Formula One Driver Juan Pablo Montoya Returning To NASCAR
The 23XI Racing NASCAR Cup Series team has a new driver on the way but don’t worry, fans, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace aren’t going anywhere.
The Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned team is teasing a third car entry for an upcoming event.
It ran a No. 50 car at Nashville this year with Corey Heim behind the wheel, after sports car ace Kamui Kobayashi drove it at the Circuit of the Americas last season.
Now it looks like another Formula One veteran will be getting in the car.
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The team released a video on social media announcing the return of the No. 50 car that features out of focus shots of a man walking toward the camera and holding up a Golden Ticket that covers his face.
The two-time Indy 500 champion and seven-time Formula One race winner previously spent seven full-time seasons in the Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
He was named Rookie of the Year in 2007 and won two races during his career, including at Sonoma Raceway that year.
The second was the 2010 race at Watkins Glen, which is one of two road courses left on the 2024 Cup Series schedule, making it the likely choice for this year’s entry, though 23XI Racing has not yet confirmed it.
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The other is the Charlotte Roval, which didn’t even exist the last time the 48-year-old got into a Cup Series car at Indianapolis in 2014.
The Watkins Glen race isn’t until Sept. 15, however, so it may be a few weeks before we find out for sure. In the meantime, 23XI Racing will be focused on getting Wallace into the playoffs along with Reddick, who is locked in courtesy of his win at Talladega and current third place position in the points standings.
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Wallace is in 17th and seven points below the cutline with four races to go after the Olympics break, which ends on Aug. 11 at Richmond Raceway, followed by Michigan, Daytona and Darlington.
Wallace will have his work cut out for him at Richmond where his boss, Hamlin, is one of the favorites to win for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin won the spring race with a controversial move on his JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr., who is even on odds to win with Hamlin for the fall race along with Kyle Larson, according to BetMGM.
Update: 23XI Racing has confirmed Montoya will be driving at Watkins Glen
“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen — a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya said in a release. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing and be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”
