NASCAR: 5 possible Trackhouse drivers for 2023
By Randy Smith
Possible Trackhouse drivers for 2023: No. 4 – Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve made his NASCAR return this season when he qualified for the Daytona 500 in an open car with Team Hezeberg. He tried to get into the “Great American Race” once before in 2008 with Bill Davis Racing but failed to qualify.
The 51-year-old Canadian was able to add a Daytona 500 start to his resume and join the short list of drivers to compete in both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500, but he was never a threat in the race. In fact, he was already a lap down 15 laps into the race, so his chances of running up front were small from the start due to his equipment.
Team Hezeberg have only run one other race this year, that being the race at Circuit of the Americas with Loris Hezemans. So their plans for the future aren’t quite clear.
If Villeneuve wants a competitive shot in NASCAR before he’s ready to retire from racing, he might need to look elsewhere. He won the Indy 500 in 1995 and was the 1997 Formula 1 world champion, so adding a win in the Cup Series could still be on his radar.
Trackhouse Racing Team could give him that option with the #91 Chevrolet, and they could give him the ability to compete in races other than the Daytona 500 as well. Villeneuve’s best finishes in NASCAR’s three touring series are third place finishes at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010 and 2012 and at Road America in 2011.
This year’s Daytona 500 one-off appearance for Villeneuve was most likely a bucket list type scenario, but if he wants to try his hand one more time in the Cup Series, the #91 Chevrolet would be his best option in 2023.