Twice Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, a legend of American motorsport and younger brother of Darrell, is discovering the Sarthe ambiance while waiting to take the wheel in his AF Corse Ferrari F430 on Sunday.

What are your memories of Le Mans, as a fan?
Michael Waltrip : "I remember seing some footage from the twenties of cars running on this track, and even one car getting airborne over a hump in the street - a picture that went around the world at that time. Also, I read a book on Henry Ford who was dreaming about coming to Le Mans, and winning this famous race. When you're interested in motorsports, then you know Le Mans. An interesting experience for me is that I'm utterly unknown to the general public here. I can just walk around, get lost in the crowd, and mind my own business. I like that for a change."

For you, as a Nascar driver, was it a natural decision to opt for a GT car, like the F430 you're going to drive.

"I'm very much at ease with this car. It sure is a smallish car for a big guy like me, but in the end it's quite a familiar driving position for me, compared to the coupes of the Nascar Sprint Cup. The same is true for the engine position. Although the Ferrari is a rear engined car, it does not feel strange at all. The Toyota Camry I drive in the Sprint Cup sure has much more power, but the car also weighs nearly twice as much as the Ferrari. What's more, I don't have trouble with turning right, there are times you turn right in Nascar. After all, Nascar uses road courses too. In fact, the real challenge for me is to learn the track. To do that, I looked at a lot of videos and other footage of the 24 hour race."

In order to participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans, you're going to miss out on two rounds of the Nascar Sprint Cup, where you are a driver and team owner. Will you keep an eye on what's going on in those two races anyway?

"Twenty-four hours is a long time... I guess there will be some spare time during which I can check what my guys are up to in the US. It's a good thing to have come to Le Mans. Motorsports is a globalized event nowadays, and maybe some sponsor present at Le Mans will be interested to come to the Daytona 500 as well."

The official 24 hours of Le Mans test day is on Sunday, 24th of April.

Photo : TALLADEGA (ALABAMA, USA), 17 APRIL 2011. One week after the Nascar Sprint Cup, Michael Waltrip heads for Le Mans