Juan Pablo Montoya Excited to Return to NASCAR After Decade-Long Hiatus
A hiatus of more than a decade will come to an end for NASCAR Cup Series winner Juan Pablo Montoya on Sunday, as the Bogota, Columbia-native returns for a one-off appearance at Watkins Glen International with 23XI Racing.
Much has changed since Montoya's most recent start in NASCAR's premier division, including the racecar. The NextGen car debuted in 2022 and is a far cry from the sixth-generation vehicle that Montoya drove in his final year of full-time competition.
"It's really good to be back -- exciting. I have no idea what to expect. I think I should run pretty well, but that is all I can tell you, right now," said Montoya. "It's so difficult because you come into the weekend where you get -- I drove the car at VIR and did about 40 laps, just to get comfortable, make sure the seat and everything were working. I felt pretty good with the car."
Montoya has spent much of the lead-up to Sunday's Go Bowling at The Glen talking with drivers about how the car will drive, but has gotten some conflicting answers on its difficulty -- with his teammates saying it's difficult, but Michael McDowell telling him its much easier and more like a GT3 car.
At 48 years old, Montoya is the 39th driver in NASCAR history to return to the Cup Series after a hiatus of more than a decade, and the first since Stanton Barrett in 2018. Come Sunday, he'll look to be just the fourth to score a top-10 in his return.
So, how did this return to NASCAR competition even come about?
"[Steve] Lauletta [President of 23XI Racing] called me earlier this year, around the US GP in Miami, and a little before that, and he asked if [I] would be interested in doing that, and I said yeah, I would," said Montoya. "I think it would be cool. The idea behind it is pretty cool, and the cars are really competitive -- so why not? I really don’t have a reason not to do it. I feel like I can still do a good job – this year, I wasn’t racing full time, but I was doing a lot of karting, a lot of shifter karts with my kid, and I’m still involved in racing fully."
While Montoya remains pretty confident in his ability to drive a racecar, as he should, being a winner in Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA, and several other divisions, the 48-year-old is weary about how he'll qualify in the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE.
"Will just drive the car. If the car is good, you will look good. If it’s bad, you are going to look bad. I don’t think the car is bad, but it is if I’m comfortable in it or not. I told the guys that I would be surprised if we qualified really well – like I should qualify pretty decent. When I won here, I didn’t even put it on the pole here. I finished in the top five, I don’t know how many times in the Cup races here, and I used to qualify 12th to 15th, I don’t know. We will see.”
After a pair of 20-minute on-track sessions, which allowed Montoya to run 26 laps around the 2.45-mile road course, the No. 50 Toyota Camry XSE was ranked 15th overall, with his 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick leading the session.
As Montoya searches for his third victory in the NASCAR Cup Series, he'll have to be mindful of those around him competing for the championship, as the series runs its second event in the three-race 'Round of 16' -- the first time Watkins Glen has been in NASCAR's post-season.
“I will be nice and respectful of everyone that is nice and respectful for me. I don’t want to get in a pissing contest with anyone. I want to run well," said Montoya. "If I get to you and I’m quicker than you, I’m going to try to pass you. If you get to me, and you are quicker than me, there is reason – the race is long enough. Like always, you wait for the adjustment and make the car better – if you make someone miserable at the start of the race, they are going to return the favor later. I know I’m doing a one-off. I will be respectful of everyone that is respectful of me. It is not that hard.”
Montoya will tackle the 2.45-mile road course in the Finger Lake regions of New York in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen, but will that be the last time we see him behind the wheel of a NextGen car? "I don't know. Let's do this weekend and then we will see," said Montoya.
"Honestly, if someone comes to me one day and asks if I want to do a one-off, I would probably say yes, but it is Saturday morning, so we will see."
The No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE will roll from 34th place in Sunday's 90-lap contest from Watkins Glen International.
JOSEPH SRIGLEY