Villeneuve to run Cup race at Watkins Glen

UPDATE #2 Reed Sorenson will drive the #43 Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International. The Petty team retained Jacques Villeneuve as a substitute driver in case Sorenson continued to suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide he inhaled in Monday's race at Pocono. Fortunately, Sorenson has recovered from the accident. Owners George and Foster Gillett along with the Richard Petty Motorsports team appreciate Villeneuve's willingness to help out on such short notice. RPM

08/05/09 NASCAR driver Reed Sorenson inhaled carbon monoxide during Monday's Sprint Cup race at Pocono, and his team has asked former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve to be on standby this weekend at Watkins Glen.

Details of Sorenson's illness were not immediately available Wednesday. He finished 35th in the rain-delayed race, 15 laps down.

If Sorenson can't drive, Villeneuve would step into the No. 43 Dodge. The 1997 Formula One champion from Iberville, Que., attempted to drive Cup cars in 2008 for Bill Davis Racing, but he failed to make the season-opening Daytona 500 and never secured sponsorship to keep the team afloat.

08/05/09 Dominic Fugère of Rue Frontenac reports that Jacques Villeneuve will run the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International. No team is mentioned in the article. Rue Frontenac