One of the most decorated drivers in motorsports history is back in NASCAR for a one-off this weekend at Watkins Glen International.
Juan Pablo Montoya.
The seven-time Formula 1 race winner, CART IndyCar Series champion, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, IMSA Prototype champion and two-race Cup Series winner is driving this weekend for 23XI Racing, his first start in Cup since 2014, as part of an activation with sponsor Mobil1.
Montoya has spent most of his time in recent years helping point his son Sebastian towards a Formula 1 career, himself.
“I really wanted to focus on Sebastian,” Montoya said. “We did F3 this year, and we are trying to figure out next year, but hopefully the plan will be F2, and that is it,” he said.
23XI team president Steve Lauletta, who was at Chip Ganassi Racing when he raced there, was the driving force behind making this happen.
“I said yeah, I think it would be cool,” Montoya said. “It is kind of funny because you would ask me last year, and I would be like ‘no, no way.’ Then the idea comes, and I’m like ‘huh, I honestly think it is pretty cool.’
“The idea behind it is pretty cool, and the cars are really competitive, so why not? I really don’t have a reason not to do it. I feel like I can still do a good job.”
Montoya is still racing shifting karts and feels like his muscle memory is still there, and he certainly looked like it in practice as well.
“Will just drive the car,” Montoya said. “If the car is good, you will look good. If it’s bad, you are going to look bad. I don’t think the car is bad, but it is if I’m comfortable in it or not. I told the guys that I would be surprised if we qualified really well – like I should qualify pretty decent though.
“When I won here, I didn’t even put it on the pole here. I finished in the top-five, I don’t know how many times in the Cup races here, and I used to qualify 12th to 15th, I don’t know. We will see.”
Montoya said he doesn’t know what to expect because prior to the start of the weekend, he just had a one hour shakedown session in the NextGen car at Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia.
“I think I should run pretty well, but that is all I can tell you right now,” Montoya said with a laugh. “I felt pretty good with the car. I felt like it was easier to drive than the last car, and then, you talk to our teammates and the team and everyone is like, ‘it is so difficult to drive,’ and you are like okay, and you talk to (Michael) McDowell, and he’s like ‘It is much easier to drive – it is more like at GT3,’ and I’m like ‘that’s what I thought,’ and then you talk to (Max) Papis and then you are like ‘I don’t know.’
“I’m just going to go out there and – it’s either going to be oh, ‘it’s not too bad’ or I’m going to go, ‘oh shit’ but we will see.”
Montoya quickly adapted to Stock Cars upon making the jump from F1 to NASCAR in 2007. He won twice in the Cup Series for a Ganassi team that was a fringe top-10 organization and challenged for the playoffs in an era where fewer teams made the final 10 race showdown.
“I thought it was pretty good honestly, for the cars that I was in and the equipment we were in, I think in a couple of years we were not great, but we made the Chase, we fought for the championship – we did a lot of things with a lot less than the other teams, personally thinking,” Montoya said. “I think our best run was with Brian (Pattie).
“When Brian was there, he was taking care of everything. When the new crew chief (Chris Heroy) came in, and he stayed there until I left, it was a bit of a joke, but what can you do.”
It’s an interesting dynamic because he’s making his first start in 10 years in a playoff race in which half the field is racing for a championship. Montoya is a notoriously fierce competitor.
“I’m excited to have him here but I hope he keeps the guys racing for a championship in the back of his mind,” said contender William Byron.
Will he?
“I will be nice and respectful of everyone that is nice and respectful for me,” Montoya said. “I don’t want to get in a pissing contest with anyone. I want to run well. If I get to you, and I’m quicker than you – I’m going to try to pass you. If you get to me, and you are quicker than me, there is reason – the race is long enough.
“Like always, you wait for the adjustment and make the car better – if you make someone miserable at the start of the race, they are going to return the favor later. I know I’m doing one-off. I will be respectful of everyone that is respectful of me. It is not that hard.”
Is he open to more one offs beyond this weekend?
“I don’t know,” Montoya said. “Let’s do this weekend and then we will see. Honestly, I probably some day – if someone comes to me one day and asks me if I want to do a one-off, I would probably say yes, but it is Saturday morning, so we will see.”