Patrick Carpentier may be the first driver to receive a standing ovation for finishing second source: thestar.com That's how adoring hometown fans greeted him yesterday even though he crossed the finish line of the Montreal Molson Indy more than six seconds -- an auto racing eternity -- behind winner Bruno Junqueira. The 33-year-old from nearby Joliette, Que., delighted the crowd by stopping along the backstretch of the 2.709-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and carving three smoking-tire doughnuts with his blue-and-white Forsythe Racing Lola. The response of the crowd of 53,320 was in recognition of the strong performance by a native son. However, it was also in tribute to what might have been his last race in Montreal. Carpentier's contract with Forsythe expires at the end of the current season and he is entertaining an offer from a team (which he would not reveal) in the rival Indy Racing League for next year. He said he would make a decision before the next Champ Car race Sept. 12 at Monterrey, Calif. "It's fantastic," he said of his podium finish. "I'm really happy. But (next year) won't be an emotional decision. It's a business decision." But if he does find himself back racing in the Champ Car series and in Montreal, Carpentier joked that he might simply skip the Friday sessions all together.
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