I am disappointed to learn that one of my favourite Formula 1 drivers is heading to NASCAR next year. JPM has secured a deal to drive for his former boss Chip Ganassi in NASCAR for the 2007 season, and may even be in #42 car sometime this year after the F1 season is finished.
Montoya’s only stock-car experience came in June 2003 when he and four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon “exchanged” race cars for an exhibition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Montoya drove Gordon’s Chevrolet while Gordon took a spin in Montoya’s F1 car.
Juan Pablo's switch to NASCAR comes on the heels of reports that former Formula 1 World Champion and another of my favourite F1 drivers Jacques Villeneuve, an Indianapolis 500-winner himself, has expressed interest in driving in the series. Both the newly-married Villeneuve and Montoya are at the end of their current F1 team contracts with the conclusion of the present year's campaign. Most veteran observors did not feel Montoya was being courted to continue at McLaren/Mercedes with reigning F1 champ Fernando Alonso coming to the team in 2007. imagine Jacques and JPM in the same NASCAR team.....
2007 is going to be an interesting year in motorsport that is for sure.
Good luck to him.
I love this move!
ReplyDeleteJPM will surely become intimate with The Waffle House, Cracker Barrell and Hooters restaurant chains.
At Waffle House they serve grits with every meal, yumm!
But, seriously, I think he will be very competitive from the get go. He will surely be a fan favorite.
I for one will at least watch a couple of races to see how he gets along.
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