WATCH: Jacques Villeneuve Looks Absolutely Elated After Qualifying for His First Daytona 500

At long last, Jacques Villeneuve is finally going to realize his dream of racing in the Daytona 500. He had attempted to qualify in 2008 but missed out on that occasion. This time, there is no stopping him, and he will compete in the iconic event for the very first time.

When the 1997 F1 champion finally qualified, one could not blame him for looking elated. In fact, he described the feeling as ‘amazing’ and he couldn’t wait for the race to begin. Obviously, he has no delusions of winning, especially since he is up against seasoned drivers and talented youngsters. Instead, he is merely looking forward to having a good time on the race track.

He said,“Obviously, it’s not a win. It’s not like winning the Indy 500 or the F1 championship. But at this point in my career, the last time I tried to qualify here was 14 years ago, just to make the show is incredible. Because we’re a small team, we didn’t link up with a big team to get the car ready, and it’s highly unexpected to be able to make it on time. So it ranks right after these big wins.”

What to expect from Jacques Villeneuve?

As mentioned before, it is highly unlikely that Villeneuve could win the race. While stranger things have happened, he is 50 years old, and Team Hezeberg is a brand new team. The prospect of him winning for a new outfit would probably be something out of a fairy tale. However, Villeneuve’s primary target will be to try and beat his personal best finish in the Cup Series.

To be precise, he has a highest finish of 21st, which was at the Talladega Superspeedway. Considering that Talladega and Daytona are both superspeedways, the Canadian will likely have a good chance of a decent finish.

Admittedly, the Daytona 500 is unpredictable and no one can predict how the race unfolds.

READ MORE: Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve Can’t Stop Thanking the NASCAR Next Gen Car After His Sensational Daytona 500 Qualification