Villeneuve pays his dues in melancholy NASCAR debut

After voluntarily giving up a spot at the front, Jacques Villeneuve raced a cleaner Talladega than most drivers expected. John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Tom. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Racecar drivers are usually the last ones to succumb to any sort of peer pressure. Considering what they do for a living, why would they? It takes a special mix of confidence, ego and guts to go 200 miles an hour into the corner time and again each weekend.

That's why eyebrows went up to see Jacques Villeneuve bow down to criticism before the race even began Sunday at Talladega. Qualifying a surprising sixth for his Nextel Cup debut, the former Formula One champ voluntarily gave up that spot before the start of the race -- caving in to a mountain full of worry that keeping him in the front of the pack would result in wrecking half the field at the notoriously fickle track. The Canadian instead spent the first few laps riding around at the back, gaining valuable knowledge but also acting like a man sent to time out simply because the rest of the field wasn't sure if they liked him yet.

"The finger was being pointed before the race, and that was understandable (due to lack of experience)," Villeneuve said about moving to the rear. "The goal today was to stay out of trouble and not to make enemies, so next time I come back, everything will be a little bit easier."

"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 a way of saying 'Thank you.'"

Uh-oh. Here come some ugly themes popping up again, raising questions as to just how exclusive a fraternity NASCAR has become. Don't get me wrong; you can't help but respect what Villeneuve did, as getting passed 37 times before the green flag drops is the hardest pill a race driver can swallow. But offering a "thank you" to drivers in title contention who "allowed" this former champion to race along with them? Last I checked, drivers win or lose the Cup championship by besting drivers like Villeneuve, who come to the track, qualify for the race, and give it all they have to try and take the win -- and valuable points -- away from those fighting for a bigger trophy.

Instead, the Canadian's competitive spirit got whittled down into a remedial classroom entitled Don't Ruffle Any Feathers 101, an inevitable conclusion of a week's worth of nervousness voiced by title contenders that made it sound like the No. 27 Toyota would spend 500 miles becoming a moving obstacle in their path.

""I am a big fan of Jacques, but I think this is not the right decision," points leader Jeff Gordon said of Villeneuve's planned Cup debut at Kansas a week before. "I just look at that race in the Chase [and wonder] 'Why?' You want to run a race, go to Atlanta, go to one of the mile-and-a-half tracks. I am very, very surprised that he was approved [for] his first Cup race.

"Jacques did a nice job at the [Talladega] test, but you can't base anything on a test. I mean, that is just crazy."

Gordon proved the most vocal mouthpiece in a garage full of both media and garage detractors who expressed concern the rookie would turn the race into a demolition derby. In reality, on Sunday there was the typical Talladega "Big One" that left two Chase contenders and nearly a dozen cars in shambles -- but Villeneuve was nowhere near it.

1 of 2