Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion believes he’s got all the right tools in hand to win his first NASCAR race in front of his home fans this weekend as he will compete in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 of the Nationwide series.
“Well, we are coming in aggressively. This year, with the Braun Racing team, we are shooting for the win,” said Villeneuve.
“We have put everything in place for that. I am driving the same car I drove at Elkhart Lake earlier this summer. But it might not work. Even the top-teams have an off-week once in a while. However, for us, for this year, we have done everything to be in position to fight for a win.”
Villeneuve will drive the No. 32 Toyota Camry of Braun Racing, sponsored by Dollar General. His crew chief will be Trent Owens with whom he’s enjoying a very good relationship.
“It's the third year I’m racing with the Braun team. So, we are starting to work well together and we have really worked hard on the road course program car-wise, and we also are bringing different brakes for Montreal,” Villeneuve revealed.
“Montreal is a very demanding track, and I'm a late braker. I'm a heavy braker and this is where I made most of my time at Elkhart Lake, and even at the Glen, actually. So I think we are coming this year to try and win it.”
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit has numerous chicanes that require excellent turn-in. “I’ll drive the car I had at Elkhart Lake, which is very good, very well balanced. The Watkins Glen car was not as good,” said the former Indy 500 winner.
“The kerbs in Montreal are quite high and pretty aggressive. You must avoid touching them as much as possible. There are also some heavy braking zones. Brake-wise, the later you brake, the more heat gets in there and then everything starts bending, basically, so you end up with a brake pedal that gets long. So you just have to do a few laps, brakes left to cool it down a little bit,” Villeneuve explained.
Villeneuve also thinks the Major League of NASCAR, the prestigious Sprint Cup, should come to Montreal… one day.
“I think the fans deserve to see the Sprint Cup in Montreal and I think it would be very popular. There's already a big crowd for Nationwide and it would be quite as big for the Cup race. And also, the Montreal crowd is used to having a top level of racing which is Formula 1, so they are expecting to get the Cup as well,” he said.
“So it would have a big success and it would bring a new market and new sponsorship race to the whole of NASCAR. To bring Canadian companies into NASCAR, you need to get the Cup there,” Villeneuve concluded.
“Well, we are coming in aggressively. This year, with the Braun Racing team, we are shooting for the win,” said Villeneuve.
“We have put everything in place for that. I am driving the same car I drove at Elkhart Lake earlier this summer. But it might not work. Even the top-teams have an off-week once in a while. However, for us, for this year, we have done everything to be in position to fight for a win.”
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| Photo: Philippe Champoux Auto123.com |
Villeneuve will drive the No. 32 Toyota Camry of Braun Racing, sponsored by Dollar General. His crew chief will be Trent Owens with whom he’s enjoying a very good relationship.
“It's the third year I’m racing with the Braun team. So, we are starting to work well together and we have really worked hard on the road course program car-wise, and we also are bringing different brakes for Montreal,” Villeneuve revealed.
“Montreal is a very demanding track, and I'm a late braker. I'm a heavy braker and this is where I made most of my time at Elkhart Lake, and even at the Glen, actually. So I think we are coming this year to try and win it.”
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit has numerous chicanes that require excellent turn-in. “I’ll drive the car I had at Elkhart Lake, which is very good, very well balanced. The Watkins Glen car was not as good,” said the former Indy 500 winner.
“The kerbs in Montreal are quite high and pretty aggressive. You must avoid touching them as much as possible. There are also some heavy braking zones. Brake-wise, the later you brake, the more heat gets in there and then everything starts bending, basically, so you end up with a brake pedal that gets long. So you just have to do a few laps, brakes left to cool it down a little bit,” Villeneuve explained.
Villeneuve also thinks the Major League of NASCAR, the prestigious Sprint Cup, should come to Montreal… one day.
“I think the fans deserve to see the Sprint Cup in Montreal and I think it would be very popular. There's already a big crowd for Nationwide and it would be quite as big for the Cup race. And also, the Montreal crowd is used to having a top level of racing which is Formula 1, so they are expecting to get the Cup as well,” he said.
“So it would have a big success and it would bring a new market and new sponsorship race to the whole of NASCAR. To bring Canadian companies into NASCAR, you need to get the Cup there,” Villeneuve concluded.