Papis' passion a lesson for which all drivers can learn (cont'd)

You have to admire the conviction. Papis doesn't have to do this -- with victories in open-wheel racing and the 24 Hours of Daytona, plus starts in the Indianapolis 500 and F1, his reputation is secure. And yet, here he is in NASCAR, quite obviously bleeding for the opportunity, relishing every little bit of progress. We've seen this before; Patrick Carpentier, Juan Montoya and Marcos Ambrose, like Papis former road-course drivers who came to NASCAR later in life, all showed similar levels of enthusiasm and appreciation when embarking upon their stock-car careers. It reminds me of something the fiery old priest at my parochial middle school used to say about converts, and the superior level of passion and fervor they often displayed compared to those born into the faith.

Now, that's not to say that current Sprint Cup stars don't burn to excel, or that they've had it easy. The idea that these guys all bought their way to the top is a complete canard. By now, we all know the stories -- about how Jimmie Johnson grew up in a mobile home, about how Carl Edwards' mother was a school-bus driver, about how Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth happened to be in the right place at the right time. There are very few drivers competing on NASCAR's premier series who haven't earned the right to be there. We've witnessed time and time again, from Tony Stewart getting in the car with a cracked shoulder blade to Jeff Gordon racing despite his painful back, how much these men are willing to sacrifice for their profession.

And yet, when you hear someone like Papis talk so passionately about what just the chance to make it in NASCAR means to him, you can't help but hope that no one with a full-time ride is taking their opportunity for granted. Anyone who's been in the garage area for a long enough period of time has heard whispers about certain drivers, usually young ones -- and no, we're not talking about Kyle Busch, who'd Velcro himself to a steering wheel if he had to -- who seem a little too caught up in the money and the girls and the lifestyle to meet the demands and obligations placed upon them. They've always had the raw talent to make up for whatever they've lacked in terms of desire or work ethic. Sprint Cup is a big deal, of course, but ultimately just another rung on an expected climb up the career ladder.

Not so with Papis, the kind of driver for whom NASCAR has always seemed unreachable. He's probably not supposed to be here, and deep down he probably knows it, but he wants to make it so badly he celebrates every little step. In the process, he's offering a lesson from which every driver in the garage can learn. This was never expected or ordained for him, and he may not make it in NASCAR. But he's clearly getting more enjoyment out of his experience than some drivers who have competed in the series for years.

Again, it's a stark contrast to his stint in F1.

"The difference is that here you cannot buy the results. You need to create it. The human being [and] the team are creating your success. [In F1] you can buy the results, because you can make a new front wing, you can make a new rear wing, do different stuff. Here, it's very much left up to the people. That's why I love it, because there is no excuse here. My guys messed up my car, my car is not fast this year. Tony Stewart has the same car I have. So there's no difference with that," he said.

"That's what I love about it. It brings the best out of it. At the same time, there is so much respect for the human being here. You guys need to be very proud of being here. I'm proud every day when I walk into this garage, because it's a special thing, it's very special to be able to be together with athletes like Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, people that make 20 times more money than most of the people in Formula One, but they're more humble. That's my opinion. Maybe I've been a little too hard, but I always talk what I think."

His deal with Germain and sponsor Geico calls for 18 events this season, the next coming at Bristol. He'd like to do more, to pull himself away from the top-35 threshold and what he calls the "insane" pressure that goes along with just trying to make races each week. "That would definitely, I don't want to say make my life easier, but I could be a little more in the rhythm," said Papis, who's failed to qualify for three events this season, "and my team would be more accepted in a way." Whether that happens is yet to be seen.

But that's for later. Monday was about a baby step forward, about the unquestioned delight Papis takes in his quest, about the beaming smile worn by his wife as she sat in the media center and watched her husband speak to the press. Afterward, Papis swept his youngest son up into his arms, shook hands with what seemed like everyone in the room, and walked out into a hopeful but uncertain NASCAR future. Where will it lead him? Who knows. But he'll certainly enjoy the trip.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the writer.