The 2009 Daytona 500 - the opening round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup - will be run without the presence of Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

The 1997 World Champion told Auto123.com that he would not be in Daytona for the race. He and his manager Barry Green have been unable to raise sufficient sponsorship to secure a good car for the prestigious race.

Jacques Villeneuve now focuses on the next round of the Speedcar series, which will be held on the evenings of Friday February 13 and Saturday Feb. 14 on the Losail circuit in Qatar.


Photo Credit : Speedcar