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Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve made an interesting remark following his 2022 Daytona 500 debuta about experiencing joy in driving in NASCAR.
Jacques Villeneuve had one of the most influential careers in F1 history. The Canadian driver made an instant impact on his debut in 1996, winning four Grand Prix in his first season in the competition driving for Williams. Villeneuve was also the first rookie to finish runner-up in the Drivers' standings.
Villeneuve's career reached new heights the following season. The Quebec-native went toe-to-toe with Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and clinched the 1997 world championship in controversial fashion at the season finale in Jerez.
JV's career took a downturn after his championship win. After finishing fifth in the standings in 1998, Villeneuve went on a team-switching spree, driving for four teams in the next eight seasons, but never managed to achieve the same success he did with Williams.
Jacques Villeneuve left Formula 1 midway through 2006 and started looking for alternative racing opportunities. That was when the driver chose NASCAR. Villeneuve competed in the stock car racing series across multiple seasons, with his debut in 2007.
Fast forward to 2022, Villeneuve made a return to the NASCAR Cup Series as a part-time driver of the non-chartered No. 27 Team Hezeberg Ford. Despite finishing 22nd in the season opener, Villeneuve shocked many by declaring his preference for NASCAR over Formula 1, citing the unparalleled thrill of "wheel to wheel and fender to fender" racing.
Villeneuve stated in the post-race press conference (via Daily Express):
"The most fun I've had racing has been in NASCAR... wheel to wheel and fender to fender, you can't beat the feeling in NASCAR."
What teams did Jacques Villeneuve drive for in NASCAR?
JV's journey in NASCAR began with discussions with Jack Roush, the owner of Roush Racing, who agreed to help him gain experience in the Truck Series, before progressing to the Busch Series in 2007.
Teaming up with Bill Davis Racing (BDR), Villeneuve entered the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He participater in the last seven events in the No. 27 Toyota Tundra.
In subsequent seasons, the Canadian drove for the now-defunct Braun Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He also participated in two races in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, driving for Jacombs Ford Racing.
After participating in two races with Penske Racing in the Nationwide Series in 2012, Jacques Villeneuve continued to make sporadic appearances in NASCAR in the following seasons.
In 2019, the 52-year-old drove 13 races for Go Fas Racing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. He made his first and only Cup Series appearance in 2022, during the Daytona 500 race, representing Team Hezeberg.
