NASCAR Cup

Indianapolis: Jacques Villeneuve preview

Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 winner, Jacques Villeneuve returns to the Brickyard * Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 winner, Jacques Villeneuve returns to the Brickyard! This weekend marks his first visit to Indianapolis Motor ...

Published: Jul 22, 2010, 8:30 PM

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Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 winner, Jacques Villeneuve returns to the Brickyard

* Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 winner, Jacques Villeneuve returns to the Brickyard! This weekend marks his first visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; however, Villeneuve is no stranger to the 2.5-mile track. He has two starts at the famed oval with the Indy Car World Series, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1995. He has also made five starts at the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit while competing in the Formula One Series.

* An elite group... Qualifying for the Brickyard 400, Villeneuve will join Juan Pablo Montoya as the only two drivers in history to compete in all three of the historic speedway's premier motorsports events: the Indianapolis 500, the U.S. Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400.

* Brickyard Stats: Villeneuve logged his career-best start of fourth in May, 1994, finishing his debut race at the Brickyard in the second position. He returned the following year and, despite a two-lap penalty, he charged back through the field to claim the win by over two seconds in the 1995 Indianapolis 500! In two Indy Car starts, he has an average start of 4.5, an average finish of 1.5 and has led for 22 laps.

* It's Double Duty for crew chief, Trent Owens and sponsor Dollar General! This weekend the No. 32 Dollar General Toyota is entered in both the famed Brickyard 400 (NSCS) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the NNS race at the nearby O'Reilly Raceway Park (ORP). Reed Sorenson will pilot Braun Racing's No. 32 Dollar General entry in the Nationwide Series at ORP while crew chief, Trent Owens, will lead both the NNS and NSCS Dollar General teams.

* Home Sweet Home... Indiana is home for a number of members of Braun Racing. Team owner, Todd Braun, is a native of Winamac, IN. Todd's father, Ralph Braun, founded and continues to oversee operations for Braun Corporation, which manufactures and sells wheel-chair accessible conversion vans. Braun Corp. employs over 700 people in the state of Indiana.

* Mechanic, Mike McCoige, among the first four employees of Braun Racing...McCoige, who hails from Plymouth, IN, joined Tab Smith (South Bend, NNS No. 38 mechanic), Chad Blount (Walkerton, first Braun Racing driver and current Parts Manager) and Billy Kolish (Winamac, NNS No. 38 mechanic) as they ventured to North Carolina with Todd Braun in 2002 to help him form Braun Racing. All four have watched the organization grow from its inception as a part-time ARCA Racing team to the four-team Nationwide Series powerhouse that it is today.

* Chassis #205 heads to Indy! This weekend, the Dollar General team will unload chassis #205 at the Brickyard. This is a brand new chassis in the Braun Racing stable that will be making its on-track debut.

Villeneuve on returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway

"I am very excited for the upcoming weekend at Indy with Braun Racing and Dollar General. I have a lot of great memories at the Brickyard. Winning the Indy 500 was a big highlight in my career. This will be my first venture in a stock car there, but I am confident that we will do well."

Braun Racing Owner, Todd Braun, on fielding an entry for the Brickyard 400

"I am very excited to take this team to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and proud to participate in such a historic race. Entering the Brickyard 400 as an owner at this track means a lot to me. It is extra special because I grew up here in Indiana. This track bridges the finest of racing series. It's exciting to bring a former Indy 500 winner back to the Brickyard. He and Trent [Owens, crew chief] work very well together and I know that Trent is looking forward to the feedback that Jacques can provide him. He is an extremely talented driver."

-source: braun racing

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