One of the most accomplished drivers across all of motorsport, Juan Pablo Montoya, will be making his return to NASCAR with 23XI and Mobil One at Watkins Glen in September.
Driving the #50 for 23XI, the Toyota superstar car this season, Montoya will be returning to the track for the first time since 2014. Montoya, who has been competing in IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, is joining the list of drivers honoring Mobil 1’s 50th anniversary. Driving the black and gold Toyota, he joins Corey Heim and Kamui Kobayashi as the star studded line up for 2024.
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
Juan Pablo Montoya’s NASCAR Career:
Montoya would begin his career in IndyCar, winning a Indy 500 with Ganassi. He would leave Indy for Formula One and Williams. At the end of his F1 career, he would leave McLaren Mercedes in the middle of the 2006 Formula One Season, Montoya made a single start for Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2006 season at Homestead-Miami. Driving the CGR #42 in 2007, he scored one win at Sonoma and finished 20th in the championship standings. His next victory would come in 2010, at Watkins Glen were he is set to return this September.
Montoya is infamously known for his accident at the 2012 Daytona 500. Montoya’s car was having issues with severe vibration, and during a caution lap, a rear trailing arm broke, causing him to lose control and collide with a jet dryer. The car was destroyed and the dryer began leaking jet fuel on to the racing surface. The fuel ignited, and the subsequent fire red flagged the race for two hours.
Montoya would race for CGR until 2013. He would make two starts for Team Penske at Indianapolis and Michigan in 2014, while racing in Indycar full-time. He finished his career with 2 wins, 24 top-fives, and 9 poles.
23XI’s #50 Toyota Camry:
Since 2023, 23XI has fielded a third car, for superstar talent. First, Travis Pastrana took the #67 to a top ten at the Daytona 500. Kamui Kobayashi would pilot the car later in the season, during the Indy Road Course weekend. In 2024, the car has rebranded to the #50, in honor of Mobil One’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The #50 in 2024 has seen two other drivers. Kobayashi returned to race at Circuit of the America’s in March, and Corey Heim drove at Nashville. Kobayashi would start 25th and finish 29th at COTA, and Heim would finish 29th at Nashville.
Disappointing result to a good day. Grateful for @mobil1racing @toyotaracing @23XIRacing for the opportunity, enjoyed every minute of it! #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/qYJH0ljZml
— Corey Heim (@CoreyHeim_) July 1, 2024
Expectations for Montoya:
Juan Pablo Montoya is one of the few drivers in the world to have laps in three major racing championships around Watkins Glen, IndyCar, the Cup Series, and IMSA. He is the most experienced driver to step foot in the 23XI third car to date. I think it would be wrong to assume Montoya cannot compete with the field at Watkins Glen. He has recent experience in Sports Car racing, and with the Next Gen car driving more like one, he has a good chance at a top-ten finish. 23XI has good road course cars, with Reddick having two top tens in Austin and Sonoma in 2024.
