In recent years, NASCAR has seen an influx of drivers from other various racing organizations make the switch to stock cars. Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish Jr., and Dario Franchitti are a few drivers who moved from open wheel to the enclosed cockpits of NASCAR.

As rumors swirl about a possible transition for IndyCar star Danica Patrick, two veterans of Formula 1 have already started testing for potential 2010 rides in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Jarno Trulli, an Italian born racer, has driven in F1 since 1997, but at the end of this past season Toyota pulled out of the series leaving Trulli without a ride. Finnish driver Mika Salo, on the other hand, has basically been drifting from series to series since his exit from F1 after the 2002 season.

Both drivers recently tested Michael Waltrip’s No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.

Trulli made nearly 300 laps around the less-than-half-mile oval and seemed to be shocked by the movement in the car compared to his rigid F1 ride. Salo seemed quite comfortable behind the wheel during his session but was worried about how 42 other cars on the track would affect his confidence.

The two F1 vets had an extra bonus in addition to their on-track time; they got advice from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Mark Martin who made a surprise visit at the track before heading to the season ending Cup event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Since the test session, both Trulli and Salo have made it known that they are interested in making the transition to NASCAR and they are actively hunting for a seat.

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