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The moments that outlined Juan Pablo Montoya’s NASCAR profession

Juan Pablo Montoya is one of the most versatile race car drivers on the planet. His illustrious career includes seven Formula 1 wins, reaching the top podium step with both Williams and McLaren. He also scored 30 podiums and 13 poles in just 94 starts, and finished as high as third in the World Championship. Beyond

The moments that outlined Juan Pablo Montoya’s NASCAR profession

Juan Pablo Montoya is likely one of the most versatile race automobile drivers on the planet. His illustrious profession consists of seven Method 1 wins, reaching the highest podium step with each Williams and McLaren. He additionally scored 30 podiums and 13 poles in simply 94 begins, and completed as excessive as third within the World Championship. Past F1, he is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, successful as a rookie, after which once more 15 years later. He additionally clinched the 1999 CART title.

The resume goes on in sports activities automobile racing as a three-time total winner of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (2007, 2008, 2013). He received the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Collection championship outright in 2019 with Team Penske. JPM has even been on the rostrum for Le Mans and received the Race of Champions. So yeah, it is easy to say he is fairly good. Then there’s his NASCAR stint, the place he received two Cup races in 255 begins, accumulating 24 top-fives, 59 top-tens, and 9 poles.

Now 48 years outdated, Montoya will return to NASCAR in a one-off begin with 23XI Racing this weekend at Watkins Glen — the location of his second and final Cup win. So, it appeared like an ideal alternative to look again on a number of the most memorable moments from his NASCAR profession — each the nice and the unhealthy.

Up in flames

Okay, we’re getting this one out of the best way first. Sure, the notorious jet dryer incident through the 2012 Daytona 500. The truth that it is the very first thing anybody desires to speak about each time JPM and NASCAR are talked about in the identical sentence does a disservice to the strong profession he put collectively there. However hey, the monitor did type of burst into flames. Whereas underneath warning for an unrelated incident, Montoya introduced his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing machine down pit street, reporting a vibration. “One thing is massively damaged,” he warned, simply because the crew despatched him again out onto the monitor.

Catching as much as the again of the sector at a excessive charge of velocity, the rear trailing arm broke as he entered Flip 3. The automobile shot to the fitting — spinning uncontrolled.  Straight within the path of his spinning automobile, up in opposition to the wall, had been two jet dryers. Montoya slammed into the again of one of many vans, destroying his automobile and spilling someplace round 200 gallons of jet gas throughout the monitor. It shortly ignited, leading to an enormous inferno that stopped the race.

It was very unlucky timing and a freak accident not like something we have seen earlier than or after it. The driving force of the Jet dryer, Duane Barnes, and Montoya had been examined at Halifax Medical Heart. Neither had been critically harm. Some thought the race would by no means resume and the monitor could have been broken, however they had been in a position to get again underway after a two-hour cleanup course of. 

A jet dryer truck is on fire after a crash with Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet on lap 160

A jet dryer truck is on hearth after a crash with Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet on lap 160

Photograph by: Eric Gilbert

“Nasty, soiled driving!”

In 2007, the NASCAR Xfinity Collection was racing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico (which will even host the first-ever Cup race south of the border in 2025.) Ganassi appeared set for a 1-2 end with Scott Pruett main Montoya. Nonetheless, the Colombian racer bought into his teammate with eight laps to go, sending him spinning. This cleared the best way for Montoya’s first win at any stage of NASCAR and it left Pruett lower than impressed.

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“Of all individuals to take you out — your teammate. That was simply no good, low, nasty, soiled driving,” declared Pruett, a multi-time champion within the sports activities automobile racing world. He by no means did win a NASCAR race. Montoya stated he “felt actually unhealthy” concerning the contact, but additionally felt his teammate turned in on him. It wasn’t the final time he clashed together with his fellow driver.

Scott Pruett leads Juan Pablo Montoya

Scott Pruett leads Juan Pablo Montoya

Photograph by: Getty Photos

Making historical past at Sonoma

It did not take lengthy for Montoya to again up that Xfinity win together with his first victory in a Cup automobile. As a rookie in 2007, Montoya was working down Jamie McMurray at Sonoma Raceway. He dove underneath him into the hairpin, solely to blow the entry and shortly give the lead again. With seven laps remaining, he tried once more, however this time underneath braking into Flip 1. The move caught and he drove off into the space.

It was very shut on gas, however he managed to have sufficient within the tank for the run to the end. He referred to as it a “large victory” for him as he took a second to catch his breath in Victory Lane. A local of Bogota, Colombia, JPM was the primary, and to-date, the one South American driver to ever win a Cup race. 

Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya celebrates

Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya celebrates

Photograph by: Todd Corzett

Brickyard 400 heartbreak

When speaking about drivers that attempted to transition from collection that predominantly raced on street programs to oval-heavy NASCAR, Montoya was one of many extra spectacular adapters. One monitor the two-time Indy 500 winner took a liking to was IMS, which shouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a shock.

In 2009, he placed on a fully dominant efficiency within the Brickyard 400. He led 116 of 160 laps, however his shot of kissing the bricks vanished after an unlucky rushing penalty through the remaining pit cease.

JPM couldn’t consider it. “No approach,” he radioed earlier than including: “We had this within the bag … thanks NASCAR for screwing my day.” He completed eleventh in a heartbreaking finish to one of the spectacular days of his NASCAR profession. 

Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: Michael C. Johnson

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Almost coming to blows with ‘Glad’ Harvick

In his time in NASCAR, the fiery driver had no points buying and selling paint and standing up for himself. There have been a number of moments the place he bought into it together with his fellow driver, however none fairly just like the 2007 Cup race at Watkins Glen. Montoya was working sixth on monitor in a late-race restart. After an aggressive block into Flip 1, he bought spun by Martin Truex Jr., colliding with Kevin Harvick, and wrecking each automobiles. These two drivers are recognized for his or her tempers, so it wasn’t a shock when a heated confrontation broke out over the incident. There was shoving and helmet grabbing — over the course of 40 seconds, the confrontation escalated and  punches had been probably seconds away from being thrown. That is when Harvick’s teammate Jeff Burton and NASCAR officers lastly separated the 2.

Montoya defined that he tried to inform Harvick how he bought punted by Truex, however the future Cup champion wasn’t interested by listening. Later, Harvick was requested concerning the dialogue: “I used to be speaking about kicking his ass as a result of that’s how I felt about it.”

Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick have a post-crash meeting

Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick have a post-crash assembly

Photograph by: Eric Gilbert

The final checkered flag

Montoya was not going to be denied at Watkins Glen in 2010. After qualifying third, he led 74 of 90 laps, successful by almost 5 seconds over Kurt Busch. He talked about how a lot he beloved racing within the Cup Collection and highlighted the struggles because it was 114 races between his first and second profession wins.

“It is nice,” Montoya stated in Victory Lane. “We misplaced a number of them and gave away a number of them. It was getting irritating. All people will get preventing, however this crew does a tremendous job.”

Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet celebrates

Victory lane: race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet celebrates

Photograph by: Adriano Manocchia

Shockingly, it turned it out to be the second and final victory of his Cup profession, regardless of racing up till the 2014 season. He confirmed marked enchancment at ovals and was in competition for quite a few race wins all sorts of tracks, however he by no means discovered the checkered flag once more. Montoya ended his profession with one playoff look, ending as excessive as eighth within the championship in 2009. It stays tied for the best factors end by a foreign-born driver within the historical past of the Cup Collection.

Now, Montoya will try to write down a brand new chapter in his NASCAR story at Watkins Glen this Sunday.

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