson Piquet Jr. will drive the No. 30 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series for Turner Scott Motorsports this season.

After five seasons in open wheel, the 27-year-old son of three-time world Formula One champion Nelson Piquet elected to try the stock-car ranks. The Brazilian dabbled in ARCA, NASCAR K&N and the Camping World Truck Series before signing on with Kevin Harvick Inc. for his first full-time Truck season in 2011. The rookie finished 10th in the points standings.

When KHI shut down at the end of 2011, Piquet moved to Turner Motorsports for the 2012 season. He won his first career Truck race at Michigan in August and followed that up with a second win at Las Vegas five races later.

Piquet, who showed proficiency in qualifying as a rookie, improved his effort in his second full season with four poles in 22 races and an average qualifying effort of 6.6 over 9.3 in 2011. Piquet finished seventh in the points standings last year and won the series’ Most Popular Driver Award.

Piquet tested the Nationwide Series waters over the last three seasons and posted his first career win at Elkhart Lake from the pole in June in just his third start on the tour. Chris Carrier will be his crew chief.

Piquet joins Justin Allgaier in the TSM Nationwide Series lineup. Kyle Larson is joining the fold along and Danica Patrick is expected to run a limited schedule.