by Noah Joseph

We just can’t seem to get enough of Jacques Villeneuve’s impending switch to NASCAR. Maybe it’s the converging of the two worlds of motorsports, the tragic failure of a one-time king, his heroic stature in this writer’s home town, the legendary association of the name…. The latest news on JV’s deal with Roush Racing comes from the Globe & Mail, one of Canada’s largest national newspapers.

While at first we reported that Villeneuve was looking for sponsorship to start his own team with assistance from Roush, it now seems the sponsorship cash is to pay his way into a Roush racing seat.

The deal would start Jacques in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007. (Yeah, that’s right…from F1 cars to pick-up trucks.) Later in the season, he’d move on to the second-tier Busch Series, which will feature a race in the champ’s hometown of Montreal next year on the F1 circuit that bears his father’s name. If and when Jacques would graduate to the top-level Nextel Cup will likely be determined by how he does in Craftsman and Busch. Bonne chance, Jacques!

[Source: F1i.com]

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SYDNEY — Ford Australia has used the Australian International Motor Show here to launch two luxury performance models, the Force 6 and the Force 8, from its performance division, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV).

Both are variants of FPV’s newly introduced BF Falcon MkII lineup.

The Force 6 version, priced at $54,975 (U.S.), is powered by FPV’s turbo six that makes 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The Force 8 has the quad-cam 5.4-liter Boss 290 V8 that makes 389 hp and 384 pound-feet of torque. That model costs the equivalent of $55,285 in the U.S. Both come with a ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

Australian pundits are characterizing the Force 6 and Force 8 as appealing to executives who want a high-performance car with less flashy looks.

What this means to you: Ford Australia is keeping up with GM Holden in the performance-variant stakes. Australia is really where a lot of interesting stuff for Motown is happening.

[Source] Edmunds

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