Villeneuve 21st on Nextel Cup debut

The former Formula One world champion had qualified sixth for his first race in NASCAR's top series, but elected to start from the back of the field as a sign of respect for the drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. From there he was able to run in the draft and get some crucial restrictor-plate experience.

"It was the logical thing to do," Villeneuve said. "Our car was set up for qualifying and we didn't know how it was going to handle. Starting from the front or the back doesn't really change anything. I had more to learn from the back, anyway.

"Also, it was to show respect to all the guys fighting for the Chase. I was thankful for them allowing me to race here, which is really special to me. It was just a way of saying 'thank you'."

Villeneuve had crashed out of the Truck race on Saturday at Talladega but his Cup debut went a lot smoother, although not without a few bumps. He brushed the wall between turns three and four on lap 131 when his car was lacking grip in the front end and then got squeezed in the biggest incident of the day but managed to come out clean.

"Early in the race was tough for some reason," Villeneuve said. "I was really tight. I almost ran into a couple of people on the inside line because of that. I didn't want that to happen, so I moved up to the high line. That's why I got into the wall.

"On one of the big wrecks, I slammed on the brakes and went down to the apron, but got sandwiched between a couple of cars. I lost the shifter ball and the radio plug came loose, and I lost third gear on the last restart. So we had a lot of things going on. It was a great day to learn. I'm quite happy with the result."

The Canadian ran as high as fourth during a caution period but spent most of the afternoon in the top 25, running the entire race on the lead lap. He was penalized for speeding on pit road on lap 149 but wasn't really affected by the issue, as he was able to serve the penalty while the field circulated under caution.

Villeneuve said he was glad to finish the race without being involved in any major incidents after he was at the center of controversy since he announced his plans to race at Talladega.

"I'm glad that I didn't create any problems with the drivers," he said. "The finger was being pointed before the race, and that was understandable. The goal today was to stay out of trouble and not make enemies so next time I come back everything will be a little bit easier. Also, I worked great with the crew and the spotter. Overall, it was a great day."

Although no plans have been set yet for Villeneuve racing in another Cup race for Bill Davis Racing, he might attempt to make the field in one of the two remaining events with the Car of Tomorrow this season.

His next Truck race will be in two weeks' time at the half-mile Martinsville oval.