Another F1 driver to NASCAR?

TheStang00 · #1 10-05-2006, 09:39 PM

you guys here about Jacques Villeneuve?

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/s...d=6&id=2612815

Another Formula One driver is reportedly making the leap to NASCAR next year.

Jacques Villeneuve has signed a deal with Roush Racing and will move back to Canada from his current base in Europe, according to a report in the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

When contacted by ESPN, Roush Racing said the story is not true and that Villeneuve has not signed with them.

However, according to a report on TSN of Canada's Web site, reporters for La Presse spotted Villeneuve and his wife Tuesday in Montreal. When asked about the Italian report, Villeneuve smiled and said, "I'm retired." Villeneuve also said "they're only rumors" when asked if he was moving to Montreal but didn't deny the report.

If Villeneuve were to sign with Roush Racing, he would likely take the opening left by Mark Martin, who is scheduled to retire at the end of the season. Roush also has six cars in the Busch Series, but Villeneuve has said that if he were to run in NASCAR, it would likely be at the Nextel Cup level.

F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya will race for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007

DinanM3_S2 · #2 10-06-2006, 02:37 AM

I think that JV and JPM were both getting frustrated with their inability to compete at the level they wanted to in F1. The only 2 teams that have been able to win races this year have been Ferrari and Renault (with the exception of Button's Honda in a race where Alonso and Schumacher dnf'd). Last year the only two teams winning were Renault and McLaren.

On the other hand, JPM wasn't the best driver on his team, Kimi was. JV must have let his WDC go to his head because he had done barely anything since. Hell, Kubica, a rookie, has almost caught up to him in points after just a handfull of races.

SuperStock96 · #3 10-07-2006, 03:45 PM

I certainly hope they are just rumors. I actually broke down and watched the ARCA race on SPEED last night. Jacques was one of my favorites and I really don't want to be forced to watch another stock car event. I found myself half drunk wearing a trucker hat halfway through last nights race.

TheStang00 · #4 10-07-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperStock96

I certainly hope they are just rumors. I actually broke down and watched the ARCA race on SPEED last night. Jacques was one of my favorites and I really don't want to be forced to watch another stock car event. I found myself half drunk wearing a trucker hat halfway through last nights race.

i wasnt able to watch that, i saw JPM did quite well though. but yeah the last 30 laps or so of a superspeedway are the best ones by far. the other thing is that since it was ARCA, i bet there were constant wrecks. it is minor league essentially, if you want to call it that.

SuperStock96 · #5 10-07-2006, 05:51 PM

JPM was leading by the end of the first lap and stayed there for about eight laps. Slowly he kept falling back and when he was in about fifth or eighth someone hit him sending him to the pits briefly. All in all he did well and would have been better had he not been hit.

TheStang00 · #6 10-07-2006, 07:23 PM

well i think it will be more interesting to see how he does on a non restrictor plate race track. i think its easier for a new guy to do well on talledega or daytona because they just go wide open the entire time. another nascar newcomer, AJ Almendinger did quite well on the track on his debut tonight.

SuperStock96 · #7 10-09-2006, 08:45 AM

Well, I hope you don't think I'm a liar. I had turned the race off about 2/3 the way through. I was just watching SPEED Report last night and saw that he actually finished second.

TheStang00 · #8 10-09-2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperStock96

Well, I hope you don't think I'm a liar. I had turned the race off about 2/3 the way through. I was just watching SPEED Report last night and saw that he actually finished second.

maybe someone got disqualified for a rules violation?

SabreKhan · #9 10-09-2006, 07:58 PM

I think the restrictor plate races are a good way to get a driver acclimated to the world of stock cars. The ARCA race the other day wasn't as wreck-strewn as you'd like to believe. In fact, the minor league races are much less prone to wreckage than the Cup races. I only remember two notable sheet metal exchanges during Friday's race, including the one with JPM. He did enter pit road when it was closed, though, incurring a stupid penalty. He was lucky it was Talladega where it's hard to get lapped. I was impressed with his performance, though. It will be interesting to see him on a track where he has to shift and draft and conserve his stuff for 400 or 500 miles. A newly-paved Talladega is a good welcome to stock cars, but it's not indicative of the sport by any stretch.

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