After the Menards' family reunion of 2010, make room this year for the Villeneuves

Jacques Villeneuve Will Meet All the Villeneuves
Attending the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge

Montréal, July 19, 2011 - The surname Villeneuve can be found in all corners of Quebec, in some parts of Eastern Ontario and of the Northern bordering states, and among them, you will find many race fans with a patronym related to one of the most recognized names in motorsports. They are the folks that Jacques Villeneuve, driver of the #22 Penske Dodge, wants to meet for a family reunion on Saturday, August 20 at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge. The Canadian champion has agreed to spend some time with all the Villeneuves attending the event at the track that bears his father's name. An autograph session, group photos of all the Villeneuves and all the Jacques Villeneuves are on the program for the family reunion, the second event of the sort following last year's successful get together with American driver Paul Menard.

"Last year's experience with Paul Menard was a very pleasant one. All the Menards attending the reunion greatly appreciated the time spent with their distant cousin who was quite moved by it," said François Dumontier, President of Octane Management and delegated promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge. "This year, we decided to repeat the experience with one of our own, who will be competing in the main event on August 20, and we are delighted that Jacques Villeneuve has graciously accepted our invitation. Maybe, this reunion could make history by hosting the largest Villeneuve family gathering of all time."

Villeneuve families are numerous in Quebec. There are more than 930 of them in the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean region, close to 700 in the Québec City area, 500 in the Gatineau-Ottawa zone and more than one hundred in the Eastern Townships. The greater Montréal area is the residence of 950 Villeneuve families with 400 of them making their home on the island of Montréal, 200 on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River and 350 living north in Laval and the surrounding areas. There are more than 440 Villeneuve names listed in the Eastern Ontario phone books and over 200 Villeneuve families live in the bordering states of Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

"I gladly accepted the invitation from the promoters of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge," Jacques Villeneuve declared. "This is quite an original idea. I am eager to see how many Villeneuves will meet on that Saturday. Also, I can't wait to see how many namesakes will show up, I'm positive that most of them don't drive race cars for a living."

So, whether your lineage comes from Mathurin Villeneuve who came from Isle du Ré in France to New France in 1666, or you are descendants of Philippe Amyot dit Villeneuve, who landed on the new continent 31 years earlier, you could, if you are a race fan, meet with Jacques Villeneuve on Saturday morning, August 20. To be part of this friendly reunion, all the Villeneuve that have already bought, or intend to buy grandstand or general admission tickets, can register from July 22 through August 17 on the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge website at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca, and click on the "Villeneuve" tab. They will be kept informed by email on the precise time and place of this gathering.

Tickets for the 2011 Montreal NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge are currently on sale. To order the best grandstands tickets available and see Jacques Villeneuve on track on Friday and Saturday, August 19 and 20, as well as Patrick Carpentier, Andrew Ranger, Alex Tagliani, Danica Patrick, Reed Sorenson, Elliott Sadler and all the other NASCAR Nationwide stars, fans must call now 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca.

Mandated by Stock-Car Montréal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) based in Daytona Beach, Florida, Octane Management is, since 2009, the delegated promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge. ISC is the leading promoter of motorsports in North America, hosting over 100 major racing events each year.

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Media Information:

Marie-Pierre Laflamme
Media Services Manager
NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge
514 350-4731, extension 242
mplaflamme@octanemanagement.ca

Photo: Jacques Villeneuve.jpg
On Saturday, August 20, 2011, racecar driver Jacques Villeneuve will meet during a special family reunion with all the Villeneuves attending the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge.
Photo Credit: Stock-Car Montréal