JV’s finishing position of 21st in the Smith’s Las Vegas 350 failed to convey what a positive impression he produced over the weekend.

The French/Canadian exceeded even the most optimistic predictions by qualifying seventh, and despite losing a clutch of positions at the start of the race, he continued to set an impressive pace before crashing into the rear of Brian Scott’s red truck.

An emergency pit-stop cost JV two laps, although he managed to claw one back in his damaged his Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra before finishing in 21st place.

"That was a lot of fun – the most fun I’ve had in a race car for many years," beamed Jacques afterwards. "You can really slide the truck a lot, and it’s predictable, so the risk of crashing is less than I expected.

"When I hit the red car, it didn’t feel too bad, but I was surprised by how much damage it did. The guys did a great job, but it became difficult to lap anything like as fast as I’d been doing.

"In terms of clear objectives, to qualify and finish the race, we’ve done both, and I’ve spent the maximum amount of time in the car, learning a lot. I can’t wait for Talladega."

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