Salo on course for Nationwide season

Mika Salo is on course to take part in next year's NASCAR Nationwide Series after completing a successful first test in a stock car last week. The veteran of 109 grand prix starts, who has raced GTs since 2003, tested a Sprint Cup-spec Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing at New Smyrna Raceway in Florida last week along with fellow Ex-Toyota F1 man Jarno Trulli. He believes that the test can be a springboard to a full season in NASCAR's second-tier series in 2010. "Two things were new to me: driving a big NASCAR and driving on an oval," the 42-year-old Finn told AUTOSPORT. "It felt comfortable in the car from the beginning and I could feel the changes we made to the car. "It's all about the money. If my sponsors are happy, it will happen. The plan is to learn the racing and learn the tracks in Nationwide and then move up to the Sprint Cup in 2011."(Autosport)(11-27-2009)