Ganassi goes global

NASCAR was the furthest thing from the minds of Dario Franchitti and Juan Pablo Montoya as they battled for the 1999 CART Series championship. Pictured right, Dario and car owner Michael Andretti. The IRL's loss is NASCAR's gain. Photo courtesy IRL

Now they are Nextel Cup teammates at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

A 34-year-old from Scotland and a 32-year-old from Bogota, Colombia.

NASCAR international.

Who would have thought?

"They've always been attracted to NASCAR," Montoya said of international drivers as he watched Wednesday's press conference introducing next season's driver of the No. 40. "The hardest thing about it is it was seen as a very American sport.

"If you were an American, you were in. If you were not American, you were not. Nobody ever committed full time to it until I did. When I came and committed and things have panned out pretty good, people go, 'Oh, this is great.'"

Franchitti was supposed to be the leader of this international pilgrimage that also includes Jacques Villeneuve, the former IRL champion who will make his Cup debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway for Bill Davis Racing.

He had discussed extensively with Ganassi plans to drive the No. 42 car this season until a late phone call from Montoya knocked him out of that ride.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Franchitti won the Indy 500 and the IRL title, the latter edging Ganassi's Scott Dixon when Dixon ran out of gas on the last lap of the season finale.

"I'm betting you wish I'd come over," Franchitti jokingly told his new boss as the story was relived. More at ESPN.com