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October 3, 2007

Villeneuve Doesn't Know Jacques About Talladega
By Dennis Michelsen (www.racetalkradio.com)
The announcement that Jacques Villeneuve would be making his Nextel Cup racing debut at Talladega Super Speedway came as a huge shock to me! But I was not the only person that found this move disturbing. Two of NASCAR's drivers competing for this year's title thought this decision was troubling too. Villeneuve might be one of the greatest drivers of our generation but he doesn't know JACQUES about Talladega!

Down Force Versus Loose
Flip on "Back in the Day" and you will see open wheel stars such as Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, and AJ Foyt making the occasional start in NASCAR. But way back when the cars those guys drove to fame and fortune at the Indianapolis 500 were wicked to drive! This pre-dates the words down force and ground effects. These drivers could handle a loose racecar and usually had thousands of laps in USAC Stock Car action before venturing into NASCAR. Juan Pablo Montoya might have made the switch to NASCAR look too easy. But the switch to stockcars is not easy and Villeneuve doesn't know JACQUES about Talladega!

The Resume
When I asked NASCAR about how decisions are made to approve new drivers I was sent Jacques Villeneuve's impressive resume. No one will argue with these numbers telling the tale that he is one of the most talented open wheel drivers ever.

* 165 Formula One starts -- 11 wins, 23 podium finishes (top 3s)
* 1997 Formula One champion
* 1995 Indianapolis 500 champion
* 1995 CART champion
* 33 CART starts -- 5 wins, 10 podium finishes (top 3s)

Do you notice anything troubling about most of those accomplishments? They are over ten years old and do not include ANY stockcar experience! Shouldn't Jacques Villeneuve have raced in at least one ARCA RE/MAX series race at Talladega before starting alongside the best drivers in the world? Jacques Villeneuve's entire stockcar resume includes one NASCAR Craftsman Truck series event at Las Vegas. In that race he finished one lap down in twenty-first place and complained how loose the truck was to handle. Ryan Matthews the driver he replaced scored several top ten finishes in that very same truck! Now after that one race Villeneuve is qualified to race at NASCAR's biggest and baddest track? Villeneuve has an impressive resume but he does not know JACQUES about Talladega!

Other Drivers Needed Seasoning
Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and countless other drivers had to prove themselves on smaller tracks before graduating to Talladega. Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon had won races in just about every kind of racecar imaginable but still had to prove themselves all over again in the NASCAR ranks. So why is Jacques Villeneuve getting a free pass based on his resume? In an even crazier twist NASCAR recently turned down Erin Crocker's request to JUST test a Car of Tomorrow at Talladega. Now no one will compare the two resumes and suggest Erin Crocker is as talented of a driver overall as Jacques Villeneuve! But she leads the speedway points in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this year, which included a stop at Daytona! Erin Crocker has started in NASCAR Craftsman Truck series races at both Daytona and Talladega but she wasn't allowed to even test a Nextel Cup car? Meanwhile another driver has yet to race anywhere in a Nextel Cup car and is given instant approval at Talladega? Villeneuve needs more seasoning because he doesn't know JACQUES about Talladega!

NASCAR Stars Get Vocal
NASCAR drivers are less likely to complain about the management running their sport than in any other professional sport in the USA. But when the announcement was made that Jacques Villeneuve would make his debut at Talladega two of the sports most prominent drivers spoke up loud and clear!

"I love Jacques, but that's not the right decision to make," Jeff Gordon said Friday. "I didn't think it was the right decision last year for David Gilliland, either. Nothing against their talent or anything else, but that race in the Chase? Why? If you want to run a race, go to Atlanta or another 1.5-mile oval."

"He's doing what? Holy cow, that's not good," Kyle Busch said when asked for his reaction to Villeneuve racing at Talladega. "You've got to start somewhere but the Cup Series at Talladega definitely isn't the place to start."

When was the last time two big name stars both were willing to challenge NASCAR on a decision they made? It doesn't happen very often! Perhaps one of the more senior drivers on the circuit should be involved in the committee that decides driver approvals. Villeneuve needs more seasoning because he doesn't know JACQUES about Talladega!

NASCAR Finger Nails for Sale
Maybe NASCAR can sell fans NASCAR approved fingernails to bite this weekend at Talladega! This track has always thrilled and scared fans for years but this race might be even worse than usual. The Car of Tomorrow has never been raced at a track larger than 1.366-mile. You can computer model and test all you want but until that first race it is impossible to predict just how this car might react in a pack of forty-three cars! Add to the mix inexperienced drivers from the open wheel ranks that are getting an easier approval based on their resumes in a different form of racing and you have the recipe for disaster! Fans usually watch this race from the edge of their seats and this will be worse than ever before. The playoff season is the wrong time for test-driving new talent! Hand me a box of fake NASCAR Villeneuve fingernails to chew on because he doesn't know JACQUES about NASCAR racing and does not belong at Talladega!