Juan Pablo Montoya will make his NASCAR Cup Series return next month at Watkins Glen with 23XI Racing. The IndyCar, F1, NASCAR and sports car veteran will drive the No. 50 Toyota with sponsorship from Mobil 1. It will be the final race of the season for the organization’s third entry.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen — a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya said. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing and be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”
Welcome back to NASCAR, @jpmontoya! To help celebrate the Mobil 1 brand’s 50th anniversary, the championship-winning driver in multiple series will drive the final race for the No. 50 Mobil 1 Camry XSE at Watkins Glen. As a former winner at the Glen, he is proud to return to the… pic.twitter.com/fEjnd58R6H
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) August 2, 2024
Montoya was a full-time Cup Series competitor from 2007 through 2013 for Chip Ganassi. He made two starts in 2014 — Michigan and Indianapolis — for Team Penske.
Watkins Glen is a familiar place to Montoya. In the Cup Series, he made seven starts at the track with five top-10 finishes and one win. In his racing career, Montoya has 12 starts at Watkins Glen in four different series.
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“Juan Pablo Montoya is a world-class driver who has won in everything he’s driven, and he will be a great closer to the 50th-anniversary celebration we’ve had in NASCAR with the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota,” said Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. “The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what’s next in motorsports, and 23XI has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion.”
23XI Racing has fielded the No. 50 Toyota in two previous Cup Series races. Kamui Kobayashi drove the car at Circuit of The Americas and Corey Heim competed with the team at Nashville Superspeedway.