[Wullu]

Jacques qualified 6th but since he was in the race to get race time and experience he intentionally dropped to the back of the field before the start so as to not influence the race off the start. He raced clean and hard until the last few laps when he rubbed the wall and drove off to the garage in 21st spot after starting 43rd.

This was his first race in the series at probably the fastest and most notorious track on the circuit. I imagine he learned a tonne and after he got comfortable was right in the thick of things, three wide in the turns at 190+ mph.

This was a classy and professional performance from him all around.

So what was the first line in an article from the CBC?

Quote:

Maybe Canadian Jacques Villeneuve should stick to Formula One.

Granting that NASCAR has everything going against it from a CBC perspective (American, most drivers from the south, fans stereotyped as rednecks), I guess this should probably be the expected response from the morons at CBC.

Story

PS, Jeff Gordon pulled off a master piece of driving and patience to pull out a win.

[WDHIII]

Funny..... the article I read @ CBC read completely different...

Quote:

By MIKE HARRIS,
AP Auto Racing Writer

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) Jacques Villeneuve finished the race and made no enemies Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

After several drivers were critical of the former Formula One champion and Indy 500 winner for deciding to make his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut at one of the most dangerous and demanding stock car tracks, Villeneuve came through with a 21st-place finish in the UAW-Ford 500, despite bouncing off the wall at one point.

Villeneuve qualified sixth in his Bill Davis Racing Toyota, but relinquished that spot to move to the back of the field for the start of the race.

"We decided to do it this morning," he said. "It was the logical thing to do. Our car was set up for qualifying and we didn't know how it was going to handle. Starting from the front or the back doesn't really change anything.

"I had more to learn from the back, anyway. Also, it was to show respect to all the guys fighting for the Chase (for the championship). I was thankful for them allowing me to race here, which is really special to me. It was just a way of saying thank you."

It wasn't an easy day for Villeneuve, though.

It WAS a classy move by him (or maybe Bill Davis) to start at the back of the pack.... some might say they caved to all the controversy this past week but it was smart AND safe when you consider the track.

After all the "big one" usually happens up front

Qualifying 6th was good but it was obvious that they had gone with an extreme set up to get there; that first pit stop was a little extensive.

Oh yeah - Ive got track pass and Smoke was STEAMIN after pushin Gordon to the lead and then getting abandoned so he could block Johnson.

Its a good thing they dont fine ya for language you use on the radio

[Wullu]

Your article was written by AP. The one I linked to was CBC Montreal......

[WDHIII]

Wullu wrote:

Your article was written by AP. The one I linked to was CBC Montreal......

Mine was from CBC too, just not the Montreal bureau I guess

[web]http://stats.cbc.ca/racing/story.asp?i=20071008002346540000101&ref=hea&tm=[/web]

The fact that its CBC Montreal makes it all the more confusing.... maybe theyve never gotten over the fact that Jacques and his family moved to Monaco (on the insistance of Enzo of course) after Gilles died

[Wullu]

Aye, but the story you have was written by a guy makes a living out of writing about auto racing for AP. CBC just bought the story. The story I had was listed as CBC Montreal.

I think you may be right. Little sour grapes on their part maybe?

[WDHIII]

Ah ok - gotcha

Could be altho from what I understand he and the wife and the new baby have been spending ALOT of time in Montreal since this whole Nascar/NCTS thing started.

[Wullu]

Did you notice the number on his car?

Very cool of NASCAR to let him use it.

[camerontech]

as a longtime fan of villeneuve I am impressed and glad of this performance. He's embarrassed me a few times but I think this is where he belongs, i look forward to watching him race for a full season next year

[WDHIII]

Wullu wrote:

Did you notice the number on his car?

Very cool of NASCAR to let him use it.

I admit I saw it but never made the connect til you mentioned it........

VERY kule of Nascar

[Pimpbrewski]

Sorry to say but Villeneuve is not much of stock car driver.

Yea, he was good at one point during the Indy or Champ Car Series.

But he has not done much since then. Plus he has criticized just about anyone in F1, including Schumacher (A much better man than what he ever was).

He is overrated. Ev1 in Qc seems to love this guy (I really don't know why ) He should ski in Mount Tremblant and run into a tree!

[Wullu]

Pimpbrewski wrote:

Sorry to say but Villeneuve is not much of stock car driver.

And you can tell this from one Nascar truck race and one Nextel Cup race? Wow. You ought to hire yourself out to the teams. Save them a butt load of cash in driver testing.

Pimpbrewski wrote:

Yea, he was good at one point during the Indy or Champ Car Series.

But he has not done much since then. Plus he has criticized just about anyone in F1, including Schumacher (A much better man than what he ever was).

An F1 World Championship is not much? Oh, and Schumacher is an ass, a talented one, but an ass none the less.

Pimpbrewski wrote:

He is overrated. Ev1 in Qc seems to love this guy (I really don't know why ) He should ski in Mount Tremblant and run into a tree!

Why do I suspect we have an F1 fan here who does not like that Jacques told it as he saw it about F1?

[DrCaleb]

Wullu wrote:

Oh, and Schumacher is an ass, a talented one, but an ass none the less.

Jacques is still my boy.

Pimpbrewski wrote:

Sorry to say but Villeneuve is not much of stock car driver.

Yea, he was good at one point during the Indy or Champ Car Series.

But he has not done much since then. Plus he has criticized just about anyone in F1, including Schumacher (A much better man than what he ever was).

He is overrated. Ev1 in Qc seems to love this guy (I really don't know why ) He should ski in Mount Tremblant and run into a tree!

Let's have a look at the World championships, shall we?

1994 Michael Schumacher
1995 Michael Schumacher
1996 Damon Hill
1997 Jacques Villeneuve
1998 Mika Häkkinen
1999 Mika Häkkinen
2000 Michael Schumacher

So, Schumacher, while being an incredible driver, did not win the championship for 4 years. And yet, Jacques, Damon and Mika are not given credit for the terriffic years they did have in beating the 'worlds best' driver.

Mario Andretti is considered the best driver ever - yet he only Won the F1 World Championship - once. And the Daytona 500 - once. Jacques has already done THREE of the things Mario has accomplished - Indy 500 Winner, and F1 World Champ, and CART Champ. All he needs to do is win the Daytona 500 to chalk up the same event wins as Mario.

And ONE thing Mario and Schumacher never did - Most wins (4) in his rookie year of F1. That broke the 3 wins by Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe Farina in the 1950 season - something no one has done since!

Jacques is still my boy.

[WDHIII]

DrCaleb wrote:

Wullu wrote:

Oh, and Schumacher is an ass, a talented one, but an ass none the less.

Jacques is still my boy.

Pimpbrewski wrote:

Sorry to say but Villeneuve is not much of stock car driver.

Yea, he was good at one point during the Indy or Champ Car Series.

But he has not done much since then. Plus he has criticized just about anyone in F1, including Schumacher (A much better man than what he ever was).

He is overrated. Ev1 in Qc seems to love this guy (I really don't know why ) He should ski in Mount Tremblant and run into a tree!

Let's have a look at the World championships, shall we?

1994 Michael Schumacher
1995 Michael Schumacher
1996 Damon Hill
1997 Jacques Villeneuve
1998 Mika Häkkinen
1999 Mika Häkkinen
2000 Michael Schumacher

So, Schumacher, while being an incredible driver, did not win the championship for 4 years. And yet, Jacques, Damon and Mika are not given credit for the terriffic years they did have in beating the 'worlds best' driver.

Mario Andretti is considered the best driver ever - yet he only Won the F1 World Championship - once. And the Daytona 500 - once. Jacques has already done THREE of the things Mario has accomplished - Indy 500 Winner, and F1 World Champ, and CART Champ. All he needs to do is win the Daytona 500 to chalk up the same event wins as Mario.

And ONE thing Mario and Schumacher never did - Most wins (4) in his rookie year of F1. That broke the 3 wins by Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe Farina in the 1950 season - something no one has done since!

Jacques is still my boy.

He faired well at "Dega (at least in the Nextel race) and I think he'll do us proud once he gets a little more seat time.

Hey may even make us forget Trevor Boys

[DrCaleb]

WDHIII wrote:

He faired well at "Dega (at least in the Nextel race) and I think he'll do us proud once he gets a little more seat time.

Hey may even make us forget Trevor Boys

I think so too. Stock cars/trucks aren't open wheelers. Considerable differences in technique. Dale Earnhardt won his only Daytona 500 when he was 44, and his last NASCAR championship when he was 40. Jacques is only 36, and probably has as much seat time as #03.

I think this move by him at 'Dega was classy. He scored many points with the regular drivers; people he's going to have to race with and against if he going to win. Starting off with hard feelings, or worse crashing and taking a few regulars with him, would have been the wrong move.

[DrCaleb]

I haven't watched a NASCAR race since Dale died. I did see a 'CASCAR' race this summer at the Grand Prix in Edmonton, and it was a lot of fun. I think with Jacques in a seat, I'll actually start watching again.