Villeneuve completes maiden Cup test
Jacques Villeneuve completed his maiden NASCAR Nextel Cup test at Kentucky, driving for the first time a Car of Tomorrow in preparation for what could be his first race in NASCAR's top division
The former Formula One world champion completed 162 laps around the 1.5-mile oval, which means he has already completed more than 600 miles of testing, adding the two days of running he had at Chicagoland.
The 36-year-old ran an unbranded Bill Davis Racing Toyota Camry with the number 27 painted on the door, working once again with his crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe.
The Canadian was able to spot clear differences in the handling between the CoT and the truck he drove last week.
"The Car of Tomorrow is not as responsive (as the truck)," Villeneuve said. "But, the tracks are very different as well. The driving style is different. If it was on a similar type then there would be a huge difference."
Villeneuve was supposed to attend this weekend's Busch Series race at Richmond but has instead turned his attention at getting everything ready for his first official Nextel Cup test at Talladega.
He will be driving the Car of Tomorrow from next Tuesday at the 2.66-mile oval, where for the first time he will be sharing the track with the drivers he is expected to be racing against next year.
NASCAR has scheduled the test for all teams to attend, so that they get the chance to prepare for the upcoming race at the venue, which will be the first for the Car of Tomorrow in a Superspeedway.
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