Villeneuve to Attempt 'Dega, Worries Many

Former Formula One champ Jacques Villeneuve got NASCAR approval this week to attempt his first Nextel Cup race next weekend at Talladega.

That approval went over like a lead balloon in the Nextel Cup garage on Friday -- as it should have. Villeneuve will now get to attempt with Bill Davis Racing and potentially race in one of the toughest races of the year at Talladega.

The race is tough for a variety of reasons -- ranging from the 3- and 4-wide racing, the constant mental strain, it's key placing in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, and coming this time, it's the first time any Nextel Cup driver will pilot the COT on a restrictor-plate track in race conditions.

Sounds like a great place to tryout a Cup car, eh?

With that in mind, NASCAR approved a guy who has stock car experience that includes one Craftsman Truck Series event and testing at Talladega a few weeks back.

Point leader and 4-time champion Jeff Gordon was the most outspoken on Villeneuve's sudden approval.

"You want to go run a race, go run Atlanta," Gordon said. "Go to some mile-and-a-half tracks. I'm very, very surprised that that was approved for the first Cup race."

"Yeah, he did a nice job [at last week's Las Vegas truck race], but he wasn't really in contention - he wasn't really in the thick of things," Gordon said. "He just didn't bounce off anything, which was really good. But I think you need to get him some experience in something else before you go stick him in a Cup race, especially when it's so crucial for the championship."

Knowing how not outspoken Gordon typically is, I'd say those words have some serious merit and that they don't reflect on Jacques as a person, but rather his experience level.

F1 champ? Great. Indy 500 champ? Great. Talladega Superspeedway in a Cup stock car with the championship on the line and not a lick of race experience?

Recipe for disaster, I say, for any driver on any level.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-29-2007 @ 8:24AM

Don Emerson said...

There's nothing to worry about. His chances of making the starting field are pretty slim. And even if he does, he will be at the rear of the field. He's the one who should be worried, for the " big one " will happen somewhere in front of him. In fact I have to admire his nerve for choosing 'Dega as his first race. Either he's a fool. or a very brave man, Time will tell. Deixe os jogos começar....

9-29-2007 @ 9:45AM

Bob Novet said...

I have to agree with Jeff Gordon THIS IS NOT TNE PLACE TO PUT A NEW NEXTEL DRIVER NO MATTER WHO HE IS. Have we not seen a learning curve with the other open wheel drivers who have been added to the mix. A COT car on that track with the chase on. What happens if this guy makes a mistake and causes CHASE drivers to be out. A COT car is not going to handle like a open wheel. I see this as NASCAR going for PRESS and not thinking about what they are doing for the good of their sport. Come on NASCAR let this guy drive ARCA THan a BUSH oh wait that's where all the CUP guys anyway; before he gets in to the fire from the frying pan

9-29-2007 @ 4:41PM

Tanner said...

It sounds like a very bad idea to me. If one of my driver's is taken out by a normal Nascar driver then I can accept that. But if a driver's championship is lost because of Nascar's single mindedness about publicity and money then I'll stop watching. I already have to watch little dots on trackpass and listen to driver radios to find out what is going on in a race. ESPN sure as heck isn't showing the race. It's probably going to be a bust anyway. COT are tanks and the races suck. Beween the COT, ESPN, and a first timer it sounds like a disaster. I do believe that Brian France isn't cut out for this job. Maybe during his next flight to China for NASCAR he should watch a race and check out what the fans are having to see. He needs to concentrate on what we are watching and if he understands racing enough..he might be able to see just how bad it sucks. All I can think when I watch a COT race on ESPN is wtf? Playoffs in most sports are fun. All of this just pisses me off.

9-29-2007 @ 10:22PM

Tobe Rinkler said...

Sounds fantastic! Can't wait to see him!

9-30-2007 @ 12:05AM

meldor said...

Great ideea , if Gilliland did it a year ago ,a real rookie, I don't see nothing wrong with a F1 champion doing it .
Lets not be red necks , and be afraid that somebody outside the south can race too , ok ???

9-30-2007 @ 12:36AM

kyle said...

I can't wait to see this, maybe it will add some excitement to these boring restrictor plate races!!

9-30-2007 @ 7:26AM

larry said...

Meldor--it is a stupid pr tactic by nascar. B. France, Toyotas,foriegn drivers,------we need the moonshiners back to save nascar. Oh, by the way --KISS MY REDNECK ASS

9-30-2007 @ 11:38AM

Don said...

Nascar has lost their marbles! Dega isn't the track to let Villeneuve run his first race should he qualify.I'm not a J.Gordon fan but agree with him on this one.

9-30-2007 @ 1:59PM

Maveness said...

I am genuinely scared that Jacques will make the race. Dega is going to be a bloodbath anyway (Sadler and Kenseth are scared by the fact that the drivers have zero visibility with the wings). Why introduce a rookie who doesn't even run ovals into that madness?

My only hope is that either someone gets smart and realizes that Jacques needs to be pulled from that race, or his equipment is standard BDR equipment and crappy enough that, combined with his lack of experience, he doesn't make the race.

10-02-2007 @ 6:01PM

Sandy said...

NAscar really is losing it aren't they.Restrictor plates, cots changing rules from race to race....makes me feel sick and sad.Now put a green horn in one of the most dangerous races of the year during cup chase,must be out of their minds.

10-01-2007 @ 8:50PM

Kim said...

Well I guess we all know who will be the cause of the "big one" this week at Dega now don't we? This is a very bad idea indeed. His first Nascar experience should definitly not be at Talladega and certainly should not be allowed during the race for the chase. That is extremely unfair to the twelve drivers that really have something riding on this one. This is a very selfish call on Nascar's part & a big mistake.

Kim

10-02-2007 @ 11:18AM

Pat said...

Jeff may have a point there I suppose. Sure, there are tracks that would have been easier to start with.
But...
I find it odd that all those people are leaving bad comments about it based only on his comment. While none of them are likely to have ever seen Jacques race in a car. Not vey many Nascar fans have seen him win Indy, before the split, when Indy car racing was BIGGER than Nascar... He doesn't have oval experience...I beg to differ. He's not used to long races with traffic...yeah...whatever.

I guess you'd have to have seen him resist Shumacher try to ram him off the track in the final race to win the championship in 97. I guess you'd have to have seen him be the only pilot with the guts and skill to keep his foot on the floor through Eau-rouge in Belgium. I guess you'd have to remember him coming back from one lap down to win the Indy in 95.

I agree that maybe an easier track may have been a better choice for his first race. But claiming that he'll be automatically responsible for killing people, ruining the race, taking out drivers and causing "the big one" is, in my opinion, extremely disrespectfull of a very good, and very experienced race car driver.

10-02-2007 @ 12:59PM

John said...

Sure he's a rookie in stock cars but Villeneuve is currently the most experienced driver in the world. Having raced in all run-up Formula series he went on to race in US open-wheeled racing which included frequent oval events.

His only 2 attempts at the Indy 500 gave him 2nd place and then 1st the next year.

His first array into F1 saw him finish second in his first year and then winning the F1 Championship the following year.

This year saw him enter Le Mans for the first time. His team was running second most of the race until his car died.

He qualified 7th in Vegas which is pretty good considering it was his first ever race. If anyone can handle his first Cup experience it's Jacques. I think some Nascar fans need to open their eyes a bit and look at the experience talent that JV is.