1996 Player’s/Toyota Atlantic Champion Patrick Carpentier, of Joilette, Que. will take another important step in his pursuit of an Indy Car racing career when he visits Buttonwillow Raceway Park (Calif.) on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to participate in an Indy Car test session with Arciero-Wells Racing. Carpentier, who will test in the 1996 MCI Toyota-powered Reynard Indy Car under the guidance of Arciero-Wells Racing, was awarded an opportunity to participate in an Indy Car test session by virtue of winning the 1996 Atlantic championship.

"First, I want to congratulate Patrick on winning the Player’s/Toyota Atlantic Championship," said Arciero-Wells Racing co-owner, Cal Wells III. "This series has proven itself to be a stepping stone for future IndyCar stars and I am sure that is where Patrick is heading. We have planned a test for Patrick that will challenge him and give him a good idea of how the Indy car drives. We aren’t just sending him out to run a few laps; he will be working with Max Papis and our technical director Gordon Coppuck on improving the set-up of the car and trimming down his lap times."

The melding of Toyota, veteran Indy Car team owner Frank Arciero, and prominent motorsports businessman Cal Wells III into Arciero-Wells Racing in 1995 represented one of the most powerful unions in modern motorsports. Arciero-Wells Racing fields the only Toyota-powered Reynard Indy Car in the PPG Indy Car World Series, and is working closely with Toyota in developing a competitive package for future teams to use. Second year Indy Car driver Max Papis will handle the driving duties for Arciero-Wells and the MCI Toyota-powered Reynard Indy Car in 1997. Arciero-Wells and Papis scored a season best ninth-place finish at the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America in August.

"The Player’s/Toyota Atlantic Championship is very pleased that Toyota, in cooperation with Arciero-Wells Racing, is offering this opportunity to our 1996 champion," said Vicki O’Connor, president of Pro-Motion Agency Ltd., whose company administers the Atlantic series. "Future Atlantic champions will also be tested, and I feel it is imperative for driver development that programs such as this continue to be in place so that our young stars of racing are able to graduate to higher levels of our sport."

The Player’s/Toyota Atlantic Championship is the longest running and richest open-wheel development series in North America, offering more than $1.25 million in total prize money.

1997 will mark the 24th anniversary season of Atlantic racing in North America, with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, entering its ninth consecutive season as a primary series sponsor while Player’s of Canada begins its fifth year as co-title sponsor.