Jacques Godard

Jacques Alain Godard (born 7 February 1957 in Paris, France) is a French former racing driver and team owner, best known for his time in the Dywa Grand Prix Series. Between 1978 and 1980 he was known under his racing pseudonym "Michel Vaillant". While not particularly known for his qualifying prowess, Godard's racecraft and consistency were a strong point already from his Dywa stint and more so during the rest of his career.

Godard was a fairly talented driver in his karting days, and moved to the Dywa Grand Prix Series for his first taste of open-wheel racing. His father was a friend of the comic's creator Jean Graton, and to aid Jacques' career, Graton agreed to sponsor his team with the caveat being that Jacques would drive under the pseudonym of "Michel Vaillant", complete with the famous blue helmet. Driving in 1978 for Vaillante Équipe Dywa France, Godard initially struggled in qualifying; however in round 2 of the season at Imola, he produced a remarkable drive to win the race after starting from 26th (and last) place on the grid.

Disillusioned with the lack of safety in Dywa GP, the Frenchman considered leaving for sportscars at the end of the 1978 season, however he agreed to race a partial schedule in his sophomore year alongside a full-time gig in European Formula 3 in 1979. Later that year, Godard took part in three rounds of the 1979 BMW M1 Procar Championship for Gilden Kölsch Racing, with hopes of making the full schedule in 1980. At the end of 1980, Godard - now fully convinced about making a solid motorsports career - dropped his alias and started racing under his real name. After moving away from formula racing in 1983 he became a stable part of the French and international sportscar racing scenes and was a frequent participant at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

While initially having a somewhat lukewarm relationship due to their different upbringings, Godard and his Dywa France teammate Tim Floc'h eventually became very good friends (also pairing up for Le Mans on several occasions) and formed FG Compétition in 1989. That year they entered the French Supertouring Championship with Godard at the wheel and with the aim to move to the World Touring Car Masters within five years. Eventually, Godard made his WTCM debut in 1993; he paid homage to his former identity by running their first race in a Vaillante-sponsored car.

After his adventure in touring cars, Godard returned to GT racing with spells in the FFSA GT Championship and the FIA GT Championship. He retired from motorsport in 2004.

Results

Dywa Grand Prix Series

Season	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Pts	Pos
1978	Template:FRA Vaillante Équipe Dywa France	PER 15	IMO 1	ROU 8	NOR 19	SYR 17	MUG 15	PAU 7	CAS 3	CHA 17	MNZ 11	14	6th