Icon Jacques Villeneuve Makes Rallycross Return in Subaru WRX STI

Subaru gets lots of experience when Jacques Villeneuve joins Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres (GP3R) in Canada next weekend for ARX round three. Villeneuve is the 1997 FIA Formula One World Champion and won the Indy 500 in 1995. Now he’s behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX STI Supercar.

Villeneuve also has experience in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, where in his last appearance, he won his first qualifying race, before a mechanical failure prevented him to advance to the final rounds. His debut in Americas Rallycross comes at a good time for Subaru as they’ve failed to make a podium finish at Speedmachine Festival in Silverstone and two weeks ago at DirtFish ARX of Circuit of The Americas. It could be the boost Subaru needs as a driver with the pedigree of Jacques’ caliber drives one of their WRX STI Supercars.

Villeneuve will be battling the duo of Scott Speed and Tanner Foust driving the Andretti Volkswagen Beetles. They’ve been unbeatable so far in the newly-formed ARX series. He says he’s ready for the challenge. “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.

Jacques Villeneuve joins Chris Atkinson and Patrik Sandell in the Subaru WRX STIs at GP3R, August 4-5. You can watch ARX of Canada live at Facebook.com/ARXRallycross. Coverage from Canada begins Saturday, August 4 at 1:40 p.m. ET with Qualifying 1.

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers!

Follow more Subaru WRX STI news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Photo credit: Subaru Motorsports