Montoya embracing role as the 'new guy'

It's all Jeff Gordon's fault. If it wasn't for Jeff's fascination with those itty bitty Formula One cars at Indianapolis a few years back, Juan Montoya never would have gotten a chance to get in a stock car, and we might not be up to our necks in Montoya Mania right now.

	MARK AUMANN
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"When I drove Jeff's car, I was really comfortable in it," Montoya said. "I was talking to Chip [Ganassi] about it and it really motivated me to do the deal.

"I got in it and within three laps on a road course, I was up to speed. I thought it felt good."

So there we were last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, smooshed like a Twinkie in a little kid's fist, waiting for this famous former open-wheel driver to enter the media room.

We correctly assumed he'd respond condescendingly to admittedly stupid questions, complain about the whole testing process and generally act as if he would rather be somewhere else, like having a nap after competing in an endurance race on the other side of the continent the day before.

But after Tony Stewart left, in came Smilin' Johnny Montoya, the All-(South) American Boy.

The suavest spokesman for Dodge since Ricardo Montalban peddled Chrysler Cordobas and their "fine Corinthian leather," Montoya was positively charming, the opposite of the stereotypical international racer -- stunning for a guy who supposedly wore out his welcome in Formula One.

Proof that there truly is a Colombia school of broadcasting, Montoya deftly fielded all media questions -- answering some in English, others in Spanish, translating answers from English to Spanish and then Spanish to English.

About the only thing he didn't do was translate for Ward Burton, which in all probably would have been like that I Love Lucy episode where Desi Arnaz meets Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Ward: "You know, I drive a Monte Carlo."

Juan: "Well, I won a race in Monte Carlo once." (Continued)