Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start in 10 years Sunday. The 48-year-old IndyCar champion, multi-time Formula One race winner and NASCAR standout last competed in a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2014 making a pair of starts for Team Penske. He won at Watkins Glen in 2010 – one of two NASCAR Cup Series career victories.
Montoya has spent much of the last few years travelling the world with his 19-year-old son Sebastien who is competing in the FIA Formula 3 championship and is part of the prestigious Red Bull Junior Team. He said this weekend’s ride was a result of a phone conversation early this year with 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta, who Montoya worked with at Chip Ganassi Racing during his career.
Although Montoya was given some practice laps at Virginia International Raceway in preparation for Sunday’s race, Montoya was careful not to set specific expectations for the weekend – in a race against only a handful of drivers he’s competed alongside before. He did, however, insist he would race hard – as he always has – and will need to starting 34th on the grid.
“I want to have a clean day, a good day, and try to be competitive,” Montoya said. “If someone is quicker, they are quicker – if you are quicker, you are going to try to go by. Try to keep it as simple as possible, but you never know. If everybody races the hell out of you, then you are going to race the hell out of everybody. I have no issues with that either.”
Montoya, who has kept busy competing in the World Endurance Challenge (WEC) and IMSA series, did at least keep a return appearance on the table.
“Let’s do this weekend and then we will see,” he said. “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.”
Montoya will roll off 34th Sunday.
