Up front: Juan Pablo Montoya

By Ben White - NASCAR Illustrated

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya made the Chase For The Sprint Cup for the first time this season.

LaDon George
NASCAR Scene

RSS Feed
Email to a Friend
Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size RESIZE
Share
- Facebook
- Del.icio.us
- DIGG This
- Reddit
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
Comments

Photo gallery: Juan Pablo Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya wasn’t expected to be a Chase contender this season.

His team, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, merged and downsized over the offseason and the two-car operation didn’t seem to have a shot against the likes of Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. On top of that, Montoya was coming off a 25th-place finish in the points last year.

NASCAR Illustrated

But halfway through the 2009 season, the 33-year-old Colombian sat a remarkable ninth in points with nine top-10s in 19 starts — six more than he managed in all of 2008.

NASCAR Illustrated: Are you happy with the way things have gone so far this season?

Juan Pablo Montoya: I think we’ve had good weeks and bad weeks but more good than bad. I think we’ve raced really smart all year. To be honest, I hope we can keep doing the same things. It’s all about consistency.

NI: What’s the overall goal this season?

Montoya: People said they were sure we were smoking something, but the goal is to make the Chase. I think we are in good shape to do it.

NI: How important is it for you and the team to make the Chase?

Montoya: Making the Chase is the first step for us as a company — to prove how good we are and how good we can become. It would be really cool if we can make the Chase, and it would really suck if we were close and missed it.

NI: What are your team’s biggest strengths and weaknesses?

Montoya: Our biggest strength is that everyone works really well together. Our biggest weakness is that we are not the size of the bigger teams. But at the same time, our weakness serves as a strength. Everyone is focusing on two cars rather than four or five. You look at an organization like Roush Fenway Racing and you have five cars that are kind of struggling.

NI: How is the communication between you and crew chief Brian Pattie?

Montoya: It’s good. It’s crazy, you know? It’s out of control during the races. But it’s all about the passion. We have the passion to do good. We have the passion to run well and win races and we are doing whatever it takes to do it.

NI: Did you ever imagine that you would be making a living driving a stock car?

Montoya: Never. Not even an open wheel car, either. I’ve always raced because I love it. I’m very blessed to be able to do it and make a living from it.

NI: How do you think you’ve handled the transition from open wheel racing to NASCAR?

Montoya: I think I’ve done well. I knew it was going to be hard and I knew it was going to take time. Some people thought that it was impossible but I didn’t think so. I think my driving style is very different and it took a while for people to understand how I wanted to drive the car. Once we got to that point, I learned a little bit more about how to drive the car. It really brought everything together.

NI: What surprises you most about racing in NASCAR?

Montoya: The fans. They are incredible and have such passion for the sport. It’s exciting to see.

NI: How have you and your family adapted to living in the United States?

Montoya: We like it. Even before driving in NASCAR was talked about, we wanted to retire in the United States. We always thought once I stopped racing that we would move here. We had the place in Miami already that we live in now and that was always a part of the plan.

NI: Do you have a favorite city in the United States?

Montoya: I really enjoy Miami but I have always loved Chicago. It’s big and has the things like New York without the smell. It’s a lot cleaner.

NI: What is your favorite American food?

Montoya: That’s a hard one to answer. There are a lot of things. I’m a big fan of fast food but I don’t eat at those places as much as I used to. I do like In-N-Out Burger or Five Guys. Those places are incredible.

NI: What do you like to do when you aren’t racing?

Montoya: I do a lot of windsurfing right now. By August, the wind is good around Miami. I’m going to Aruba to windsurf for two weeks. I’m also a big golfer. I don’t play as much as I used to but I still really get a kick out of playing golf. I also have RC planes and I’m learning to fly helicopters. And I have jet skis, motor bikes, a climbing wall and I just bought a pingpong table. I get a kick out of playing pingpong.

NI: Of all those activities, which do you do best?

Montoya: I’m decent at all of them. I just don’t get enough time to practice. Last year, I had a seven handicap in golf. This year, I’m probably a 15 or 18. I don’t get to go and hit balls and things like that. I just don’t have the time.

This story originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of NASCAR Illustrated.