Juan Montoya could possibly be in a Cup car at Homestead. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Montoya not intimidated by culture of NASCAR

Transition from F1 to Nextel Cup Series going according to plan

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Beer is flowing and campfires are roaring along the side of the road in front of Talladega Superspeedway. Almost as many Confederate flags are flying as American ones.

Juan Montoya got a taste of stock-car racing in Friday's ARCA race at Talladega. Credit: AP

MONTOYA DEBUTS THIRD Juan Pablo Montoya's initiation into stock-car racing wasn't stopped by a bad pit stop, a big crash or an engine problem. It was stopped by darkness.  Friday's ARCA race at Talladega was called after a big pileup on Lap 79 of the 92-lap event featuring the 31-year-old Colombian attempting to move from Formula One to Nextel Cup.  After leading early in the race, Montoya was running third at the time and finished there. But he thought he had a shot at winning his debut.  •   Complete story, click here

Half the men are shirtless and half the women are willing to be for another set of beads that are as plentiful here as they are on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

It's called the Redneck Riviera.

It's a far cry from the French Riviera.

But this 2.66-mile oasis, where five-star hotels and restaurants are as foreign as a Waffle House in Monaco, is where Juan Pablo Montoya has chosen to begin his transition from open-wheel racing of Formula One to NASCAR.

Friday's ARCA race was the first real test for the 31-year-old native of Bogota, Colombia, who next season will replace Casey Mears in the No. 42 Nextel Cup car for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

But Montoya, whose resume includes a victory in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and a Champ Car World Series title, already is making an impact on a sport that was born of good ol' boys and moonshine.

Six countries -- Russia, Japan, Greece, Poland, Canada and Colombia -- have made orders for merchandise that has been on the Ganassi Racing Web site less than a week.

That speaks volumes considering 97 percent of current NASCAR merchandise sales are inside the U.S., with half of the other three percent sold in Canada, according to NASCAR.COM sales.

Talladega Superspeedway received credential requests from Spain, France and Italy, countries that normally don't recognize NASCAR as a sport. Montoya's P.R. representative had so many foreign interview requests that she got international calling on her cell phone.

NASCAR officials are drooling at the thought of tapping into the Hispanic community that represents the largest minority group (42.7 million) in the country. They have a "Montoya summit" planned for later this month in Charlotte, N.C.

Once fellow competitors see Montoya has a personal assistant that does everything but strap him into the car a few more avenues may open.

	Juan Montoya raced six seasons in Formula One. Credit: AP
	Inside the Numbers Juan Pablo Montoya in F1 Year Starts W T5 T10 2001 17 1 5 6 2002 17 0 12 12 2003 16 2 10 12 2004 18 1 10 13 2005 17 3 7 10 2006 10 0 4 5 Totals 95 7 48 58 MONTOYA TO DRIVE NO. 42 Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya will drive the No. 42 Dodge in 2007, team owner Chip Ganassi announced at Chicago.  •   Complete story, click here

"The anticipation of his first stock-car race has certainly created a stir around the world," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president for corporate communications. "The additional coverage is great, and will certainly draw additional attention, welcome attention, to the sport.

"There's definitely an unprecedented buzz around the ARCA race."

Yet Montoya isn't caught up in the circus surrounding his arrival. He doesn't mind giving up the luxurious surroundings he had at F1 races in Monaco to stay at a Hampton Inn and eat at a Lone Star Steakhouse as he did during a test here last week.

Relish aside, he loves hot dogs as much as he does caviar.

Montoya isn't doing this because he wanted a change in lifestyle, although he's more relaxed than ever in what he calls the friendly environment of NASCAR. He's doing this because he loves racing and needed a new challenge in his life.

"When I made this decision I wanted to enjoy what I was doing," said Montoya, who qualified second for the ARCA race and finished third when it was called for darkness. "I was losing the pleasure of racing and driving, and I didn't want to do that before I got here."

It's a different world

Pablo Montoya watched closely as his son's car went through the final inspection before qualifying.

Had he had his way, Juan Pablo would have spent two or three more years trying to win a world title in F1 before making this move.

"He was afraid if he didn't take the chance right now he might not have this opportunity in three years," the elder Montoya said. "He explained that he really wanted to do this with Chip Ganassi, and if he waited Chip might have all of his cars and drivers locked up.

"It was just something he didn't think he could let pass."

Montoya's former boss, Ron Dennis, at McLaren-Mercedes, reportedly said the disenchantment with F1 began when Montoya broke his shoulder in March 2005.

"The accident that damaged his shoulder was very counterproductive because it took that year out of play and it was a year for him as regards [to being a] championship contender," Dennis recently said in Japan. "That created some tensions, but not tensions that anybody created other than the circumstances that existed as a result of that."

Regardless, Pablo is confident his son made the best move after seeing how relaxed and happy he is.

	Pablo Montoya said the opportunity with Chip Ganassi was something his son believed he couldn't pass up. Credit: CIA Stock Photo
	MONTOYA HEADLINES •   Wheels in motion to get Montoya ready for NASCAR •   Ganassi: No exact timetable set for Montoya's debut •   Last Lap: What does Montoya's entry mean to Cup? •   Mears, others embrace Montoya's 2007 Cup arrival Garage PassMontoya prepares for Nextel Cup racing in 2007 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"In F1, the only thing left for him was a world championship," he said. "That's becoming very difficult to do unless you're with the right team and the right funding.

"Plus, he needed the challenge that NASCAR will give him. He loves what he's doing now."

Ganassi agreed.

"I'd seen him for a couple of years at various Formula One races and he wasn't the happy-go-lucky, fun guy that I knew back then [when he raced Indy cars and won a championship]," he said.

Pablo and his wife, Lidia, accompany their son to the track like Little League parents in baseball. They're enjoying the adventure of this new world as much as he is.

"It's completely different," Pablo said. "But the difference doesn't mean worse or better. Just different."

Pablo definitely didn't see anything like Talladega Superspeedway in F1. He had to explain to his wife that they were inside the track and not outside when they first arrived in the garage.

"She couldn't believe how far it was from one side to the other," he said. "We've never been to a track this big."

While the fans at Talladega are unique even in the NASCAR world, nothing they've done has shocked the Montoyas.

"This isn't so much different than the fans in Germany," Pablo said with a laugh. "The Germans drink a lot of beer, too."

If anything, Pablo likes NASCAR fans better than those in F1, comparing them to European soccer fans because they are so rabid.

"They live for this," he said. "In F1 you have a lot of people who go to the races just to show themselves or have people look at them. Not too many have a good idea of what's going on.

"Here, you'll have [more than 150,000] people on Sunday and 90 percent of them know what it's all about."

Pablo hopes that knowledge spreads to Europe. He already has friends in Italy and Colombia scoping the Internet to learn more about the sport because of his son's presence.

"I have a friend in Italy who is trying to find a TV deal to show the races," he said. "This is good exposure for NASCAR."

A marketing gem

Chris Weiller first met Montoya two months ago when considering leaving the NBA world for motorsports.

"I flew down to Miami and he picked me up at the airport," said Ganassi's new vice president of business development. "I told him I could take a cab, but he wanted to pick me up. He was a pretty regular guy."

Weiller, who was vice president for business operations with the Charlotte Bobcats before a recent change in management, said the hiring of Montoya made his career change easy.

	Juan Montoya's fan base is worldwide, something that is new to NASCAR. Credit: CIA Stock Photo
	JUAN NOT FIRST Juan Montoya's arrival is significant on the worldwide scope. But he won't be the first international Cup driver.  •   Complete list, click here

"He basically comes to us with a brand already established," he said. "It's like Lebron [James] in basketball."

Montoya has been like a breath of fresh air for Weiller, used to handling high-maintenance athletes with big egos. He said there's nothing pretentious about the driver who reportedly made $14 million in his final F1 season with McLaren-Mercedes.

"There are athletes that play to live and those that live to play," Weiller said. "He's a guy that plays to live. This isn't something he's settling to do. This is something he wants to do."

Said a member of his P.R. staff, "He hasn't asked for caviar yet."

But Montoya has concocted a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and crushed potato chips -- had there been pineapple available he would have added it -- that left a few members of the organization rolling their eyes.

Montoya, however, hasn't rolled his eyes at anything.

"He hasn't had a problem with anything," Weiller said. "He's a hot dog, hamburger and rib-eating kind of guy."

Weiller compares marketing Montoya in the U.S. to marketing a European player in the NBA, only better because Montoya already is established worldwide.

"He's got much more of a head start than a Lebron or any overseas athlete," he said. "He creates a lot of opportunities on the business side. I'm not sure all of us here yet realize his following and brand he's already established.

"He's already an international star, so he's got a big head start globally."

Montoya's new products won't be what the typical NASCAR fan is used to. They will be more colorful and edgy, along the style one sees in F1 or European soccer.

"Will he become more global?" Weiller said. "I'm not sure. He definitely will become bigger here. ... Juan is a rookie, but as rookie in name only on the business side."

That isn't Montoya's concern. He didn't come to NASCAR to help make it bigger.

"I did this for myself because I think it is a great challenge," he said. "Can I help? I can totally help because I'm known in a lot of places. Worldwide is paying a lot of attention to this."

Hands-on treatment

Gonzalo Mejia, otherwise known as Gonzo, waited next to the black No. 4 ARCA machine with the red and yellow Colombian flag next to the driver's name when it pulled off the track.

Jeff Burton said if having a personal assistant helps Juan Montoya, then it's a good idea. Credit: AP

Just as he has done the past six years in F1, he took Montoya's gloves and meticulously folded each one the way one would imagine a butler doing for Donald Trump.

He then took the helmet and earplugs and placed them, along with the gloves, back in the car.

He goes through a similar routine before the race, putting the gloves on to make sure they are properly stretched and fitted before helping Montoya slide them on.

Not even Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver, gets this kind of treatment.

"I help him do everything," said Mejia, who likes the idea of staying in a motorcoach instead of hotels because it keeps everything closer to the track.

The 44-year-old Mejia isn't here because Montoya feels the need for special treatment. He's here because in F1 there was a need for additional help with the visors and tear-offs.

"He's a guy I can trust and whatever I need, he can do," Montoya said.

It still seems a bit out of place in NASCAR. Points leader Jeff Burton, seldom a man at a loss for words, was dumbstruck when asked about Mejia's duties.

"What do you say about something like that?" he said.

Burton laughed, then added, "If he can afford to pay somebody to stretch his gloves out, then hell, maybe I can one day, too."

As Jimmie Johnson walked by, Burton insisted the same question be asked of him.

"I've got an umbrella girl," Johnson said jokingly.

Burton laughed again.

"Does it sound a little extravagant?" he asked. "Yeah, it sounds a little extravagant. But is it good for him? That's all that matters. ... Listen, if my gloves don't fit, I throw them away."

Burton was having fun, but in all seriousness he considers Montoya a world-class driver and asset to the sport.

"I am watching with great interest because I'm interested in the level that he can achieve," he said. "I know he has the ability. It's the adjustment that interests me a great deal.

"This is the only opportunity we've ever had to look at this. He's a driver for a good team. If anybody could do it it's him. I want to see it."

Not Southern slang

"In que," Montoya said when asked if he was in line for the draft during his first practice at Talladega.

	Juan Montoya motored his No. 4 Dodge around Talladega to qualify fourth for the ARCA race. Credit: AP
	NASCAR TodayJuan Montoya makes his debut at Talladega Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

There are still a few terminology issues to be worked through for Montoya and his crew. For a while he responded "understood" instead of 10-4 as most drivers do.

Getting such things ironed before Montoya begins the 2007 season at Daytona is what's important. He plans to drive in several more ARCA and Busch Series races over the next two months, possibly throwing in a Cup event at the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"The next five months are like spring training," Weiller said.

Montoya understands. He knows every day won't be as easy as qualifying for an ARCA race at Talladega. His first test of a Cup car at Kentucky earlier this week proved that.

He wrecked.

"I called [Ganassi] and I said, 'Yo,' That's what he says [to me], 'Yo,'" Montoya said in an accent completely different from the Pittsburgh-born Ganassi or anybody else in the garage. "I said, 'I've got some bad news for you.' He asked what happened? I said, 'I stuffed your car.' He said, 'Are you OK? Do you have another one?'

"I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Go get in it.'"

Montoya is focused on learning the basics, from getting in and out of the pits to how to help his crew chief set up the car so it will be perfectly balanced.

Brad Parrott, Montoya's crew chief for the rest of this year, said Montoya has done a good job of keeping the proper perspective amidst all the hoopla.

"A couple of months ago I said that J.P. from Columbia, S.C., is going to drive our car," he said. "I was like he's like a guy from Columbia, S.C., he's fun and full of himself, but he's determined to do good.

"He's said thank you more than a lot of drivers from F1 probably would. He's a personable guy, likes guys around him who like to laugh. If you're not out there laughing, you're not going to have fun. We're going to make this fun for everyone."

Johnson respects what Montoya is attempting to do. He immediately befriended him when the move was announced.

So did Earnhardt, who invited Montoya to visit the replica of a Wild West town he built on his land outside of Charlotte.

Both hope Montoya's presence in NASCAR will turn into more respect and opportunity for NASCAR drivers.

"It's common for NASCAR people to have respect for F1, but F1 fans, drivers and teams don't have the respect that they should for our sport," Johnson said. "So in my own way, I'm hopeful that Juan is able to increase the awareness of our sport and bring in a different fan base.

Brad Parrot is serving as Juan Montoya's crew chief for the rest of this season. Credit: AP

"But also the racer in me wants respect from that F1 garage area and I hope that this brings some of that."

Respect for NASCAR never has been an issue with Montoya.

"In Europe, because there are no ovals, people don't know what it takes," he said. "People think it's all about what you see here in Talladega, that you're flat-out the whole time.

"I was in Kentucky last week. That would scare the heck out of anybody in F1."

Montoya's biggest challenge may come in qualifying. A bad run in F1 may place him 10th or 11th in a field generally half the size of a 43-car Cup race.

"When I see 20 odd rows of cars [ahead of me], that's going to be shocking," Montoya said.

That's why patience, which hasn't been Montoya's strong suit in the past, will be key over the next few months.

"Even if I could win, it would be nice," he said. "But in my mind I'm set that whatever happens, it doesn't matter. If I put it in the wall or win, it's just experience for next year. The more that I do this year, when I get to Daytona I'll be more comfortable."