Jacques Villeneuve (racing driver, born 1953)

Jacques Villeneuve
Born (1953-11-04) 4 November 1953
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Canada Canadian
Active years 1981, 1983
Teams Arrows, RAM
Entries 3 (0 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First entry 1981 Canadian Grand Prix
Last entry 1983 Canadian Grand Prix
1983 position NC (0 points)

Jacques-Joseph Villeneuve also known as Jacquo or Uncle Jacques (in French L'oncle Jacques) (born November 4, 1953) is a Canadian racer. He is the younger brother of the late Gilles Villeneuve, and uncle to Jacques Villeneuve (1997 F1 world champion). He was born in the small town of Berthierville, Quebec, Canada. He is now frequently known as Uncle Jacques because of the rise of his nephew. He had a varied motorsport career, taking in Formula Atlantic, CART, Can-Am, snowmobile racing and Formula One, and remains a revered figure in Canadian motorsport circles. Villeneuve was the first three-time winner of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby.[1]

Career

Villeneuve started out racing snowmobiles and he has continued to race in snowmobile events throughout his career. He moved into saloon racing in Canada, winning a Honda Civic series and many races from 1976 to 1978. He then stepped up to the open-wheeler Formula Ford category, and then Formula Atlantic, where he took Rookie of the Year in 1979, then consecutive titles in 1980 and 1981. He also won the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1980. At the end of 1981, he took a pair of drives for the Arrows Formula One team, but failed to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix, or the Caesars Palace Grand Prix.

In 1979 he competed in the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash[2] in a Porsche 928 co-piloted by John Lane (Gilles Villeneuve's sponsor and friend).

1982 started out with Villeneuve winning the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. The track was exceptionally hard caused by bitter cold, and his team set up his sled for the conditions. He took home $11,300 for his win, with cash and prizes totaling over $50,000.[1] The rest of 1982 was difficult, after his brother Gilles Villeneuve died in May. Jacques spent most of the year in Can-Am, though he would take a one-off drive in CART. 1983 saw him take the Can-Am title, as well as another Formula One drive (narrowly failing to qualify a RAM for the 1983 Canadian Grand Prix). During this period, he also kept up his snowmobiling exploits, winning a number of prestigious races, and had a one-off Sportscar drive at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1984 saw a return to CART, with Villeneuve ranking 15th overall, having taken pole position at the Phoenix round. The following year he became the first Canadian to win a CART race, taking victory in the wet/dry race at Road America on his way to eighth overall in the standings. He became the only person to win a third World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1986. After spending the season of CART and his only appearance in the Indianapolis 500, Villeneuve scaled back his motor racing activities, though he has regularly returned for occasional drives to CART, Formula Atlantic (winning some of these guest races) and IMSA.

He also remained highly active and successful in snowmobiling, also branching out to powerboat racing. On January 18, 2008, Villeneuve was seriously injured in an accident during the World Championship Snowmobile race. He suffered multiple leg and pelvic fractures as a result, in addition to a spinal injury. It was estimated that it would take Villeneuve seven to nine months to recover from his injuries.[3] On February 16, 2013, having recovered and returned to racing, Villeneuve suffered another serious accident whilst competing in Valcourt, sustaining a leg injury.[4] He left hospital ten days later.[5]

"Uncle" Jacques Villeneuve was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2001.

Racing record

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points
1981 Arrows Racing Team Arrows A3 Cosworth V8 USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN
DNQ
CPL
DNQ
NC 0
1983 RAM Automotive Team March March RAM 01 Cosworth V8 BRA USW FRA SMR MON BEL DET CAN
DNQ
GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR RSA NC 0

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

CART

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1982 Jamieson Racing United States
PHX1
United States
ATL
United States
MIL
United States
CLE
United States
MIS1
United States
MIL
United States
POC
United States
RIV
United States
ROA
United States
MIS2
United States
PHX2
14
45th 1
1984 Canadian Tire Racing United States
LBH
6
United States
PHX1
13
United States
INDY
DNS
United States
MIL
United States
POR
6
United States
MEA
15
United States
CLE
9
United States
MIS1
United States
ROA
United States
POC
United States
MDO
Canada
SAN
8
United States
MIS2
United States
PHX2
9
United States
LS
Ret
United States
LVG
Ret
16th 30
1985 Canadian Tire Racing United States
LBH
7
United States
INDY
DNQ
United States
MIL
Ret
United States
POR
Ret
United States
MEA
Ret
United States
CLE
4
United States
MIS1
United States
ROA
1
United States
POC
United States
MDO
3
Canada
SAN
Ret
United States
MIS2
United States
LS
Ret
United States
PHX
13
United States
MIA
Ret
8th 54
1986 Hemelgarn Racing United States
PHX1
United States
LBH
8
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
15
United States
POR
5
United States
MEA
5
United States
CLE
Ret
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MIS1
United States
POC
United States
MDO
11
Canada
SAN
Ret
United States
MIS2
United States
ROA
10
United States
LS
Ret
United States
PHX2
Ret
United States
MIA
6
15th 38
1992 Arciero Racing Australia
SRF
United States
PHX
United States
LBH
United States
INDY
United States
DET
United States
POR
United States
MIL
United States
NHA
Canada
TOR
United States
MIS
United States
CLE
Ret
United States
ROA
Ret
Canada
VAN
United States
MDO
United States
NAZ
United States
LS
52nd 0

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Eagle River Snowmobile Derby - Rich In History; 2005; World Championship Snowmobile Derby; Retrieved November 19, 2007
  2. "The official Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash Entrant List". Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  3. "Villeneuve's uncle seriously injured". tsn.ca. 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  4. "Snowmobiler Jacques Villeneuve injured in race". cbc.ca. CBC.ca. 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-02-17.
  5. "Jacques Villeneuve rentre chez lui". rds.ca (in French). Bell Média. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Tom Gloy
North American Formula Atlantic Champion
1980–1981
Succeeded by
Dave McMillan
Preceded by
Al Unser, Jr.
Can-Am Champion
1983
Succeeded by
Michael Roe
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