Filed under: Motorsports
Mais, oui! NASCAR developing a French connection?
With the driver shuffle for the 2007 season in full swing in Formula 1 and other series around the globe, NASCAR looks to be gaining some rather interesting "rookies" next year. First we had Colombian F1 pilot Juan Pablo Montoya returning to the Chip Ganassi fold to pilot a Nextel Cup car, and now it looks like the good ol' boy racing series will add some French flavor to the mix, with both Alex Tagliani (Champ Car) and former F1 World Champion Jaques Villeneuve rumored to be heading to NASCAR in 2007.The Villeneuve rumor seems very likely to be accurate, after this weekend's announcement that the French-Canadian driver was being permanently replaced at BMW-Sauber by Polish test driver Robert Kubica. Villeneuve is known to have been talking to several NASCAR teams in recent months, and his departure from BMW is likely to mean the end of his Formula 1 career.
Champ car's French-Canadian veteran Tagliani has had trouble lining up a front-running ride over the last two years, and may be looking to refresh his career with a change of venue.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Erik 5:41PM (8/07/2006)
Ok, I'll say it...
Talladega Nights!
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Vinny 5:45PM (8/07/2006)
Except Jaques doesn't have that "outs-rageous agsent"
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epp_b 5:50PM (8/07/2006)
It seems that NASCAR is an "I give up" fallback for struggling open-wheel racers.
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Chimay 6:06PM (8/07/2006)
After driving state-of-the art Formula 1 or sports cars on the world's best road courses, how does driving in circles in a mock Chevy Malibu for NASCAR hold any interest? Maybe this shift will cause NASCAR to start taking those road courses a bit more seriously.
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FM 6:25PM (8/07/2006)
We have a Deus ex machina.
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emulous1974 6:39PM (8/07/2006)
I know extremely little about NASCAR and not much more about Champ and F1, although I did attend the U.S. Grand Prix, but maybe it's just my cynical nature, but this just seems like these drivers are after money and wider fame. Like some of the above posts, I can see the interest in driving for an F1 team with the skills and technology needed and while I do think NASCAR drivers need a lot of skill, I just don't see it as interesting of a career move unless you're after fame and money.
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Jimbo 7:59PM (8/07/2006)
Villenueve stinks. Glad he'll be off the F1 grid.
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fizzandpop 8:05PM (8/07/2006)
It's the money and the fame, otherwise he'd be in DTM or a sports car series.
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Got to pay the bills 9:56PM (8/07/2006)
NASCAR has 43 spots for drivers who get ahead primarily on skill (except for the silver-spoon Bud guy) and aggression.
Formula 1 has tradition bound teams, of which only a few are truly competitive. Between 75% and 90% of the races are somewhere between predictable and boring. It's sort of like working in your uncle's bank.
Going to NASCAR is aking to starting your own business--much more control over your own destiny, the ability to race clean or dirty, the chance for even an average team to specialize and win on certain tracks.
Finally, they offer radically different driver/viewer experiences. F1 is a lot like fighter jets on parade, with the fastest usually up front. NASCAR has lots more passing, 'action' and close competition.
Couple the many job openings with the fact that NASCAR has a bunch of old farts and mediocre back bench drivers in those 43 spots, and it's a natural draw for drivers.
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grunt 3:32AM (8/08/2006)
NASCAR is pretty much for elder and mediocre drivers. That's why you have a lot geezers with slower reflexes who end up there. It's like the Senior Tour in golf.
It's racers who couldn't really make it to the highest-performing racecars. Sure the racing may be closer, but it's engineered to be that way for entertainment's sake. Just like professional wrestling is geared towards entertainment. Or American Idol for that matter.
America at it's mediocre best.
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xanto21 3:50AM (8/08/2006)
The DTM and Le Mans Series (ALMS and LMES) are the best retirement places for a good F1 driver (like Mika Hakkinen or Jean Alesi). The NASCAR is a really big show but no a real race. The last Hungary F1 GP was exciting enough to watch the rest of the season (Congratulations Jenson, you win... at the end. Congratulations Pedro, you're much better than Montoya and you deserve this opportunity).
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All World Automotive 10:02AM (8/08/2006)
I didn't get the bash NASCAR out of the above story. These drivers are coming over to the Series because 2 percent of America watches Formula 1 and open wheel. A majority of people watch Nascar, not for the 5 elder drivers in the "medicore series" but to the feild of up and coming drivers in one of the fastest growing sports watched.
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Peter 3:25PM (8/08/2006)
Tagliani (Champ Car) and former F1 World Champion Jaques Villeneuve are not French, but Canadians who happen to speak French and English, both of which are Canada's official languages.
I just happen to have seen Jaques father Gilles race in his first ever GP at Silverstone in 1977 on my first ever day visiting England.
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NASCARRific 4:53PM (8/08/2006)
Christian Slater To Join NASCAR?
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