Jacques Villeneuve (elder)
Jacques Villeneuve sen. (* November 4, 1953 in Chambly, Quebec ) is a former Canadian race car driver. He is the brother of Gilles Villeneuve and the uncle of Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. His nickname is " Uncle Jack".
- 3.1 Career in the Cart- series
- 4.1 Le Mans results
Career start
The motorsport career of Jacques Villeneuve sen. started with snowmobile racing in his youth. In 1976, the change to the road and Villeneuve was "Rookie of the Year" ( " Rookie of the Year " ) in the Canadian Honda Civic Cup. In 1977 he was master of this series. After another year in the Cup and the completion of the Jim Russell Racing School Villeneuve joined in 1979 in the Formula Atlantic, where he was again in the first year "Rookie of the Year" and in the second year the overall winner and 1981 his title successfully defended.
Formula 1
In the last two races of the Formula 1 1981 season Villeneuve got, not least because of the intercession of the famous and popular brother, the chance in Formula 1 to try. He replaced the Italians at Arrows Siegfried Stohr, with its achievement, the team was not satisfied. But the debut became a fiasco. Neither in Canada nor in Las Vegas succeeded the Canadians to qualify.
Originally Arrows before, Villeneuve had to commit for the 1982 season. After the disappointing results of which we took but distance.
Not until 1983 that Villeneuve received another chance in Formula 1, he was obliged by RAM - March for a race for the Grand Prix of Canada. But again, Villeneuve failed to qualifications. He shared the fate of most other drivers who in 1983 tried in this car.
Career in Formula 1
CART Series
1982 was a difficult year for Villeneuve. His Formula 1 career stalled and crashed in Zolder his brother fatal. Villeneuve was fourth in the 1982 CanAm series and the following year he won this championship. As early as 1982 gave Villeneuve made his debut in the CART series at the season's final race in Phoenix. It initially remained at this a try, but after the final failure of his Formula 1 plans Villeneuve turned again the 1984 CART series to.
1984 Villeneuve played for the team Canadian Tire, for which he had already won the CanAm title at the wheel of March the entire CART series. After average results he could achieve the breakthrough a year later. He finished the year in eighth place in the championship and came in with his win at Elkhart Lake was the first Canadian to win a CART race in the annals of the series.
In 1986, he was unable to repeat this success and closed after a disappointing year, his CART career from. 1992 Villeneuve attempted a comeback in the CART series, driving a Lola - Buick Sovereign Racing Team, which, however, failed after two races.
Career in the Cart- series
T = Training Indy Indianapolis, Indy R = Race Indianapolis, DNF = Not in destination, CWR = Car destroyed / accident in training
Other races
After ending his international single-seater career Jacques Villeneuve was the automobile sport still active until 1998 connected. He denied until then, a variety of sporadic appearances in various racing series. So he went to, among others, in the Formula Atlantic, the IMSA series and the Porsche Cup.
Throughout his career, denied Villeneuve - away from the race tracks of the world - regular snowmobile races and achieved great success there ( it was 1999 and 2000 Canadian Champion, 1998 North American champion and 2001 runner-up in the championship ).
1999 Jacques Villeneuve approached in several international powerboat race.
Le Mans results
Others
2001 Jacques Villeneuve was inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Quotes about Jacques Villeneuve senior
- " That's obvious. If you ask him, he will answer that he is better than me. " ( Gilles Villeneuve 1981 on his brother )
- " Jacques- absorber " ( ironic name for the boundary walls, the Villeneuve's team manager Gerald Kersh, 1984 in Long Beach, pursue its inclination in selbige illustrated )