Formula One driver�s comeback to NASCAR

Jacques Villeneuve, a Formula One champion in 1997 and winner of the Indianapolis 500 and CART championship in 1995, is back to NASCAR a decade later.

"It's a new challenge, something fun," Villeneuve said. "Everyone here is so open and warm, and it's always better racing when you have a roof over your head."

This week, Villeneuve tested a truck for the Bill Davis Racing program and will pace a Nextel Cup "Car of Tomorrow" next week in Kentucky. He is also slated to compete in seven truck races this season, gunning for a full-time Cup launch in 2008.

Villeneuve is a source of renewed optimism for a team that struggles against NASCAR's megateams. "We have a lot to prove. Jacques has a lot to prove, but he's relaxed about being part of the rebirth of Bill Davis Racing," said general manager Mike Brown. "Neither of us would have done this if we didn't think we would be successful."

Villeneuve's arrival comes in the middle of various speculations. Last year, Juan Pablo Montoya�also an Indy 500 winner and CART champion�left a problematic situation with the BMW Williams F1 team to reunite with team owner Chip Ganassi and his NASCAR program. Villeneuve's situation is comparable to that of Montoya�s, establishing a career after Formula One. However, Villeneuve is five years older than Montoya and this may be a last chance for a comeback.