Juan Pablo Monoya leaving F-1 to drive NASCAR

[floydnimrod]

espn.com

Montoya will be driving the No. 42 car for Ganassi next season.

And the circle continues.......

Montoya will replace Casey Mears in the 42, Mears replaces Brian Vickers in the 25, and Vickers bolts for Red Bull Racing in a Toyota next year.

Dale Jarrett leaves the 88 for Michael Waltrip Racing, also in Toyotas next tear. UPS will also leave with Jarrett. Waltrip would leave hus No. 55 ride, of course. Bill Elliott may be in the third MWR car(the #00 will be sponsored by Burger King and Domino's pizza)

Robby Gordon may merge with Red Bull in Toyotas next year, but that has not been confirmed. Also rumored to be Vickers' teammate is Bill Elliott, yes he would race full time.

Ward Burton will most probably be racing the 88 for Yates Racing next year.

and Eventually one of the Roush cars will be contracted because the new rule is a 4 car limit for NASCAR teams(even though Roush technically has 6 cars in the field today with the addition of Todd Kluever in the 06). Matt Kenseth signed an extension with Roush but it is not certain if his sponsor will be back. Also Greg Biffle's National Guard sponsor is up at the end of the season. And Roush said a car will be contracted once the sponsor's deal is up.

[OB33]

As shocking as Montoya coming to NASCAR is, WARD :censored:ing BURTON?

Hasn't he lived in a shack the last two years made out of discarded NetZero material?

[TBGKon]

I wonder if Montoya will abbreviate his name to "JP" instead of "Juan Pablo" to fit in with the scheme of NASCAR.

[ROCHitman]

Jacques Villanueve has been rumoured to be joining Nextel Cup as well.

Ward Burton has some skills.

He may talk funny, but the guy has one of the best average finishes at alot of the tracks on the circuit.

We may see Ricky Rudd again in a part-time role next year.

That's be nice to see Rudd and Elliott team up to dive for Michael Waltrip.

[harperdc]

as not much of a NASCAR fan, I take a look at this from the other angle: McLaren, Montoya's F1 team, already had reigning World Champion and current championship leader Fernando Alonso contracted for next year (he signed shortly after winning the championship last winter); the debate has been who would stay to race with Alonso at McLaren next year, JPM (who has a...history of inconsistency and being a hothead - have fun with that, NASCAR guys!) or Kimi Raikkonen, who is blindingly fast but has been let down by his car both last year (fast but fragile) and this year. Raikkonen also almost slipped in to with the championship in '03, taking Michael Schumacher to the final race.

What this means is that now McLaren could theoretically have both Alonso and Raikkonen driving next year...wow. The two fastest young drivers (Schumacher's in his thirties and the clock is ticking) in F1 under the same legendary team...it hasn't happened since McLaren had both Ayrton Senna (see my avatar) and Alain Prost.

The wildcard is if McLaren bring up one of their British test drivers, either fast young gun Lewis Hamilton or another who's name is slipping me right now. This is the start of the "silly season," and it is always fun.

[floydnimrod]

as not much of a NASCAR fan, I take a look at this from the other angle: McLaren, Montoya's F1 team, already had reigning World Champion and current championship leader Fernando Alonso contracted for next year (he signed shortly after winning the championship last winter); the debate has been who would stay to race with Alonso at McLaren next year, JPM (who has a...history of inconsistency and being a hothead - have fun with that, NASCAR guys!) or Kimi Raikkonen, who is blindingly fast but has been let down by his car both last year (fast but fragile) and this year. Raikkonen also almost slipped in to with the championship in '03, taking Michael Schumacher to the final race.

What this means is that now McLaren could theoretically have both Alonso and Raikkonen driving next year...wow. The two fastest young drivers (Schumacher's in his thirties and the clock is ticking) in F1 under the same legendary team...it hasn't happened since McLaren had both Ayrton Senna (see my avatar) and Alain Prost.

The wildcard is if McLaren bring up one of their British test drivers, either fast young gun Lewis Hamilton or another who's name is slipping me right now. This is the start of the "silly season," and it is always fun.

You're right there, that team could be very dangerous next year on the F-1 circuit

[OB33]

Let's go ahead and add another name to the mix:

Danica Patrick

[DrBear]

Hey, don't dis my man Ward! He does have a Daytona 500, which a lot of pretty good drivers haven't notched, as well as other wins on the circuit. And he speaks English almost as well as Montoya.

[OB33]

Sorry if what I said came off as an insult on Ward, I was more just shocked that he was still up for driving, it seemed like after he left the #0 team he fell off the face of the earth. I honestly don't even think I heard his name for a year before this thread. But I still definitely support any Virginia driver, even if he's harder to understand than Charlie Brown's teacher.

[ROCHitman]

Sorry if what I said came off as an insult on Ward, I was more just shocked that he was still up for driving, it seemed like after he left the #0 team he fell off the face of the earth. I honestly don't even think I heard his name for a year before this thread. But I still definitely support any Virginia driver, even if he's harder to understand than Charlie Brown's teacher.

You live in VA and you can't understand him?

Maybe it's becuase I've been listening to these drivers since around 1985, but I don't have that much trouble understanding him.

IMO, Patrick is not ready for stock cars.

[CC97]

Paul Tracy has been doing some stock car racing too... not sure what his plans are.

[CFSize24]

Paul Tracy has been linked/rumored to RCR for a while, seems he did some testing or was at least scheduled to.

I agree that Patrick is not ready for Nascar, but I wouldnt at all be suprised if she were to end up there for one reason. Money. Sponsors would be tripping over themselves to sponsor her and that is a stumbling block for most of the unemployed drivers. I think she would be a backmarker most of the time but the fact that she can bring the $$$ with her could easily land her a ride.

I was caught off guard with the JPM to Ganassi deal, but really it shouldnt be all that suprising as Montoya had some of his best results driving for Ganassi prior to heading to F1. Given the state of Ganassi's stock car program this is probably the best hire he could have made.

Also Burton has been linked to MWR and the 00 as well.

[gueman]

I would love to see more F1 types in NASCAR. I bet they will find it harder than it looks. As for the lovely Ms. Patrick I don't think she would succeed in NASCAR. Not because she doesn't have the skills. but because she is to small. A NASCAR car weighs about 3400 lbs and a Indy car is about 1700. That alone would cause the most problems, plus the length of the season. I think it would be interesting to see her in F1 with a major US team with big $$$. I do think she could do better than most think.

[CFSize24]

Looks like Montoya's Nascar career will not have to wait til '07 as he and McLaren have agreed to part ways immediately. DeLaRosa will fill the #2 seat at McLaren, and one would have to assume Montoya will begin the ABC (Arca, Busch, Cup) program shortly.

This appears as a win-win. DeLaRosa scored points for McLaren last season as a fill in for JPM and the seat time JPM will get should be beneficial when he takes over full time in '07.

[dfwabel]

After the shock of hearing this announcement early on Sunday, while it is big news, his transisiton may not be that hard. Remember NASCAR will run 'the car of tomorrow" in 16 races next year. In those races, and in the upcoming seasons, all the chassis will be basically the same, but with different decals for the four manufacturers. NASCAR also wants to have a identical engine too, so will help level the playing foeld for JPM. Sure, he will have to adjust to not having open wheels, but that should not take more than half a season. Roush and Ganassi has worked on the COT, but some teams, like Robert Yates have not since NASCAR has yet to finalize all the rules and specs.

[ROCHitman]

Montoya released by McLaren

By Bob Margolis, Yahoo! Sports

July 11, 2006

Juan Pablo Montoya can get started on his NASCAR career a little early.

In an expected move, F1 team McLaren announced Tuesday that driver Pedro de la Rosa would replace Montoya in the seat of the team's car, effective immediately.

It had been widely speculated that Montoya would be released from his obligations with the Formula One team early in order to begin his new career in NASCAR. Montoya shocked the racing world by announcing this past weekend that he would leave F1 to join Chip Ganassi's Nextel Cup team. Montoya previously drove for Ganassi in the CART series.

"Juan Pablo is an exciting driver and immensely likeable character who will undoubtedly make a successful transition to the NASCAR scene," said Ron Dennis, McLaren CEO and chairman. "We have agreed that with so many things happening in Juan Pablo's life right now, he should take some time out of the car and prepare professionally and personally for the future."

The move allows Montoya, who lives in Miami with his family and wife Connie ? who is pregnant with the couple's second child (due in September) ? to begin testing immediately with his new NASCAR team.

"We believe that Juan Pablo's decision to move to NASCAR is very important for him professionally and we will give him every support to ensure that it is a successful transition," said Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice president.

Montoya will drive Ganassi's No. 42 Dodge in Nextel Cup while also competing in some Busch Series races.

This weekend's F1 French Grand Prix will be De la Rosa's second race appearance for the team after substituting for an injured Montoya in the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix.

[Phil]

Not because she doesn't have the skills. but because she is to small. A NASCAR car weighs about 3400 lbs and a Indy car is about 1700.

Since when does the driver have to get out and push the car around a track? Those NASCARs not have engines anymore that do the pushing for you?

(I know that it's the stresses and the heat that you're talking about, but do those really change all that much with a bigger car?)

[sacker12]

Actually, I've heard that the thinner drivers are not affected as much by heat as heavier drivers. But, I can see if she has the stamina and build to be able to withstand racing 300-600 miles a week for a whole season.

[buzzcut]

For those who missed it, Kevin Blackistone(Dallas Morning News) used his "face time" on Around the Horn to declare that open-wheel racing in this country is officially dead, telling the people who run the IRL (Tony George), Champ Cars(Kevin Kahlkonen(sic?)) and Formula 1(Bernie "the Bolt" Ecclestone) to find new jobs.

And who knows what driver will follow Montoya and Patrick to NASCAR? Dan Wheldon? Marco Andretti? Max Papis? Melanie Troxel? Fernando Alonso? Jacques Villenuve? Cristiano Da Matta? Valentino Rossi? Nicky Hayden? Terry Borcheller? Tom Kristensen?

I, in the words of Steve Dannenmann, the 2005 runner-up of the World Series of Poker, have only one thing to say...BRING 'EM ALL ON!!!!

[gueman]

Not because she doesn't have the skills. but because she is to small. A NASCAR car weighs about 3400 lbs and a Indy car is about 1700.

Since when does the driver have to get out and push the car around a track? Those NASCARs not have engines anymore that do the pushing for you?

(I know that it's the stresses and the heat that you're talking about, but do those really change all that much with a bigger car?)

It is much harder to drive a bigger car. Perhaps you might have heard of something called physics. It is much harder to control a 3500 lb. object going 200 mph than it is a 1600 lb. object going the same speed. I also doubt that her small frame would be of the same benefit as it is in Indy Car. Remember last season some drivers said she had an advantage because she was so much lighter than they were.(Paul Tracy comes to mind...but that may be because he is a cry baby) The cars in both series are weighed with out there driver. In some cases Ms. Patrick had a 100 lbs advantage or more. In Indy car that is a much bigger deal than in NASCAR. I don't doubt her skills I just doubt her size, strength and stamina. But I do have a few exercises I can do with her to improve her stamina.