Villeneuve still has NASCAR chance

The proposed new squad would be affiliated with Roush Racing, who Villeneuve was strongly linked to after he declared his interest in following Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR.

Roush ultimately chose to sign David Ragan for the seat vacated by Mark Martin, but team president Geoff Smith said that the team are still prepared to help Villeneuve and Pollock create their own satellite operation.

"We're open to it, we're willing to work with them, but really the ball is in their court right now," Smith told speedtv.com.

"His manager, Craig Pollock, he's the man behind the marketing of that, and ... I've heard in the garage that certain sponsors are being pitched by him, so there is some activity going on."

Smith suggested that funding would have to be secured rapidly if Villeneuve wished to run a full season in 2007.

"There's two kinds of chances, and they're both related to whether or not his marketing organisation, which supports him, can close on financial support," Smith said.

"If they're able to close on full-time Cup support in the next few minutes, few days, then we can support that team with cars, engines, gears, all the hardware stuff — enough to get it up and running.

"If they're not able to do that shortly, but they're able to get a support for commitment next year that's partial, then we'll have a little more time to be able to put an infrastructure around helping them."