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Jacques Villeneuve brings tarnished reputation back to NASCAR at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. – Jacques Villeneuve returned to NASCAR for Sunday’s race at Sonoma and brought his less than stellar reputation with him.

He’s a former Formula One world champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, but his sparkling resume has been shredded through nine eventful Nationwide races. Asked Friday what comes to mind about Villeneuve, defending race winner Clint Bowyer called him a “train wreck.”

History didn’t matter to Phoenix Racing owner James Finch, who wanted a wheelman for the No. 51 Chevrolet this weekend. The car had a shot to win last year when Kurt Busch drove it to a third-place finish, and Finch thinks Villeneuve can deliver a strong result.

Villeneuve says his goal is to run a clean race and not make anyone angry.

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