JPM Released by Ganassi

[muggle not]

Rumor has it that JPM will be released by Ganassi at year's end.

[canamman]

Its true. Article on Jayski's. Too many good kids coming up in the ranks.
May see a land rush for the young talent now.

[MJ_N_09]

Kyle Larson in the #42 Target Chevy next year? Not likely, but I wouldn't be shocked if this was the case.

[mountainstar]

No surprise. I don't follow nascar closely but AFAIK he hasn't done much of anything.

[JHamilton]

Some young up and coming driver will get this ride and languish in obscurity forever. Chip's cars are crap.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Some young up and coming driver will get this ride and languish in obscurity forever. Chip's cars are crap.

Are the cars poor, or does the pilot not know how to extract the most from them & the engineering group to make them better?

[FPV8U]

Where to now for JPM, Grand Am or a smaller NASCAR operation?

[champcarman]

Love to see him back in an Indycar, he is still younger than Franchitti.

NASCAR is such a waste of talented drivers!

[Cynic]

Larson seem to be the hot favourite which means that it'll almost certainly be someone else!

I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner, although I am surpised that it's EGR that have pushed the button and not JPM. They've played pass-the-parcel with their crewcheifs and team personnel so often it's no wonder that both their drivers have struggled to make an impact.
Personally I'd like to see JPM continue in NASCAR. At 37 I think single seater racing isn't going to be an option unless he brings a lot of sponsor money. Otherwise I could see him going to Grand-Am or maybe ALMS (or whatever it's called these days)

[chunder]

For a guy that had the pace to beat anyone in F1, I am amazed he has lasted this long in NASCAR withut doing much, I know it's a totally different game but he had enough knowledge of oval racing from chamcar to be able to adjust and he simply hasnt.

A reputation keeping a seat isn't enough these days and he has had his chance, and more of a chance than some, so maybe the best thing to leave.

[Mike E]

Is it only the NASCAR team he is leaving or the whole Ganassi operation? I hope he continues in USCR next year. He has 3 Daytona 24 Hours wins to his name, including this year's race and would be a big name for the series.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

Some young up and coming driver will get this ride and languish in obscurity forever. Chip's cars are crap.

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Are the cars poor, or does the pilot not know how to extract the most from them & the engineering group to make them better?

In approximately 295 races for EGR, they have only 27 top 5s and 4 wins to show for, 2 of which were plate races at the same track and 1 of which was JPM on a road course. I am going with poor cars, but it could be argued either way. Felix seems to have done very well for himself in NASCAR with mediocrity.

Originally Posted by Mike E

Is it only the NASCAR team he is leaving or the whole Ganassi operation? I hope he continues in USCR next year. He has 3 Daytona 24 Hours wins to his name, including this year's race and would be a big name for the series.

Perhaps, sticking with Chip in the other series would be a logical choice, but there has been no comment from Chip on his contract as a whole with the organization. Just that he is out of EGR, which is actually separate from Ganassi racing itself.

[Marcus666]

I was just about to start a thread about "Where to for Montoya?". What do you guys think?

What are the alternatives?:

• Indycar (Franchitti, Dixon, Montoya and Kimball at Ganassi - epic line up!)?
• FIA WEC (LMP1 Porsche?)?
• Nationwide series?
• Grand AM?
• F1 (I certainly don't think so)?
• V8 Supercars?
• Stock Car Brazil?

I certainly hope he rejoins indycar now when twin turbos returns and aero packages gets introduced. If not, I would be happy if he joins Porsche in the FIA WEC.

/Marcus

[HJJ]

Who wants to be the next "Reed Sorenson"?

[FPV8U]

JPM has a lot of fitness work to do if he wants to go back to Open Wheel racing anytime soon, I'm thinking Grand Am as he has been part of the Daytona 24H winning team 3 times now.

[Marcus666]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pW6dn_C1U

You were not kidding when mentioning he needs alot of fitness work.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Who wants to be the next "Reed Sorenson"?

Ha! It's funny cause it's true.

[Clive Brown]

I've been saying for years that Montoya was being a fool unto himself with his misguided loyalty to the crap team that is EGR. In my view, he should have gone to a blue-chip team years ago; I believe that in a front-line team, he would have been a multiple Cup winner years ago.

Now his chickens have come home to roost. His inertia in promoting his own career has been rewarded in spades by getting canned by a **** team; where on earth does he go in Cup racing from here? Furniture Row if Kurt Busch gets to move on at the end of the season?

[FIRE]

Would like to see him in WEC.

[chunder]

There are a few guys in NASCAR that ought to move on, Casey Mears being another, plenty of guys get few chances, and this guy, Patrick, Montoya, Allmendinger and a few others seem to waft on without doing a lot and keep their rides

It should be more cutthroat, might encourage better racing too

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Marcus666

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pW6dn_C1U

You were not kidding when mentioning he needs alot of fitness work.

That's what living in 'Merica will do to you - spending money on three TVs so you don't have to move to turn them on.

As far as potential series go, V8 Supercars is not an option. Jacques did it and failed (rather spectacularly, I might add). Formula 1 - no freaking way. JPM's too old, fat, and untalented to do anything with that career anymore - plus he's got a bad history. IndyCar is too physically demanding. I could see doing a Ganassi deal with the USCR next year, but he'd still have to start working out. If he wants to go "back on the road" and do world events, then the 2014 Porsche seat could be his if he really, really tries.

[HJJ]

JPM will be lucky to race Brazilian stock cars. If he wants to stay in Nascar he will have to take a huge salary cut. If someone wants him. Maybe a road course ringer?

[Paradise City]

Retirement. Maybe an annual one off at the Daytona 24. He'll probably decline Indy 500 offers.

I don't see him in the WEC. Porsche won't have him, all the other seats are booked up and class wins won't inspire him.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Retirement. Maybe an annual one off at the Daytona 24. He'll probably decline Indy 500 offers.

I don't see him in the WEC. Porsche won't have him, all the other seats are booked up and class wins won't inspire him.

Are you suggesting that NASCAR did inspire him?

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Are you suggesting that NASCAR did inspire him?

Initially it did, then the flame burnt out.