A month ago, Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya made headlines with his announcement of returning to NASCAR after a ten-year hiatus. He will be driving the #50 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Montoya recently shared what led him back to the Cup series after such an extended break.
Montoya made his NASCAR Cup debut in 2006 at Homestead, where he drove a Dodge for Chip Ganassi. He competed full-time in NASCAR’s top series from 2007 to 2013, also under Ganassi’s team, earning wins at Sonoma in 2007 and Watkins Glen in 2010.
The Colombian driver had a notable season in 2009, finishing eighth in the Cup Series championship after making the playoffs. His last Cup races were in 2014 at Michigan and Indianapolis, where he drove a Ford for Roger Penske. After that, Montoya thought his NASCAR career was over.
As Montoya prepares to drive the black and gold #50 Camry, he recently revealed the reasons behind his return to NASCAR. In a statement shared by 23XI Racing on X, Montoya explained his decision: “A phone call! I love to say I do this amazing story but no, they called me and asked, ‘Hey, you want to run the Glen?’ And I thought, ‘I mean, it will be really cool.’ […] Honestly, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I’m hoping I’m very competitive. I don’t want to just show up and underperform. I want to do my best. […] I think we might have a shot at it, so I’ll be happy.”
Montoya will be the fourth driver to take the wheel of the #50 car for 23XI Racing over the past two seasons. This car has alternated between the numbers 67 and 50. Previously, Travis Pastrana, Kamui Kobayashi, and Corey Heim have driven the #50 car. This season, Pastrana has not participated in any races. Meanwhile, Heim competed in the Ally 400 at Nashville but finished in 29th place, and Kobayashi raced in the Echopark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, also finishing 29th.
Tyler Reddick, who drives the #45 car, shared his thoughts on becoming teammates with Juan Pablo Montoya. Reflecting on Montoya’s return to Watkins Glen, Reddick discussed the opportunity to learn from an experienced driver. In a media interaction, Reddick expressed his excitement about the experience, stating: “I got to run into him actually. […] I’m looking forward to that experience when we get to the Glen. He’s going to offer a unique and very experienced perspective on how our cars perform on road courses. I’m really looking forward to having that experience and being a teammate with such an accomplished driver.”
With Montoya set to return to the track where he last celebrated a victory, it will be a nostalgic moment for both him and his fans. It will also be fascinating to see his views on the Next Gen cars currently featured in the NASCAR series.
