Montoya back to the USA in NASCAR!
“It should be fun," Ganassi said. “Should be great. We’ve obviously enjoyed some previous success, and that made it a lot easier. We had a very quick negotiation — if you can even call it that. It’s nice to have somebody in your car who wants to be there, wants to be with your team, wants to be a part of it." (Chip Ganassi and Juan Montoya make the announcement in the Chicagoland media center this morning – Photo By Diane Meader Schenk/AutoRacing1.com)
Montoya, who won a CART series championship in 1999 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 with Ganassi, will replace Casey Mears, who will drive for Hendrick Motorsports next season.
“He said, ’I want to get back to racing,"’ Ganassi said. “The guy loves racing. And what better place than here?"
Ganassi said Montoya will have to work hard to make the change.
“It’s going to be some work," Ganassi said. “He’s ready for it, though." 07/09/06 Our reporter at Chicagoland tells us that Chip Ganassi has been seen with Juan Montoya in the paddock this morning and will be announced to drive Ganassi's No. 42 Cup car in 2007 and beyond. Look for this rumor to go to 'fact' in an hour or so.
06/28/06 It's looking increasingly likely by the day that Juan Montoya could be set to leave F1 after this year. With each report that no top or mid-level F1 team will pick up his services, the more likely Montoya will leave F1 after this season as he will not drive for a wanker team, he has nothing to prove with them. See related Williams rumor – no room for Juan.
06/27/06 (GMM) Juan Pablo Montoya has refused to rule out returning to America's open-wheeler scene next year, as his prospects of securing a top formula one drive continue to wane.
His former Champ Car boss, Chip Ganassi, indicated recently that he would gladly take the feisty Colombian back.
30-year-old Montoya is almost certain to now be out of the frame to retain his McLaren ride for 2007, and his other possibilities – most notably Red Bull – are rapidly looking just as dubious.
On the back of two disappointing seasons in silver, he tangled with Nico Rosberg last Sunday at Montreal before slapping the wall and ignominiously retiring.
''I do not know what the future brings,'' Montoya admitted to 'Auto Motor Und Sport' magazine. ''At the moment I am not really thinking about it.''
On the Chip Ganassi link, he added: ''Everything is possible.
''I am completely relaxed. I will look at the options and then we'll see what happens. I am not too worried about it.
''At the moment nothing is certain but I am in good spirits.''
'Auto Motor Und Sport' contends that a return to Williams, Montoya's first home in F1 between 2001-2004, could be an option. The magazine says Frank Williams, yet to take up a several million dollar 'option' on Mark Webber's contract, might be reluctant to cough up the Australian's scheduled pay-hike.
[Editor's Note: Do not look for Montoya to return to the USA unless there is a merger of Champ Car and the IRL and he views the opportunity as a positive move and not into a league that is floundering because of the split. We expect him to stay in F1, but if his only choice is a wanker team, then yes, a 'new' IndyCar series could be an option for him.]