Alex Roy’s Team Polizei HQ

Villeneuve.

You know the name, even if you can’t place it.

I, however, am referring to Rene Villeneuve…the other Villeneuve, the Villeneuve you want to have drinks with, the Villeneuve who vaulted Polizei from the street to the track, the Villeneuve who - as Polizei 144 Racing Team Captain - will lead the Polizei/TRG Interceptor 144P into professional motorsport on May 17th at Laguna Seca.

Without Rene Villeneuve, Team Polizei would never had made the lap. I couldn’t be more proud to have him lead us, to have him as my instructor, and to have him as a friend. I’m not alone, because whereas Rene is Team Captain, our other driver - Ferrari Challenge veteran & new Polizei Master Pilot Henri Richard - has also been racing under Rene’s instruction.

And thus the team was born.

I first met Rene several years ago when I attended Skip Barber at Laguna Seca, but, with only Gumball stories to tell, didn’t think it fit I bring those up among proper race instructors, let alone the other students. We re-met through mutual friends last year, and once I recognized him I tried to strike up a conversation about endurance driving - an effort totally in vain -  until a passerby mentioned my team’s 31:04 record. Rene burst out laughing, and a friendship was born.

Last week I asked him some basic questions I hoped would convey who he really is…for Rene isn’t the attention-seeker I’m so often accused of being. Rene is one of many race drivers who remain humble in their acheivements, who teaches racing while raising his two daughters and - just like the rest of us - enjoys driving on the street.

So of course I asked about fear, street racing vs. pro racing, games, the Cannonball, Gumball, favorite cars and co-pilot selection. And Jaques. Read the full interview after the jump…

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