Former F-1, Indy Car champ Jacques Villeneauve to race Sprint Cup in 2008

[iceturkee]

just read this..............he's signed to race with bill davis full time in 2008. will probably run some truck races, ARCA, and others this season.

i'm like......wow, i have been a huge fan and can't wait to see him race NASCAR next season. this could be very interesting, especially because i believe BDR drives toyota's.

 

[stogie5150]

What a waste of talent.

Scott Speed is doomed to taxicabs too. Open wheel racing in this country is a shambles.

 

[iceturkee]

considering the fact he lost his F-1 ride years ago, maybe, he can have a third career driving stock cars. i suppose its better than nothing. guess, we'll just have to see how he adjusts.

 

[DWS44]

I wouldnt get too excited, or expect his to have the same chance that Juan Montoya has had. While I know Jacques has the talent, he isnt exactly going to be getting into prime equipment like Montoya did. Bill Davis Racing isn't exactly a top shelf team...and the car he is likely to drive isnt even the top car at BDR. That particular car has not even made the field most weeks this season.

 

[iceturkee]

i understand that. but stranger things have happened. i'm thinking of how well mark martin did driving part-time for a sub-par team, now owned by DEI.

btw, i read this morning that sam hornish jr might be driving for penske full-time on the cup circuit next year.

 

[markh]

Pretty soon all the open wheel drivers will be in NASCAR. Wonder what Michael Schumacher is up to?

Stogie has it right, open wheel in America is going in the dumpster. It'll stay there, too, until we have just one series with enough competitive cars to make it interesting. Now the IRL and CART, or whatever they call it now struggle to fill the field. At least IRL has some drivers I've heard of, plus that awful Gene Simmons song.


Iceturkee, if Penske is hiring Hornish, who's losing their ride or will there be a third car? I haven't heard anything about that.

 

[iceturkee]

haven't read anything about what penske is up to other than wanting to hire hornish. suspect, maybe a third car.

 

[johninbricknj]

haven't read anything about what penske is up to other than wanting to hire hornish. suspect, maybe a third car.

Penske has had a 3rd car in the past. Brendon Gaughan(sp) drove it a few years ago.#77 Kodak Dodge.
Jayski's® Silly Season Site - Team Pages - #77

 

[talos4]

His signing only goes to show that NASCAR has cemented their status as the #1 racing series in the country and in parts of the rest of the world.

While F-1 has rabid fans, and has been in Bernie's mind the world's best racing series, there are rumblings that fans are getting tired of watching parades.

Open wheel racing is a disaster in this country. Champ Car has just announced that the Phoenix race has been cancelled due to no sponsorship.

These open wheel guy's have been coming to NASCAR for years, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney etc.

 

[iceturkee]

and actually as a longtime NASCAR fan, i hope more head our way. i think there had been some scuttlebutt that sebastian bourdois (sp?) was considering switching to NASCAR as well. but didn't i read he was going to drive F-1?

 

[DWS44]

You can bet that Hornish would end up in a third car, at least in the short term. With all the big name teams heading to the 4 team limit, you know Penske won't stand pat at two teams for much longer. Of course, there's been a whole lot of talk of Newman leaving at the end of his contract, which I believe is only thru 2008, so I guess Hornish could eventually replace Newman in the 12, if he doesnt go full-time until 2009.

 

[Foxbat]

considering the fact he lost his F-1 ride years ago, maybe, he can have a third career driving stock cars. i suppose its better than nothing. guess, we'll just have to see how he adjusts.

Actually, Jacques was racing last season for F1 team Sauber-BMW, so I wouldn't say "years ago".

Maybe he watched "Talladega Nights" and figured he could be the French-speaking F1 driver that takes NASCAR by storm...

But, seriously, even though Jacques was the 1995 CART Champion and the F1 Champion in 1997, his career has not been he same since he jumped ship from Williams to join BAR (now Honda) in 1999. With 43 cars running a NASCAR race to get lost in, his can probably make a living finishing outside of the top ten.

 

[Jimbo]

Pretty soon all the open wheel drivers will be in NASCAR. Wonder what Michael Schumacher is up to?

Stogie has it right, open wheel in America is going in the dumpster. It'll stay there, too, until we have just one series with enough competitive cars to make it interesting. Now the IRL and CART, or whatever they call it now struggle to fill the field. At least IRL has some drivers I've heard of, plus that awful Gene Simmons song.


Iceturkee, if Penske is hiring Hornish, who's losing their ride or will there be a third car? I haven't heard anything about that.

You are right.
The IRL pulled out of Michigan after this past race this year.
The split has really cost them.
Don't they run like what, 10 races all year ???

Jimbo

 

[iceturkee]

Actually, Jacques was racing last season for F1 team Sauber-BMW, so I wouldn't say "years ago".

Maybe he watched "Talladega Nights" and figured he could be the French-speaking F1 driver that takes NASCAR by storm...

But, seriously, even though Jacques was the 1995 CART Champion and the F1 Champion in 1997, his career has not been he same since he jumped ship from Williams to join BAR (now Honda) in 1999. With 43 cars running a NASCAR race to get lost in, his can probably make a living finishing outside of the top ten.

my bad, i did know he had left williams. i thought i had heard he was racing F-1 part-time. i know he hadn't contended for years.

how will he do in NASCAR? he's racing for bill davis, not known as a heavy hitter in the circuit. montoya has done well but he's racing for ganassei (sp?).

hornish may do well racing for penske.

 

[iceturkee]

my bad, i did know he had left williams. i thought i had heard he was racing F-1 part-time. i know he hadn't contended for years.

how will he do in NASCAR? he's racing for bill davis, not known as a heavy hitter in the circuit. montoya has done well but he's racing for ganassi.

hornish may do well racing for penske.

double posting......i read this afternoon that its pretty definite that dario franchitti will drive the number 40 coors light car for ganassi next season. david stremme's contract won't be renewed, opening the door for franchitti.

just to recap, in 2008, we may have hornish jr., franchitti, villeneauve and patrick carpentier driving for NASCAR.