Montoya to NASCAR

[the.cosmic.pope]

Thats already been planned.

[kingfloopy]

I imagine it'll be rough for him at first especially since the team he's driving for hasn't won in four years, but I think if anyone from F1 can drive well in NASCAR it'd be Montoya. I think the initial shock of the change (F1 cars and stock cars are very different) he will run well and Ganassi usually keeps drivers around for as long as possible even if they don't run the greatest (Mears is an example).

J.D.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by silver bullet

Montoya will have to do some Busch races before he can race in the cup.

Depends on what Cup races you'd be interested in doing and your previous racing experience. If you would be interested in trying to qualify for any races on tracks of one mile or less (or longer tracks with low banking), you would most likely get approval from NASCAR with little or no NASCAR experience - case in point Japanese GT-racer Hideo Fukuyama who made four NASCAR Cup starts at Dover, Martinsville, Las Vegas and Sonoma in 2002 and 2003. He did not make any Busch Series starts, and as far as I know the limited number of ARCA races he did all came in 2003.

Given Montoyas previous high-speed racing experience, both on ovals and road-courses, I'm pretty sure NASCAR would have no problem approving him for the faster, high-banked 1.5 mile tracks, as well as the longer, flatter ones such as Michigan, Fontana, Pocono and Indianapolis. As mentioned in another thread, however, Daytona and Talladega, with the fast, high-banked restricted pack-racing we see there would be something different altogether, and I think those two tracks are the only two NASCAR would like to see Montoya get better prepared for. The others, however, most likely wouldn't be a problem, and if he wanted and Ganassi could provide a car I think he would get approval to try and qualify for the four remaining Cup races (Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead) after the Formula 1 season ends this year.

Looking around I found this quote from NASCAR boss Mike Helton, which in my opinion only seems to reinforce my thoughts above:

"Juan Pablo's experience gives us a different level for us evaluating him and his ability to participate at Daytona than someone who doesn't have that level of experience. He has a lot of experience to bank on when it comes to us, and we're well aware of that. And there will be some things we will work with Chip and Juan Pablo on, to get him comfortable with us and himself and the garage area so he can compete at Daytona."

To me that doesn't sound there will be a lot of problems, other than the obvious of Montoya getting used to the NASCAR enviroment, the car and so on of course.

That said, however, every bit of experience he can get before next season is obviously valuable, be it in Busch and/or NEXTEL Cup

One thing I like is that Montoya doesn't seem to have a problem with doing Busch Series races as well - from motorsport.com:

"Knowing they had a seat available here, it was a pretty exciting challenge. My family is welcomed, and I'm welcomed and that's exciting. My wife asked me if I was sure I wanted to do the Busch races. I said if you've got a choice between sitting in the motorhome or sitting in the racecar and learning, I'll take the racecar."

Now that's the attitude of a racer, and an open-wheel driver more likely to follow the same path Tony Stewart did as opposed to that of Scott Pruett or Christian Fittipaldi and the other "outsiders" who came poorly prepared into NASCAR with the wrong attitude (and failed miserably as a result).

Phew, ok, I'm done typing now lol. Got a bit carried away there, and, damn it, the more I think about it, the more excited I get about this - 2007 can't get here soon enough (or the end of this year, for that matter)

[Adam43]

I think that is a good round-up and shows a sensible position of all involved.

I have been impressed with the way Montoya has been talking about this. He wants to do it and he knows it is going to be hard. However he also aprreciates that this means it is going to be fun.

[Fish_Flake]

People are already comparing this move to Scott Pruett's ill-fated attempt at NASCAR in 2000. This is different in one big respect, that Montoya will be joining an established race team at the Ganassi stable, whereas Pruett was driving for a brand new organization during his rookie season. Not only was it Pruett's first experience in stock-car racing, but also Cal Wells and PPI Motorsports's. The team failed to qualify for three of the first six races, and the season didn't get any better from there: they were playing catchup from very early on because of that experience lost from those DNQs.

Qualifying procedure is different from what it was in 2000; the top 35 teams in owner points are a lock to qualify now, and the first five races in the season use the previous season's owner points as a benchmark. This rule would have hurt Pruett and PPI's progress even more had it been in place in 2000, but it will be Montoya's safety net in 2007. The driver currently in the #42 car, Casey Mears, is currently 15th in Nextel Cup points: therefore, Chip Ganassi is 15th in owner points, as all of Mears' points in his car are allocated to him, too. Barring a complete catastrophe, Ganassi's #42 entry will finish 2006 comfortably inside the top 35 in the owner's standings, and it is guaranteed to race in the first five events in 2007, regardless of who's driving it.

This means that should Juan have problems adjusting to restrictor plate racing (remember the Daytona 500 runs two heat races to determine qualifying position beyond the front row) or meet difficulties finding the pace at the first short track race (Bristol or Martinsville, the fifth race regardless), he still will be in the field for the race, and gain invaluable experience racing in the packs typical of stock cars. In addition, since he'll be racing in all five events, it is extremely likely that the #42 car will stay in the top 35 in owner points (since only 43 cars take the green flag in a race, and several of the 36-and-down entries will catch a break and fail to qualify), giving him a further cushion should things so sour.

The big issue with the adjustment to stock cars is on-track race experience, and being able to overtake and keep the car in working order while three-wide and six-deep. As long as Juan qualifies for the race, he will gain more and more on-track experience, and his results will improve as the season goes on.

[kingfloopy]

Judging from how Montoya has done in the past as a rookie I think he'll adapt very quickly to the stock cars. If the team he's driving for can get there stuff together then it will be a potent package and certainly capable of winning races.

He shouldn't have to run any Busch races ahead of time, his FIA license that allows him to run F1 cars at 230mph will probably be enough to satisfy NASCAR that he can handle himself. He will run some Busch races however primarily for experience.

J.D.

[BootsOntheSide]

The rule Fish_Flake describes sounds incredibly unfair on new teams trying to establish themselves, in a series which is becoming dominated by a hadnful of owneers with multi-car teams.

Realistically, what kind of results can JPM expect? Rookie of the Year in 2007? Making the Chase in 2008? Championship contention in 2009?

[Knowlesy]

I am the same Adam, I am getting more and more worked up over this switch. It is exciting, refeshing, and has a lot of the unknown about it. Although I was thrilled already, now I'm hyper!

More importantly, Montoya is happy, which is crucial. He apparently turned down F1 drives (including a last minute Williams bid) to do this. He wants to do it, he needs to do it. And he's going home too.

Let's see what happens.

[rustyfan]

Some additional comments from various NASCAR drivers about Montoya's move to NASCAR:

Kasey Kahne:

Man, it's awesome. I think Juan Montoya, he's awesome. He's a winner in everything he's ever been in. You know, racing with – whether it's F1, IndyCars, IRL, won the Indy 500 in only one attempt. Pretty neat for NASCAR. Neat to be able to race with him, someone I've always enjoyed watching and thought was one of the best race car drivers.

Mark Martin:

He's a world-class driver. Leaving F1 to come to NASCAR, you know, is a real compliment to all of us, everyone in NASCAR, where they have come, certainly have arrived. I think it's going to be great for everyone. It's really neat.

It's quite an accomplishment for Chip Ganassi. I think it's really cool. He's at the age that he can come and do this. It's not getting late in his career, like some other open-wheel drivers that probably would like to make the switch now, that it's getting more late in their career.

Matt Kenseth:

Obviously, everybody knows who he is, how talented he is. I think that will be really great for the sport. I mean, I've heard everybody's reaction that I talked to, really excited about it, think it's really cool. Kind of a surprise to me, you know, when I heard it. But I've never met him. I don't know him. But I think it's really cool that he's going to show up there and race.

(From today's teleconference in Indianapolis, held in regards to the current NEXTEL Cup testing going on there.)

[Adam43]

I think Mark Martin's point is very relevant. He isn't making the move towards the end of his career it is right in the middle. Great stuff.

It is good that they all seem up for it. Alot of pointlessly negative things have been said about this, but then the people actually involved come along and restore your faith.

[JohnSSC]

Wasn't sure whether to post here or F1. Picked here because it seems to make sense to do so! The F1 forum (no offense) is spiraling in a sort of discussion over whether NASCAR is "worthy" or not of being considered a top series.

I want to stay away from that.

I have to say that while I prefer F1 to NASCAR, I grew up watching NASCAR and still enjoy a Friday night at the local dirt track. The thing that has always struck me about JPM (going back to his CART days) was his car control. He could toss a car around like nobody's business. If I hadn't known differently I would have thought this boy had grown up driving sprinters/Outlaws. I loved it. When he went to F1, I was tickled. Just the kind of guy to kick-start some fun on the track and boy does he ever! Does he make mistakes? Yep! Does he push the envelope? Yep! Why? He is a racer, pure and simple.

Now what does this have to do with anything? Racers want to race. They want to go at it mano a mano in whatever it is they happen to be racing (see Tony Stewart). For multiple reasons you can't do that in F1. You CAN do that in NASCAR.

God bless him for having the kind of ego that is big enough to let him be at the top of the sport, but not so big that he isn't willing to say: "but I would rather do THIS."

JPM is a racer and he is a winner. NASCAR has scored a huge one in the win column. The Frances must be jumping up and down doing the dance of Joy. Guys like Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, T Stewart, Kenseth, the Busch brothers etc are all just chamnping at the bit to show that they are as talented as JPM is. It is going to be crazy go nuts come Daytona 2007.

I stopped watching NASCAR about when we lost Davey, Neil Bonnett (sic), Timmy Richmond and Alan Kulwicki - and almost lost Ernie Irvan for those and a number of other reasons. I may just have start watching again...

[StuiE]

Great news, will be interesting to see how he goes, it's not like he hasn't raced ovals before, so I think he should go alright.

[muggle not]

Wow, things are moving fast. plans were for him to race some in Busch later this year but we may see him much sooner. Come on Juan, anxious to see you in Nascar.

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=171043

Juan Pablo Montoya has left the McLaren Mercedes F1 team, days after confirming he would be making a switch to NASCAR for the 2007 season.

[rustyfan]

Yeah things sure have moved incredibly fast, and I would honestly be surprised if we don't see Montoya make his debut in five weeks during the NEXTEL Cup/Busch Series double-header at Watkins Glen.

[brihev]

I wonder if we'll see JP in one of Chip's cars for the Rolex 24 at Daytona?

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by brihev

I wonder if we'll see JP in one of Chip's cars for the Rolex 24 at Daytona?

If Montoya is interested I'd say there's a good chance of that happening, especially since Casey Mears won't be part of the Ganassi-clan anymore and thus will leave his Rolex 24 Hours-spot open for next year.

[Thunder1]

Hi all

here is the full interveiw

http://tbk.fameflame.dk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17820

enjoy

Thunder1

[the.cosmic.pope]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

If Montoya is interested I'd say there's a good chance of that happening, especially since Casey Mears won't be part of the Ganassi-clan anymore and thus will leave his Rolex 24 Hours-spot open for next year.

Chip said earlier this year that he wanted to create a Daytona 24hour "super team". 2 of the drivers he named were Alex Zanardi (Grand Am does allow hand controls when required) and Juan Montoya.

[rustyfan]

The management at Michigan Int'l Speedway is hoping Montoya will make his stock car debut there next month:

Juan Pablo Montoya has suddenly become the hottest property in NASCAR, and folks at Michigan International Speedway would like to make the former Formula One star at home there as soon as possible.

MIS management contacted Montoya's new race team, Chip Ganassi Racing, on Tuesday to invite the Colombian to run both the ARCA Re/Max and Busch Grand National races at the Irish Hills track during the Nextel Cup weekend in August.

Bill Janitz, MIS public relations director, confirmed contact with Chip Ganassi Racing.

"We would be proud to welcome back an MIS champion in August, perhaps in an ARCA or Busch race, or both," Janitz said.

Montoya is booked to drive the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge, which Casey Mears will vacate, in 2007. As a NASCAR rookie, Montoya may need to have gained superspeedway stock car experience before he would likely be allowed to start in the Daytona 500, the first race of the series next season. He could do that at MIS Aug. 18-19, or at California in September or Talladega in October.

"Michigan is big, fast and wide," Janitz said. "It would make a lot of sense for Montoya to race here next month. He knows the track and he's a winner at MIS."

(Source & Full Article: Detroit Free Press)

[rustyfan]

In an interview at NASCAR.com today Ganassi is quoted as saying he hopes to have Montoya out on track, in a Busch Series car, within a month or so.

On a side-note, I have to say my new avatar turned out ok. Was about time to change and this felt like a good a time as any