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Reports: Villeneuve signed NASCAR deal with Roush
It's surely a credit to stock car racing that F1 drivers have been migrating to NASCAR. In the new parody movie Talladega Nights, it seems like a joke that the antagonist (pictured) is a French F1 driver come over to America to race stock cars, but that's looking less and less like a joke as it becomes reality.
McLaren recently released its departing driver Juan Pablo Montoya from his contract early so he can begin testing stock cars. And the speculation continues to mount that former world champion Jacques Villeneuve is planning to move to NASCAR as well. Other former F1 drivers have gone back down the totem-poll to sports-car racing, endurance racing, Indy cars, and touring cars, but Jacques indicated his intentions by asserting that NASCAR was not, in his bespectacled eyes, a step down from F1.
The latest reports claim that the French Canadian son of legendary Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve has already signed a contract with Roush Racing. Roush drivers won the Nextel Cup in 2003 and 2004, and the team is considered to be Ford's leading NASCAR challengers. In addition to the five cars run in the top-tier Nextel Cup, Roush also runs six cars in the lower Busch Series and two Craftsman trucks. While it's not yet clear where the former Indy 500 winner would start (nor, for that matter, confirmed that he will), he'd be joining a winning team with the apparatus to give him the opportunity to win. After racing for Williams, BAR-Honda, Renault, Sauber and BMW, JV's been given no shortage of opportunities to win in F1 – time will tell if his fortunes will turn for the better in NASCAR.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tilley 9:58AM (10/04/2006)
It's F1 that's going down the totem pole with JV's departure. There's alot more interesting racing elsewhere these days, eh?
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Car chops and Discussion 10:00AM (10/04/2006)
did Ricky Bobby predict this or what!
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rwdmtparkingonly 10:14AM (10/04/2006)
This will be huge for ratings. One problem NASCAR has, compared to other pro sports, is that there isn't a "home town" to root for. People have to care who wins.
Having French sounding people in the mix will cause people to care who wins; namely someone that hasn't come from Formula Un. You can't have a hero without Villeneuve.
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John 10:36AM (10/04/2006)
thanks for this information
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Quattrofan 10:42AM (10/04/2006)
Villeneuve can'd drive for dick anymore, Nascar can have him.
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Hugh Johnson 11:00AM (10/04/2006)
Hey, is that BORAT?
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Corey W. 11:21AM (10/04/2006)
"It's surely a credit to stock car racing that F1 drivers have been migrating to NASCAR."
Not to put salt on the wound, just surprising to see the amount of comments from the F1 crowd. Especially those that don't even think NASCAR (oval) is racing.
Remember: "How hard is it to drive left in a circle"
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Ian 12:02PM (10/04/2006)
To those who think this is no big deal, consider this:
JPM & JV between them bring:
2 Indy 500 wins
3 CART Championships
1 F1 WDC
One cannot say these guys are not top notch drivers! It is indeed a move fwd for Nascar internationally to attract such talent.
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Tiago do Vale 12:13PM (10/04/2006)
JPM is a top notch driver that wrecks every car he gets.
JV was at the right place at the right time, thats why he is has a F1 title, but just look at his performance afterwords.
Even so, they will be top notch drivers at Nascar.
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desertkarma 12:34PM (10/04/2006)
#8:
Ian, while they do hold those titles, #5 is right... Villeneuve hasn't been competitive in F1 for years... and he can say what he wants about this not being a step down... but it is, he should have gone for A1GP or LMS/ALMS.
NASCAR makes great motorsports entertainment because of the number of drivers and the crashes... but I think that's what makes it bad racing. Yeah they do only turn left, and yeah they maybe use 3 gears... but that's not the biggest problem. I think the way crashes happen (and that is instigated by the sheer number of high powered RWD cars that have crap traction densely packed on a tiny track) really messes up pit strategy and race pace, to the point where the perfect driver and the perfect team could race a perfect race and end up with 20th place... it's a complete roll of the dice that doesn't happen in other racing (or on the NASCAR road courses).
#1: Tilley was that sarcasm? If not you obviously have not watched one F1 race. This season has probably been the most exciting and fun to watch in the past 5 years... and we're still heading towards a photo finish!
FIA -> Please stop limiting countries to the number of grand prix's and just increase the total number of GP's in the season! I want 2 U.S. GP's in '08!!
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Scott Wylie 12:42PM (10/04/2006)
Both JPM and JV when racing in CART (in the glory days) won on ovals. They have raced at some of the same tracks as NASCAR does now, Phoenix, Michigan, Fontana, New Hampshire, INDY, Milwaukee.
And to the fact that JV was lucky and at the right place and right time, then why did he out qualify Nick Heidfeld most of this year and would have a lot better results (including a potential podium at Indy) if his engine didn't keep blowing up.
Two great drivers going to two great teams in NASCAR, couldn't be better for the sport.
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Stelios 12:46PM (10/04/2006)
Not to burst anyone's bubble, but Jacques was dropped by his F1 team this year. It is not like he is a top tier driver that just decided to move to NASCAR. Same with Montoya. I doubt anyone in F1 will notice their absence
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RacetrackOwner 12:51PM (10/04/2006)
NASCAR is not racing, it's racing-themed entertainment.
There is a difference.
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tom 12:53PM (10/04/2006)
Who is the guy in the picture above? For a picture of Jaques Villineuve, look here:
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17557.html
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porker 1:12PM (10/04/2006)
And why not? Now that JAPCAR has gone to the ricers, these foreign guys will feel right at home. Don't think many good ol' boys will be cheering- GO Frenchie, though!
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Peter 3:33PM (10/04/2006)
What a rapid transformation. That is certainly not Jaques Villineuve in the photo.
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Jeremy 1:57PM (10/04/2006)
"After racing for Williams, BAR-Honda, Renault, Sauber and BMW, JV's been given no shortage of opportunities to win in F1."
I don't believe this is an accurate line, especially with regard to the machinery that JV has been given. It must be remembered that he only had 3 race-winning capable machines in his hands, Williams in 96 and 97 and Renault in 2004. If i recall properly, he was runner-up in 96 and champion in 97, plus in 2004 he was placed into a car with only 3 races left to run and from being out of a car for almost a year! The rest of the cars mentioned have yet to win a race, save for BAR with only won this year after all the leading cars crashed out!
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Bob 2:43PM (10/04/2006)
"he can say what he wants about this not being a step down... but it is, he should have gone for A1GP or LMS/ALMS"
Earnhart Jr: 27 million US a year
Jeff Gordon: 23 million US a year
Tony Stewart: 15 million US a year
Those are F1 pay checks and will inevitably attrack the best drivers in the long run as the redneck walls come down.
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Paul 3:55PM (10/04/2006)
NASCAR is the way to go. It is so fortunate that NASCAR, American Le Mans, Rolex, all these are developing so beautifully.
At last motorsports fans do not have to suffer that turd called Formula 1.
NASCAR and american le mans are also better managed and do not resort to fraud and race fixing. The teams and drivers get healthy share of the profits and are loved and respected.
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the dude 5:22PM (10/04/2006)
He's Sascha Cohen, aka BORAT, ALI G, BRUNO, etc. Go rent Talladega Nights and seasons 1 and 2 of the ALI G show.
YEGSAMESH!
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