A weekly wrap of motorsport from around the world.

FORMER world champion Jacques Villeneuve could be back in Formula One. He is being considered for a spot at Stefan GP, which hopes to take the entry from the troubled USF1 team. USF1 wants to skip the first four races, which could result in it being excluded from the championship.

BROOKE Tatnell has claimed another sprintcar victory, this time in the King of Wings contest in Perth. After nailing his eighth World Series championship he is competing in several WA races before returning to the US hoping for a regular ride in the World of Outlaws series.

MARCOS Ambrose had another miserable run in the second leg of the Sprint Cup in California. He did only 170 laps of 250 because his Nascar Toyota overheated. He was 35th in a race won by defending champion Jimmie Johnson, leaving him 39th in the standings after an engine failure in the Daytona 500.

TODD and Rick Kelly battled back in the pack during the V8 Supercar opener at Abu Dhabi, but have already had one win to celebrate. The Jack Daniel's Racing duo teamed for the Southern 80 waterski race on the Murray River and won their class. Rick drove their 300-horsepower Velocity boat, fellow driver Dale Wood was observer and Todd was on skis alongside Lloyd Woolman.

ELI Evans is ready to go after a successful shakedown at Broadford with the Honda Civic Type R he will drive in this year's Australian Rally Championship.  The left-hand-drive Civic was repainted in Honda Australia's colours when it arrived from Italy. Evans and co-driver Glen Weston will run it for the first time this weekend in the all-bitumen Rally Tasmania.

FOR the third straight year more than 500 cars will compete at Phillip Island's Classic Festival of Motor Sport the weekend before the Australian Grand Prix. The event celebrates the centenary of Alfa Romeo in Australia, and includes an appearance by the 1951 world title-winning Alfa 148 Alfetta driven by Giuseppe Farina. It will also mark the 40th birthday of the Holden Torana and 60th year in motorsport of Bob Holden, who won Bathurst in 1966.  Forty-eight events will be held from March 19-21. Details at www.vhrr.com and www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

VALENTINO Rossi has started the Moto GP season where he finished it: in front. The Yamaha rider was four-tenths of a second faster than Casey Stoner on a Ducati in the first official pre-season test at Sepang. Rossi did his rivals no favours by hinting he may extend his Moto GP career if the proposed rule changes to 1000cc bikes are adopted in 2012.