HIGH POINT, N.C. — Former Indianapolis 500 winner and Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve will take his first laps toward a new career in NASCAR when he tests for Bill Davis Racing on Aug. 27 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
Bill Davis Racing announced the test, which will put Villeneuve behind the wheel of a Toyota Tundra racer for the first time, late Thursday.
“We have spent the last few months considering a number of NASCAR options and were in agreement that the truck offers the closest reference point to the Car of Tomorrow,” said Villeneuve. “Bill Davis Racing was aware of my interest in NASCAR and approached my management team with a view to allowing me to test within its truck program. I’m glad we were able to work that out, and having spent the day with the team for my seat fitting, I am really looking forward to working with Bill and his staff.”
Villeneuve, 36, has not raced on ovals since 1995, the year he won the Indianapolis 500 while racing for Team Green.
Craig Pollock, Villeneuve’s manager said that Villeneuve is very serious about being a NASCAR rookie – probably in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2008.
“Jacques intends to race in NASCAR next year,” said Pollock on Villeneuve’s official Web site.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about when Jacques would arrive in NASCAR. Bill Davis’s kind invitation coincided with our decision to start within Craftsman Truck, so the fit was both timely and natural.”
In 1995, Villeneuve became the last CART World Series champion before the American open-wheel split between CART and the Indy Racing League in 1996.
He also made his Formula One debut with Williams in 1996, the beginning of a 10-year F1 career that included a World Championship with Williams in 1997. He left Williams after the 1998 season, moving to British American Racing (BAR) for a four-year stint in 1999, but was never able to recapture the form of his championship season.
He also drove for Renault (2004) and BMW Sauber (2005-06) before leaving that team in midseason, 2006.
Most recently, Villeneuve competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time with Peugeot Sport, driving its new diesel-powered 908. The car ran into mechanical problems and was retired with about 100 minutes left in this year’s race.
The Canadian-born Villeneuve is the son of late F1 driver, Gilles Villeneuve, who was killed in a crash during qualifying at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.