We've got a montage video of the 2007 Le Mans 24hrs endurance race for you to enjoy...

Check out this video: Jacques Villeneuve in action at Le Mans 24hrs 2007



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Video clip courtesy of Peugeot-Sport. Edited for JV-World by Sharkfin Productions. Images with kind permission of TWI

Following an invitation from Toyota NASCAR team, Bill Davis Racing, former F1 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve will make his NASCAR debut behind the wheel of a Toyota Tundra truck, on Monday 27th August, at the Chicagoland Speedway, in Illinois.

Having won both the IndyCar series, and the legendary Indy 500 event, Villeneuve is no stranger to oval racing, although he last did so in 1995. For a driver with an almost unequalled resumé, the 36-year old father of one is fully accepting of his 'rookie' status, and is focussed on learning as much as he can, as quickly as he can.

Speaking from Bill Davis' High Point HQ, Jacques Villeneuve commented, "We have spent the last few months considering a number of NASCAR options, and were in agreement that the truck offers the closest reference point to the Car of Tomorrow. Bill Davis Racing were aware of my interest in NASCAR, and approached my management team with a view to allowing me to test within their truck program. I'm glad we were able to work that out, and having spent the day with the team for my seat fitting, I am really looking forward to working with Bill and his staff."

Villeneuve's long-term manager, Craig Pollock, added to the picture, stating, "There's been a lot of speculation about when Jacques would arrive in NASCAR. Bill Davis' kind invitation coincided with our decision to start within Craftsman Truck, so the fit was both timely and natural."

Jacques has vowed to return to Le Mans until he wins the famous 24 Hours race…

JV was part of the Peugeot team which was running in second place during this year's event before it was forced to withdraw due to engine failure after almost 23 hours of running. It was a bitter blow for Jacques and fellow drivers Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene, but the 1997 World Championship insists that the experience will only spur him on to return.

"To be comfortable with a track like this, to know where it is possible to overtake, for example . there are not that many solutions: you've basically got to have done the event once," he declared. "And my intention is to come back until I win it."

(from JV-World.com)

Peugeot Begin With Provisional Pole
Le Mans week on-track action kicked off yesterday with the first official practice session which saw Team Peugeot Total claim the fastest and third fastest times in the dying seconds.
The evening's run was interrupted by two red flag incidents, and was also upset by a brief but heavy thunderstorm that dumped rain over much over the French circuit. Stéphane Sarrazin (N°8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP) and Nicolas Minassian (N°7) profited from drying conditions late in the session, however, to post their quickest times in a particularly thrilling finale.

Despite the day's successful conclusion, however, it seems that the drivers and the team as a whole are fully aware that Le Mans is a 24-hour race, and not just a question of posting one fast lap, and everything will be thrown wide open again when practice resumes this evening.

The two four-hour test sessions organised on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings prior to the weekend's celebrated 24-hour classic are, along with the preliminary test day organised earlier in the month, the only chance teams get to put the finishing touches to their race preparations round the full 13.629km track. The job list traditionally involves fine-tuning the set-ups of the cars in race-trim, completing final systems and fuel consumption checks, and ensuring all drivers cover the mandatory minimum
number of night-time laps (three). Plus, if conditions and time allow, attempting to secure the best possible position on the grid for the start of Saturday's race (3pm).

And that is exactly what Team Peugeot Total succeeded in doing this evening in an exciting final flurry of top times that saw Stéphane Sarrazin (N°8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP) post the quickest lap of the day in the dying seconds of the session. In an all out attempt on his final lap, during which he admitted to being very close to the limit, the Frenchman succeeded in toppling his rivals from top spot with an emphatic 3m 26.344s, while team-mate Nicolas Minassian narrowly failed in his bid to join his team-mate
on the front row of the provisional grid.

Minassian and Sarrazin monopolised the driving of their respective cars during the first half of the session before the storm broke. After a short initial run, the two Frenchmen pitted (to fine-tune the set-up in the case of the N°7 car and to make a precautionary rear wheel-bearing change in the case of car N°8) before going back out on fresh rubber. However, despite laps of 3m 29.836s (N°7) and 3m 29.635s (N°8) . which put them 4th and 2nd respectively on the timesheets. Both drivers suggested they could have done better had they not been caught in traffic, while Minassian's second flying lap was thwarted when the red flag was shown for the first time.

With lingering damp conditions forcing the team to switch to wet weather tyres, much of the second half of the session was essentially given over to ensuring that Jacques Villeneuve, Marc Gene, Pedro Lamy and Sébastien Bourdais all completed their three obligatory night-time laps. Then, as the track began to dry, Sarrazin and Minassian threw all their strength into their bid to secure the best possible place on the grid.

First Qualifying Positions:
1. Lamy/Sarrazin/Bourdais (Peugeot 908 HDi FAP), 3min26s344
2. Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R10) + 0,572s
3. Gene/Minassian/Villeneuve (Peugeot 908 HDi FAP), + 1,380s
4. Biela/Pirro/Werner (Audi R10), + 1,957s 5. Luhr/Rockenfeller/Premat (Audi R10), + 3,392s

(From JV-World.com)

To celebrate Jacques' participation in Le Mans 24H this weekend and the release of his debut album 'Private Paradise' in France on the 18th June, we can now give you the exclusive premiere of his new video - 'Vaguement'

Note: We've brought the release of this forward from Friday to Thursday.

Vaguement - Jacques Villeneuve

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Hi guys,

To celebrate being in the 24H Le Mans this weekend and the release of my album 'Private Paradise' in France on Monday 18th June I thought I'd tell you about a new video for the track 'Vaguement' that we will be putting up here this Friday (15th).

So, put Friday in your diary and it'll hopefully be a great start to a great weekend.

JV.

Jacques' Schedule For Le Mans
Unlike Formula One race meetings that take place over three days, the annual Le Mans event is spread out across an entire week and generates a unique ambience and unforgettable experience for spectators.

Here's how Jacques' schedule for this week looks:

Monday 11th June:
2.30 pm to 6.00 pm: Sporting Checks and Scrutineering (Place de Jacobins)

Tuesday 12th June:
8.30 am to 5.00 pm: Sporting Checks and Scrutineering (Jacobins)

Wednesday 13th June:
10.00 am: Team Managers' briefing "24 Heures du Mans"
4.00 pm: Drivers' Briefing "24 Heures du Mans"
7.00 pm to 9.00 pm: 1st qualifying practice session "24 Heures du Mans"
10 pm to midnight: 1st qualifying practice session "24 Heures du Mans"

Thursday 14th June:
9.00 am to 1.00 pm: Sporting Checks and Scrutineering "Le Mans Legend" (Jacobins)
3.00 pm: Drivers' Briefing "Le Mans Legend"
5.30 pm to 6.30 pm: Timed Practice Sessions "Le Mans Legend"
7.00 pm to 9.00: 2nd qualifying practice session "24 Heures du Mans"
10.00 pm to midnight: 2nd qualifying practice session "24 Heures du Mans"

Friday 15th June:
10.00 am to 8.00 pm: Pitwalk
6.00 pm to 7.00 pm: Drivers' parade (city centre)

Saturday 16th June:
9.00 am to 9.45 am: Warm-up "24 Heures du Mans"
10.15 am: Race "Le Mans Legend"
2.22 pm: Beginning of starting procedure "24 Heures du Mans"
3.00 pm: Start of the 75th "24 Heures du Mans" race

Sunday 17th June:
3.00 pm: Finish of the 75th race "24 Heures du Mans" race

(JV-World.com)

JV'S FIRST TIME OUT AT LE MANS

Jacques Villeneuve and Peugeot Sport left Le Mans pleased with the amount of work they were able to accomplish in the course of the preliminary test day for the forthcoming Le Mans 24 Hours.

The team managed to work through the complete programme planned for its maiden visit to the French venue without suffering the slightest mechanical problem. The N°8 car covered a total of 60 laps, while the N°7 sister car (which Jacques drives) completed 79 laps.

Jacques Villeneuve and Marc Gene both 'Le Mans rookies' got in the mandatory minimum of ten laps demanded by the organisers for all first-time visitors to the circuit.

Jacques emerged as the fastest rookie after carefully stepping up his
pace: "I started with a couple of laps aimed primarily at learning the track which has got quite a few interesting corners. I then went back out later in the day to do a series of long runs to see how the tyres evolved but my biggest concern was the amount of traffic about. That's something new to me, especially since certain cars were taking some pretty bizarre lines! Sharing a car with other drivers isn't a problem and we weren't looking for the absolute fastest time here so I didn't get involved in any setting up work. My team-mates are far more accustomed to the car than I am!"

Peugeot Sport's other rookie this weekend was Marc Gene: "It's been a very rewarding experience driving here today. The first thing that strikes you is how long the circuit is; it takes so long to cover just one lap! My initial objective was to learn the circuit and find my marks as I completed my ten mandatory laps. I followed the advice not only of my team-mates but also that of my brother Jordi who knows Le Mans well. I was impressed by certain turns, including Indianapolis, and the speeds involved are very reminiscent of Monza."

Fastest lap times:
1, Bourdais/Lamy/Sarrazin (Peugeot 908HDi FAP) 3m 26.707s
2, Pirro (Audi R10) 3m 28.277s
3, McNish (Audi R10) 3m 28.406s
4, Boullion (Pescarolo Judd) 3m 28.574s
5, Villeneuve/Gene/Minassian (Peugeot 908HDi FAP) 3m 30.314s

There are some new pictures of the test day in our MySpace picture gallery.

We have two new videos for you to watch.

Both are archive footage from Goodward in 2004 and involve the Ferrari driven by Gilles Villeneuve.

Jacques talks about his father's car.

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Jacques drives Gilles' car at Goodwood

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Hi Guys,

We put together a little video of the busy time I had during the album launch.

I hope you enjoy it.

Jacques