When Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Written by George Katinger · July 9, 2006
Juan Pablo Montoya abandons F1 and signs up to run NASCAR in 2007. Max Mosley resigns his post as FIA President. Which is fact and which is fiction, and which would you believe?
speedtv.com: Shock Move: Montoya Heads to NASCAR!
news.bbc.co.uk: Montoya set to quit F1 for Nascar
Yes, I know, we will have to blow Max out of office with explosives before he gives up a world stage like F1, so how believable can that be? Juan Pablo driving for former Champ Car team owner Chip Ganassi in the #42 car currently occupied by Casey Mears. If you gave me a week to ponder Juan’s future I don’t think I would have forecast a NASCAR seat for the volatile Columbian.
Frankly I don’t know what to make of this at all. He will do some off season testing, maybe catch some late season races after F1 concludes and jump right into the Daytona 500 next February.
We have spent much time debating who is the greatest driver of all time and the general feeling is it’s a driver who raced and won in different cars and series (A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti). So as ridiculous as this sounds can we blame Juan for trying this?
Yes, because the Foyt’s Andretti’s Hill’s and Gurney’s of their era raced in differing series and cars by choice, at times of their choosing. JPM, I get the feeling, is choosing out of desperation and limited options. I would love to give Juan the benefit of the doubt and construct a scenario that goes along the lines of total disgust with F1. We had a comment from Bill recently that succinctly summarized all that is wrong with F1 today: It’s no longer a driver’s series, with limited chances to showcase a driver’s talents and skills. So I will give JPM said benefit of doubt and accept the notion he is looking for other challenges. But if Ferrari or Renault had offered him a seat, even if for only one year, would he have taken a ride with Ganassi’s NASCAR operation? You tell me.
But will he succeed in NASCAR? Many open wheeled driver’s have made the jump from open wheel racing to the benders with fenders league. None have, to my limited recollection fared well in NASCAR. The one notable exception of course, is Tony Stewart who has won titles in the IRL and NASCAR. The differences in the cars are huge. Not to mention driving techniques and acceptable levels of contact during races.
Will our boy Juan make that transition? On one hand I hope so, because the guy is truly one of the likeable characters in racing. On the other, if he succeeds, will Jacques Villeneuve be far behind him? I think not only because JPM has a history and level of trust with Chip Ganassi. JV has only his current tarnished reputation, and as far as I know no team owner willing to risk a ride for the Canadian.
I guess these are the opening shots in NASCAR’s war to become international in scope. Races currently in Mexico, and Canada as soon as next year. Foreign drivers will be lining up, with sponsors in hand, to compete in a global racing series.
I can’t wait to see how this works out for Juan and where NASCAR is two years from now.
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…Whut?
don’t downplay the last paragraph of Robin’s story on speedtv.com…
“By hiring Montoya, who has a residence in Miami, Ganassi fulfills NASCAR’s diversity program for Hispanic-speaking people and greatly enhances the chances of a Cup event in Mexico City.”
…expansion into Mexico and the Latino marketing has been SO important to NASCAR and major sponsors like Lowe’s of late that this move dovetails PERFECTLY for them.
As for Juan…I don’t know…mabye he can pull this off. I’ll be very impressed if he can.
One huge side effect from all this will be a large segment of fans who want to limit this to an “All American” sport become further disillusioned with NASCAR’s internationalization.
Look for more shiny aluminum at tracks and a further erosion of TV ratings. One positive side effect may be the migration of those fans to open wheel racing. If ever there was a perfect timing for a merger, it is RIGHT NOW! Get it done TG/KK opportunity is knocking. If your heads weren’t buried so far up your butts you’d hear it!!!
It’s simply a money game. Chip can offer Juan alot more money than Frank Williams can. This is very dissapointing for open wheel racing.
My predicition?:
Juan will learn to drive the wheels off a stock car but Chip’s equipment allow him to win.
I also think something will play out like Nigel Mansell’s case: Juan will be an early success in NASCAR but it will get old. He will return to F1 (or AOWR) as an ‘old man’ and that is where he will end his career.
Well in open wheel on ovals he was fantastic,but a NASCAR is in the opposite direction in regard to available grip & aero.Can he adapt? Time will tell.
Let’s wish him well, if he does perform it can only be good for the sport.Can you imagine the interest from outside of NASCAR? Not since Nigel Mansel has a “European” created such interest.
I wonder how much Chip is paying him?
Josh and I discussed this today, when we first heard the news. Josh, like DJ, thinks he’s in for big bucks. I think otherwise. He will test the waters with Ganasssi, a guy he trusts based upon their common experience together, and if he meets performance expectations the bucks will come. I equate it to a rookie breaking into a new league. You may have been hot shit elsewhere, but you need to show me what you can do here. And for it’s worth, his “elsewhere” performance (F1) did not create that much of a hot shit record, did it?
The shocking move aside this truly shows how warped my mind is.
My first thoughts weren’t directed to how it effects NASCAR, F1, fans of both or Montoya himself.
My first thought was, how in the hell was this kept secret until officialy let out of the bag?
Lets face it F1 and NASCAR has more gossiping
“ole ninnys” than Oprah and Martha TV shows combined, yet this “earthquake” never saw the light of day until announced by the parties involved.
SHOCKING I tell ya, shocking!
That seems to be the general take Marc, how could they have kept this under the radar? What I’ve read is that Chip and Juan briefly discussed it at the Indy GP last week; a deal was in place with a one hour follow up meeting, so it went bang-bang, with no leaks. I agree, in this day and age it is amazing.
After my shock and awe wear off all I can say is: Christian Fittipaldi. Let’s hope JPM’s fate is the same. Stupid move, stupid driver. Then again, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Did anyone see Jeff Gordon talking to Juan during the pre-race at the USGP? Maybe Jeff was teaching him the ropes??
If he didn’t go to NASCAR, he probably would have went to Williams and had a bunch of “mid-pack” finishes and then retired. It would be interesting to see Juan return to F1 after his NASCAR “experience.”
Colombian not Columbian.
Thanks.
I wish Juan the best in his adventure into “stock” cars.Lets see what a little bump drafting will do.
Chip offer more than Williams, not hardly. The highest paid drivers in Nascar, don’t get more than the lowest in F1. I’m sure Juan is getting big bucks (by Nascar standards) but nothing like he got in F1. BTW, the only way this was kept under wraps is because no one knew. Juan made the decision on his on and pow, Chip says yes.
Are we overlooking the fact that numerous drivers have already made the “leap” from open wheel cars to NASCAR? Namely Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, JJ Yeley, and the list goes on.
Montoya won in Champ Cars in his first year. The other “rookie” that had won was Nigel Mansel, after being F1 champion.
In his first attempt, and not racing IRL, won Indy 500.
When arriuved to F1, betaed his team mate, the small Schumacher and woke up the series with his moves to overpass other drivers (incuding the great Schumacher).
The best that he could get in F1 was to win several races and to be 3rd in two seasons.
F1, different than NASCAR, is only won by the team with the best car. Williams and Mc Laren had not been such teams.
Montoya loves to race. It is his life. He will recieve less money, even becoming a champion in the Nextel Cup, than racing for the F1 teams.
He prefers to race in NASCAR, where a good driver is more importamt that the technology of the car. The aero pack of the F1 is designed to not cause any suction to the car behind yours, only “dirty” air, or turbulence. In the F1 races the drivers most of the time have to wait to a pit stop to gain a position. This is why Montoya made so much noise, he arrived to overpass in the track.
I am sure that he will provide many new fans to NASCAR, and looking at his history in different type of cars where he have been champion or a very good driver (karts, F 3000, Champ Cars, Indy, F1), how difficult would be to race in another different car?
He is not stupid, as some people believes. He is smart and Chip Ganassi knows that he is abig asset for his team.