Franchitti's track record may make for easier move (cont'd)

Montoya speaks from experience. The biggest challenge in his transition wasn't the tracks, but the cars -- particularly getting comfortable with the looseness it takes to make a stock car go fast. Open-wheel racers like tight cars that stick to the ground, while stockers need to be on the edge of losing control. In NASCAR, Montoya said, the car's rear end almost has to step out for a driver to get everything out of a vehicle -- a condition that would land an open-wheel pilot in the wall. As Franchitti is discovering, it's not a matter of finding a perfect setup, because such a thing doesn't exist.

"What I didn't expect was how different the car would feel on a track I know, just how different that was going to be," Franchitti said. "With an Indy car, I kind of knew enough about it to help my engineer just pinpoint the car exactly where we needed to be in the setup for a race. Certainly, with this car and my limited experience, I'm not able to give [crew chief] Steve [Lane] ... enough information yet to get the car to that point. Then there's another part of me, in talking to other people, that says you'll never get the car to that point, because with these cars there's always a compromise. And with these cars, it's getting used to driving the car with that compromise, whether it's a little too loose or a little bit too tight. Just getting used to driving around those problems, that's all new."

While Franchitti doesn't yet have full-season primary sponsorship secured for his No. 40 car -- "It's going to be a patchwork thing to put together," Ganassi said -- he only has to learn to drive one type of car on the Sprint Cup tour, unlike Montoya who had to deal with the phase-in of a new vehicle. Franchitti also has the benefit of Montoya's experience, which should make for a smoother transition.

"The one big advantage Dario is going to have is that he'll have Juan to lean on," said Ganassi team manager Tony Glover. "Juan actually experienced a lot of things last year on his own that no one could really tell him. David Stremme really helped Juan last year, and Reed [Sorenson] as well. But I think Juan will be able to be a bigger help to Dario, because just 12 months ago he went through the same deal. I think when Juan tells Dario something, it's coming from pretty big shoes. I think [Franchitti] understands that it's in his best interest to pay attention to what he's talking about."

Ganassi saw how energized Montoya was by the move to NASCAR -- the former F1 driver raves about the camaraderie among competitors, something he never experienced in Europe -- and believes Franchitti will feel the same way. With an Indy 500 win and an IRL championship, Franchitti felt his motivation for open-wheel cars waning, and was looking for a new challenge. He found it in NASCAR, a circuit he had been interested in for two or three years. Montoya helped by convincing car owners that ex-open-wheelers could compete in NASCAR, clearing the path for the current migration seen today.

"At 34 years old, I'm doing something completely different," Franchitti said. "I never thought I'd get this chance to learn something completely new. I achieved more than I ever thought I'd achieve in open-wheel, now I'm getting the chance to come and race in NASCAR. For me, it's brilliant."

And, his car owner believes, it's not a fling. "The great thing about Dario is, he's here for the long haul," Ganassi said. "He's committed. He's here. He's not just dipping his toe in the water. He's completely dedicated to this."