xsiveone

Montoya to drive in NASCAR for Ganassi next year

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.

The Colombian driver will reunite with team owner Chip Ganassi, with whom he had considerable success in Indy-style racing before moving up to Formula One in 2001.

Montoya joined Ganassi at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday morning, meeting with his new crewmembers and attending a closed-door meeting with NASCAR president Mike Helton and other series officials.

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 F1 season with the McLaren-Mercedes team.

"It should be fun," Ganassi said. "Should be great. We've obviously enjoyed some previous success, and that made it a lot easier. We had a very quick negotiation — if you can even call it that. It's nice to have somebody in your car who wants to be there, wants to be with your team, wants to be a part of it."

Montoya, who won a CART series championship in 1999 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 with Ganassi, will replace Casey Mears, who will drive for Hendrick Motorsports next season.

"He said, 'I want to get back to racing,'" Ganassi said. "The guy loves racing. And what better place than here?"

Several open-wheel drivers who have tried to move to NASCAR have struggled with the adjustment. Tony Stewart left the Indy Racing League to become a two-time NASCAR champion, and Robby Gordon has three career victories. But others haven't fared as well.

The list of open-wheel drivers who flirted with NASCAR in recent years but haven't established themselves as top-level Nextel Cup material includes established drivers such as John Andretti, Christian Fittipaldi, Scott Pruett, Paul Tracy, Max Papis and Jimmy Vasser.

Ganassi said Montoya will have to work hard to make the adjustment.

"It's going to be some work," Ganassi said. "He's ready for it, though."

So when did the two first talk about doing a deal?

"Just last week — as far as you know," Ganassi said, smiling.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2006-07-09-montoya-ganassi_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

clubracer6

Yeah I just watched the interview on SPEED... They broke into the Grand Am Cup coverage to announce... at 1st I thought someone died...

too bad Bernie won't wake up and figure out that drivers want to race and specators wan't to watch close racing with passing...

I'm a huge F1 fan, but every year I get more nap time in watching the races... At least qualifying is exciting..

I wonder if all the Columbian will travel up here to sing like they do at the USGP... That would be awesome.

Shocking but good news... Boris Said and JPM - two more reasons to watch NASCAR I guess...

jlucas

That's definately a shocker.

C6400hp

I Love it, I cannot wait to get my #42 JPM hat.

xsiveone

Apparently racing for free wasn't a good enough deal for Ron Dennis. After McLaren told JPM that his services would no longer be needed after this season, JPM and his manager approached McLaren and said that JPM wanted to stay with McLaren and that he'd be willing to drive without pay.

This news also makes sense after they asked JPM at Indy last weekend what his plans were next year. He was kind of standoffish about it and said that the decision for the future was private. He probably knew last weekend what his decision would be and didn't want to let the cat out of the bag.

What I don't get is other than Kimi, Michael or Alonso, I don't know who else I'd rather have driving for me. It's a great loss for F1 IMO.

It's really too bad that Chip wasn't still in Champ Car or that the series wasn't unified at this point because it would be great to see JPM back in Champ Car. I couldn't see him going to the IRL at this point because they only have two road races. Then again, NASCAR only races on two road courses a year, so it must be about trying something different and/or the money in NASCAR.

AU N EGL

Wish JPM the best. NASCAR is not as easy as it looks.

Maineiac

I look forward to watching him compete....he's got A LOT of talent...

clubracer6

Unfortunately, I believe the latter part of your statement is the most accurate...

AU N EGL

Lets see, cant make it in Champ car, then try F1. Cant make in F1 so try Nascar

63Corvette

JPM will do fine in NASCAR..........after all, he already knows how to run into his teammates
Course, he'll hafta get used to beer insteada champagne.

Bink

He was a Champion in Champ car with Ganassi. He won Indy. Very successful by most standards.

He's done pretty well with Kimi as a teammate. Retirements and backmarkers have been a problem, at McLaren, if my memory serves me correctly?


At 31 he's not a spring chicken in F1. Married and a baby son. I'd say his life's priorities have changed as well.
FWIW.

lloaf

63Corvette has it right. The way he's been bouncing off other cars recently, he'll be perfect in NASCAR.

John Shiels

I think the worst driver in F-1 would still have to be a great driver. Should be interesting in any case and he probably feels safer in a NASCAR.

xsiveone

He'll be 31 in September. Not that it matters. I would've liked for him to stay in F1 for a few more seasons at least and then try NASCAR because I don't think there is a path back to F1 for him now.

JPM has terrific car control. I actually think that he has more raw driving talent than some of his competitors, but doesn't quite have the head to be at the very top. In NASCAR, he should do well considering that he's going to be with a good team and have a good car. I'm just a little disappointed that I'll have to start watching NASCAR races now. Most of it just bores me to tears.

Oh.. Another thing.. When he was in CART, he didn't seem to like to sign autographs at all. In F1, the drivers aren't very accessible to the fans. NASCAR almost forces you to have autograph sessions and be accessible to fans. That's going to be a huge adjustment for JPM.

Maineiac

Yeah.....because those F1 races are SO exciting... Passing in the pits REALLY keeps me on the edge of my seat.

xsiveone

You don't have to pass all the time to make it exciting. When you know the background of the drivers, the teams and the technology in the cars, that brings a lot of excitement. NASCAR isn't even about the cars. Besides.. What's exciting about 50 lead changes or 10 full course yellows a race? Just tune in for the crashes, the fights and the yellow/checkered finishes.

John Shiels

Just went to my first NASCAR race in Daytona which was fun but the drivers were the biggest snobs alive and the pit pass is worthless to see anything for 60 bucks.

PA Z06

I agree, should be great, and F1 is getting boring, and Im a fan.

johnodrake

A 36 race+ schedule won't help those priorities

As a lontime NASCAR fan, I say, Welcome JP, come on in.

yellow01

It's good for JPM. I mean this way, if he's in 2nd place, he can just knock #1 off the track with little fear that he'll wreck himself. You can't really do that in F1 or open wheel, and in most road racing you'd get a penalty.

In NASCAR anything goes!