Montoya goes to NASCAR for '07

This is unexpected and qutie shocking.

Associated Press

7/9/2006 11:40:01 AM

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya will drive in NASCAR for Chip Ganassi Racing next season, team owner Chip Ganassi said Sunday.

Montoya, who drove for Ganassi in Indy-style racing before moving up to Formula One, joined Ganassi at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday morning. He met with his new crew members at the No. 42 team and attended a closed-door meeting with NASCAR officials, including NASCAR president Mike Helton.

Ganassi said Montoya will drive the No. 42 car full-time next season, but may enter selected Busch Series this year after he finishes the season with the McLaren-Mercedes team.

Now I'm not sure what I'm doing more - laughing or feeling sorry. Laughing because this has to be a big, and IMO a well-deserved hit on Juan's ego, but at the same time I'm sad because the guy has so much talent he didn't manage to apply and so much potential he never managed to fulfill. He's one of the fastest guys in F1 at the moment, and he certainly deserves to be in F1 more than quite a few we see driving there now. I certainly don't understand why he chose NASCAR, there are much better options out there, both open wheel and sports car, quess a lot of it is down to marketing.

Indy-style racing? He raced for chip in CART and indy didnt he? Also i loved how he avioded the pay cut ? that was great. But much like you ales i laughed and fell sorry JP is a great driver imo he is brave he will make a pass where many not dare sure it gets him hell somtimes but to me i'd rather have a driver show some balls and go for the move then lay back. I was hoping ot see JP at renault next year.

He raced for Chip in CART (and very successfully), but NASCAR is nothing like Indy/CART, that's a big step down imo (for a driver), although it's still the most popular type of motorsport in the US.

His ego always overshadowed his talent, it does open up an interesting silly season for F1 too.

Wow, that's certainly random.


What's next? Michael Schumacher to race Sprint cars? (Although that would be worth seeing.)

if you listen to what montoya said, sounds to me like he made the choice entirely on his own, as in he wanted to do it. i dont think he was having fun in F1 and thats what it came down to. maybe he just wants a new challenge. but i didnt exactly see it coming, i was shocked too.

Wouldn't it be great if he was competitive with the rest of the NASCAR drivers? I mean, like he was in the top 5 consistently... that'd be awesome.

this will certainltly prove JPs driving talent switching from the best open wheel has to offer to the best stock car has to maybe next we'll see him in a Lemans car?? lol

Wouldn't it be great if he was competitive with the rest of the NASCAR drivers? I mean, like he was in the top 5 consistently... that'd be awesome.

i doubt that will happen immediatly, but eventually i think it is definatly possible for him to be a top driver. he is a very good driver.

I heard a rumor on the radio today that Danica Patrick is considering leaving Rahal Letterman and going to NASCAR. I doubt this is true, but has anybody else heard this?

I heard a rumor on the radio today that Danica Patrick is considering leaving Rahal Letterman and going to NASCAR. I doubt this is true, but has anybody else heard this?

oh its true alright, check out espn.com its on there. her dad has been negotiating with nascar teams trying to find her a ride. it doesnt mean though that she will be in nascar, he is also negotiating with other indy car teams. i think she wants to be in nascar. ive heard her mention it in an interview before and there is more money/fame to be had in nascar. but like i said, it doesnt mean she will be in nascar, there is just a chance. besides, if i were her i would want to get out of RLR if i could. they are light years behind ganassi and penske, and really they are behind andretti green too thanks to the brilliant mid-season chassis swap.

De la Rosa replaces Montoya from the French GP onwards.



Woking, Great Britain, Tuesday 11th July 2006: Team McLaren Mercedes and Juan Pablo Montoya have mutually agreed for him to step down in the forthcoming races of this year's Formula 1 World Championship. The team has decided that Pedro de la Rosa will join Kimi Raikkonen in the race driver line-up.

Juan Pablo has been an energetic member of the team since 2005, but will now spend the next few months based in Miami with his family and wife Connie who is expecting their second child in September. Following his agreement with Chip Ganassi Racing for next year, Juan Pablo will also be making initial preparations for his debut in a Chrysler Dodge NASCAR.

Pedro will make his second race appearance for the team following a thrilling points scoring debut in the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix.

"Juan Pablo is an exciting driver and immensely likeable character who will undoubtedly make a successful transition to the NASCAR scene," said Ron Dennis, CEO and Chairman of the McLaren Group. "We have agreed that with so many things happening in Juan Pablo's life right now, he should take some time out of the car and prepare professionally and personally for the future."

"We believe that Juan Pablo's decision to move to NASCAR is very important for him professionally and we will give him every support to ensure that it is a successful transition," said Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

"I know that it will be a tough transition but I'm really excited about the opportunity to move into the NASCAR championship," said Juan Pablo Montoya. "I have enjoyed most of my time in Formula 1 and I'm grateful for this opportunity to settle my personal life and concentrate on my future career."

"I'm of course extremely thrilled to have this opportunity to race the MP4-21 – a car in which I'm really comfortable," said Pedro de la Rosa. "I know the MP4-21 better than anyone else and I'm confident that I can achieve important World Championship points for the team."

This totaly blew me away when it was announced earlier in the week. Going back to work with Chip was always a possibility, but I figured IRL or a return to Champcar. Although thinking about it, Montoya is Columbian, not far from the USA so maybe NASCAR is big at home? I didn't even realise Ganassi had a team in NASCAR.

The early exit was also a big surprise, probably hinting more than anything of internal tensions at McLaren. Good to see Pedro de la Rossa having a chance to race the MP4-21. Remember his very entertaining race at Bahrain last year?

I know this is a controversial stand, but I believe JP Montoya is taking a step UP as a driver.

I like F1, but it really is an engineer's sport. The F1 championship is won in the drafting room. You need a truly remarkably skilled driver to bring out the best in the car, and run a near flawless race, but it's the car that wins the races. In NASCAR, where there are fewer differences in cars, the driver and crew chief matter so much more to the success of a team.

I think the reward is worth the risk. What happens if JP wins the F1 championship? Money, a little fame. A footnote in the motorsports history books. What happens if JP Montoya wins the Daytona 500 or the Nextel Cup? Instant icon status. The only Latino driver in a country with a growing Latin population? He'd be bigger than Jeff Gordon. He might be still, even if he never wins a race.

:2cents:

Carinfoguy,Your absolutely right when you say F1 is an engineers sport, and back to danica patrick,I hate the fact how so many drivers get their way into NASCAR and such because mommy and daddy fund it,I like to see drivers come from the local track,using their own money and make things happen,its all MONEY!..but then again thats how the world turns.

Carinfoguy,Your absolutely right when you say F1 is an engineers sport, and back to danica patrick,I hate the fact how so many drivers get their way into NASCAR and such because mommy and daddy fund it,I like to see drivers come from the local track,using their own money and make things happen,its all MONEY!..but then again thats how the world turns.

i dont think danicas parents fund her... shes quite wealthy

[QUOTE=CarInfoGuy]I know this is a controversial stand, but I believe JP Montoya is taking a step UP as a driver.

I like F1, but it really is an engineer's sport. The F1 championship is won in the drafting room. You need a truly remarkably skilled driver to bring out the best in the car, and run a near flawless race, but it's the car that wins the races. In NASCAR, where there are fewer differences in cars, the driver and crew chief matter so much more to the success of a team.

I think the reward is worth the risk. What happens if JP wins the F1 championship? Money, a little fame. A footnote in the motorsports history books. What happens if JP Montoya wins the Daytona 500 or the Nextel Cup? Instant icon status. The only Latino driver in a country with a growing Latin population? He'd be bigger than Jeff Gordon. He might be still, even if he never wins a race.[QUOTE=CarInfoGuy]

From Jayski.com

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has made it very clear that Juan Pablo Montoya will not be able to drive a Dodge Nextel Cup car for Chip Ganassi until the end of his contract at the end of the year – unless a financial deal of some kind is made in the interim. There is a DaimlerChrysler link between the two camps, but that does not seem to have helped smooth the waters. “He is a contracted McLaren driver and it will stay that way until the end of his contract unless there is some other commercial arrangement between ourselves and the NASCAR team, or Juan himself,” Dennis said Friday at the French Grand Prix. He added that Montoya would not be allowed to test for Ganassi this year, and that the contract extended beyond the end of the racing season. “There is a conflict of sponsors, advertising campaigns and a whole raft or reasons why that is not a practical proposition

IMO:
If JP were to win the daytona 500 he would be become hugly popular in America and in Mexico but other then that alot of the world doesn't care for Nascar. Yeah They will come and watch b/c its a form of racing they've never seen but the popularity of F1 next to Nascar is like World Cup vs NCAA Final Four. And while yes you need a good car to win a race its the same in Nascar. Personally Chip has sucked the past few years imo b/c he is with Dodge. Say JP where to get in with Hendrick,Rousch, or Evernham then he would have a better chance at winnign just like F1. While they are fewer differnces big teams still win.

the dodge does have problems with the nose and whatnot, i thought i remembered hearing something about them having a new nose next year though :dunno:

They are working on it yeah but i wonder if Ron Dennis wont let him get in another car till the year ends that wont give JP enough time to get NASCAR apporval for daytona at minum unless he makes a GREAT showing at testing

They are working on it yeah but i wonder if Ron Dennis wont let him get in another car till the year ends that wont give JP enough time to get NASCAR apporval for daytona at minum unless he makes a GREAT showing at testing

yeah i hope they dont do that, but i dont think they will. he said they still can call him in if they want, but earlier they said he was free to go... so i think they were just trying to say that he isnt completely free yet but they want him to be able to work on his nascar stuff some. kinda like a warning, that the possibility is still there for him to be needed over in F1. thats how i took it.

I for one am glad to see the back of Montoya. He was a spoilt, over-rated prima donna who was at best on the second tier with Coulthard, Fisichella, Trulli, Webber etc.


It's nice to have Pedro back, he certainly without fail provides entertaining motorsport. I'm definitely putting my money on Paffet snapping up that second seat next year, though.

Rather than make a new thread for this, ill just do it in here, its only 3 months old.

Its really quite a simple question, will you watch any races to see how montoya does?

interesting note, Allmendinger from champ car (won 5 races) just singed into nascar also.