Much has changed since the last time Juan Pablo Montoya was in the NASCAR Cup Series, not least his workout routine.
“When I was driving [full-time], I didn’t do anything,” he joked on Saturday. “I go to the gym now.”
Montoya is making a one-off run this weekend at Watkins Glen International, piloting the No 50 Toyota for 23XI Racing. It’s the first time the Columbian has competed in the Cup Series since the 2014 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It was the first year of NASCAR’s elimination playoff era – a championship format that would be tweaked with the addition of stages and playoff points in 2017. The schedule has changed drastically, too. NASCAR’s competing with a completely different car and the style of racing has evolved into a more aggressive, take-no-prisoners type of competition.
Given all the change, Montoya isn’t sure how his Cup return will go.
“No idea what to expect,” Montoya said. “I think I should run pretty good, but that’s about all I can tell you right now.
“It’s so difficult [to say]. I drove the car at [Virginia International Raceway], did about 40 laps in the morning just to get comfortable, make sure the seat and everything was working. I felt pretty good with the car. I actually felt it was easier to drive than the last car.”
The one-off wasn’t something Montoya was angling for. At 48 years old and with a proven resume that includes wins from Formula 1 to sports cars and the Indy 500, he has nothing left to prove. His main focus in recent weeks has been helping his son, Sebastian, who at age 19 is working to launch his own racing career in open wheel competition.
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A May phone call from 23XI Racing president Steve Lauletta, who was president of Chip Ganassi Racing when Montoya ran for the team, opened the door for the veteran to make a surprise return.
Montoya ultimately decided to give it a go.
“Why not? I really don’t have a reason not to do it,” he said. “I feel I can still do a good job. This year I wasn’t racing full-time, but I do a lot of karting, a lot of shifter karts with my kid. I’m still involved in racing fully.”
Perhaps the biggest change upon his NASCAR return isn’t the car, new faces or intensity of the playoffs — it’s the lack of track time.
“They’ll want to see the tire deg, so you’re going to go out and do a long run,” Montoya said, adding that he was thankful to have two practices. “You’re never really going to do a qualifying sim or anything.
“Back in the day you’d really prepare for qualifying. Now we just go there and drive it. With the tire deg they’re talking about, you’re probably going to get a lap.
“It’s kind of tough, because if you overdo it, you screw up. If you underdo it, you screw up. Great.”
Drivers making one-off appearances have noted the level of aggression in the Cup Series in recent years. Montoya isn’t as worried about it as others in his position, particularly with the tire falloff at play.
“Everybody I talked to says the give-and-take that there used to be back in the day is a lot less,” Montoya said. “People seem to race more for every position. But it’s what it is.
“I think if you have 3-4s of tire deg, if somebody starts racing [hard], they’re going to blow the tires off, so knock themselves out. I’m okay with it.”
When all is said and done, it’s possible Montoya could be offered another start in the future. He has a good relationship with Lauletta and a deep history with sponsor Mobil 1, but for now, the veteran is just hoping to enjoy his unexpected return to the NASCAR garage.
“Let’s do this weekend and then we’ll see,” he said. “Honestly, if someone comes to me one day and asks if I want to do a one-off, I would probably say yes, but it’s Saturday morning, so we’ll see.”
