Barry Green está de volta

Hoje, dia 20 de fevereiro de 2008, em seu restaurante "Newtown" em Montreal, o canadense Jacques Villeneuve retomou oficialmente uma parceria que deu certíssimo no passado. O novo empresário do franco-canadense será o seu ex-chefe de equipe na época da Indy, o australiano Bary Green.
Villeneuve tem a intenção de voltar a Nascar e disse que entende a opção da Bill Davis Racing em colcar outro piloto em seu lugar. O campeão da F-1 de 97 também disse que a química com a equipe era boa.
Agora Villeneuve disse que vai se concentrar para competir as 24 Horas de Le Mans e afirmou que Barry o está ensinando a pensar mais, agindo menos como piloto na hora de tomar decisões.
Eu fico extremamente contente e aliviada por Green ter aceito a proposta de Jacques e retomado esta parceria que deu tão certo. Sorte aos dois, e que venham as 24 Horas de Le Mans!!!

MONTREAL -- Jacques Villeneuve has lured former IndyCar owner Barry Green out of a semi-retirement in Australia as the driver regroups for a renewed effort to make a successful transition from open-wheel racing to NASCAR.
Green, who owned teams that Villeneuve rode to championships in the 1990s, will work with the one-time Formula One world champion to find the sponsors he needs to get a full-time ride either in the Sprint Cup or Nationwide series.
Villeneuve, who failed to qualify for last Sunday's Daytona 500, made the announcement at a press conference at his downtown restaurant Wednesday.
"The chemistry with us was always very good," Villeneuve said. "He brings credibility, respect -- even though it's NASCAR, there are a lot of people that he knows and that know him, or that know of him, because of the ChampCar days and the IRL days."
Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 champion after winning the CART rookie of the year title in 1994, acknowledged his disappointment at the current state of his bid to establish himself in NASCAR.
"There would have been a way to carry on for the next races and be in place for the year, but I think it would have been so chaotic that in the long run, within a few months we would have regretted it and there would have been a price to pay at some point that would have shortened a probable NASCAR career which is not the goal," Villeneuve said.
Green first spoke to the Canadian driver a few weeks ago.
"He must have told me five times in the first week how much he loved that series and loved being in those cars, so I was convinced, I was bitten and here I am flat out," Green said. "The main mission is a major sponsor so Jacques can compete."
Green said that they were still talking with Bill Davis Racing about Villeneuve's possible future with the team.
"It's a great operation," Green said. "They have Toyota as their manufacturing partner and they have some great people inside that race team. So, no, Bill Davis Racing, that option is not all but dead but we've got to understand he's got to do what he thinks is right for his race team."
The 36-year-old Villeneuve is also determined to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Peugeot in June after making his initial appearance in last year's race.
"That's very important, but at the same time we have to build a strong program, not just for a few races but for the next five to 10 years," Villeneuve said. "Barry has been a big help in slowing me down, forcing me to think a little bit and not to think as a racer, going for a move and trying to overtake someone."

Fonte: http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3%20255313

Bill Beacon, THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL - Jacques Villeneuve hopes to have everything in place to relaunch his NASCAR career in time for his hometown race - the Napa Auto Parts 200 on Aug. 2 in Montreal.
The 1997 Formula One champion appeared at a packed news conference at his trendy downtown restaurant Newtown on Wednesday with Barry Green, who owned and ran the teams with whom he won Atlantic and CART championships and the Indianapolis 500 in the mid-1990s.
Green is acting as Villeneuve's business manager, mainly to find sponsorship to get a full-time ride in stock cars.
Villeneuve will take a second crack at winning the Le Mans 24 Hours race in June, then hopes to find a new home in NASCAR.
"Right now, the Le Mans 24 Hours with Peugeot is very important, but at the same time, we have to build a strong (NASCAR) program not just for a few races, but for the next five or 10 years," said Villeneuve.
"A good starting point would be Montreal. And the best situation would then be to finish the season in (Sprint) Cup cars. If a sponsor wants to move earlier, that would be great. I wouldn't say no."
Villeneuve recently parted with long-time manager Craig Pollock, but found he was out of his element trying to raise financial backing on his own.
He financed his own brief foray into stock cars and trucks last summer, and was invited by Bill Davis Racing to drive a car that was noticeably bare of corporate logos at last week's Daytona 500, where he failed to qualify for the main race.
Villeneuve realized he needed professional help to find sponsors and called Green, who was comfortably retired back home in Australia.
"Barry's been a big help in slowing me down, forcing me to think a bit and not think as a racer, but making sure we have a business plan and we know where we're going," the 36-year-old driver said.
"That's not an easy thing. My wife said that we should do that a month ago and I didn't listen to her."
At the back of the room was Stephen Bronfman, son of former Montreal Expos owner Charles Bronfman, who said he would try to "open doors" to the corporate world for Villeneuve.
It seems a natural.
Villeneuve is one of the best known drivers in motor racing and has titles from every series he has entered, although he hasn't done much winning since the decision to leave the powerful Williams team to join Pollock in launching the start-up BAR F1 team in 1999.
Green said finding companies willing to back a racing team is difficult no matter how good the driver is.
"It's a very tough business for a sponsor to measure," said Green. "It's all about winning.
"At Daytona, there were quite a number of good cars unsponsored there. I've been in racing many years, running teams, and every year there has been some famous team or driver struggling to get sponsorship. It's about finding the sponsor that wants to become part of the partnership and working together to get results."
Green said the main target for now is Canadian companies who may want to latch onto the sport's growing popularity. NASCAR will also have added Canadian presence this year with Patrick Carpentier of Joliette, Que., driving for the Gillett Evernham team.
Villeneuve's drawing power at home is unquestioned. He had little new to say at his news conference, but still drew more than 50 media people.
And he knows that NASCAR is where he wants to be, although he's willing to start out on the second-tier Nationwide series or even in Craftsman Trucks.
"There's F1 and NASCAR - those are the two professional ones," he said. "They're two extremes, so they don't compete with each other, but they're both exciting.
"As a driver, I've done what I have to do in F1, so what challenge is left apart from Le Mans, which is a special race?"
When he failed to qualify at Daytona, some felt Villeneuve would walk away from stock cars, but he appears more determined than ever to get back on the track.
He was a little peeved that some interpreted his decision not to stay for the main race as a sign of disloyalty to Davis Racing.
"What people forget is that when you don't qualify, the whole team leaves - the truck leaves and you leave," he said. "That's how it is at every race.
"Then, all of sudden I'm being criticized for not being there to support the team. I didn't qualify. What will I do at the race track, stand there with my hands in my pockets all day?"
The Davis team is now looking for another driver, which Villeneuve said was understandable because he has yet to raise sponsor money.
Green estimated that it takes between US$15-$25 million to run a car full-time on the Sprint Cup circuit.

Beijinhos, Ludy