A NASCAR blog for the North Carolina’s Winston-Salem Journal is reporting that with Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ hiring of Reed Sorenson, Patrick Carpentier seems to be the odd man out.

It doesn’t sound like the Canadian driver has officially been given his notice, but from his comments, it doesn’t seem good:

It’s over. They’ve hired Reed Sorenson for next year, so it’s over. They’re working on a fourth team and looking for sponsorship, but you know how that goes.

As a result, the former open-wheel racer appears to be looking for a ride for 2009.

Rumor has it that GEM is looking to sign the U.S. Army as a sponsor. If that happens, the Army would want an American driver, not a Canadian.

I think that Carpentier should look for something in the Nationwide Series. Learn a little bit more about the cars, and gain experience at the series’ tracks before attempting to make a return to Sprint Cup. Maybe getting back to the basics is just what he needs to have success in NASCAR.