TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Quebec, Canada (July 27, 2018) – Having a Villeneuve on the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R) track is as natural as having all-wheel drive on a Subaru. It is then just natural that Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 FIA Formula One World Champion, will compete in the Trois-Rivières round of the all-new Americas Rallycross (ARX) Championship at the wheel of a Vermont SportsCar-prepared Subaru WRX STI, August 4-5.
Villeneuve will join the Subaru Rally Team USA three-car team alongside Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell, as the local champion will be back on track at GP3R for the first time since 2014, in a factory car prepared just on the other side of the Canada-USA border.
During his last appearance on track at the GP3R, in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, he won his first qualifying race, before a mechanical failure prevented him to advance to the final rounds. Villeneuve, winner of the 1995 Indianapolis 500, is thrilled to be back in rallycross, an action-packed discipline he enjoys tremendously, with a highly-motivating partnership with a team with the reputation of Subaru’s.
“Trois-Rivières has always felt like my motorsports home, so it’s once again a pleasure to be back. Rallycross has grown exponentially since I’ve last raced these amazing cars, so it’s good to be part of a sport on the rise. I am grateful for the opportunity to be racing a works’ Subaru and will do everything in my power to help the team in its Americas Rallycross endeavor,” Villeneuve stated.
The motorsports legend returns to Trois-Rivières, a circuit he knows well from competing on in rallycross and road course racing and where his father, racing legend Gilles Villeneuve raced at many times. His debut in Americas Rallycross will come in the championship’s third event of 2018 after hosting successful events at Speedmachine Festival in Silverstone and just two weeks ago at DirtFish ARX of Circuit of The Americas.
For Subaru, it’s an honor to have a driver with the pedigree of Jacques’ caliber driving one of its cars.
“Jacques Villeneuve is a global motorsport icon, and Subaru is excited to welcome him to Americas Rallycross behind the wheel of a WRX STI,” said William Stokes, Motorsports Manager for Subaru of America. “With his local background and tremendous success in American racing, Jacques will be a thrill for both Canadian and U.S. fans.”
GP3R General Manager, Dominic Fugère, is pleased to welcome Villeneuve back and to see him on its track in the new highly-exciting ARX Championship.
“Jacques is part of the GP3R family. We’re always happy to have him back. It’s a treat for our local fans to once again have a native son to cheer on in rallycross,” said Mr. Fugère.
Jacques Villeneuve will be at the wheel of a Subaru WRX STI at GP3R, August 4-5, as the ARX supercars take on the GP3R track. A test and press conference, where Villeneuve and the team will meet representatives from the media, are planned for Wednesday, August 2 at Circuit ICAR, in Mirabel.
Tickets and information: GP3R.com or 1-866-416-9797.
To watch ARX of Canada live, go to Facebook.com/ARXRallycross. Coverage from Canada begins Saturday, August 4 at 1:40 p.m. ET with Qualifying 1. For more information about ARX, go to ARXRallycross.com and follow @ARXRallycross on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
