Montoya is leaving Formula 1...

lillitnn92 · 07-09-2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:Chicago, Ill. – 7/9/2006
CART champions in '99 and Indy 500 winners in '00, Montoya and old boss Chip Ganassi will join forces again - this time to race in NASCAR! (LAT Photo)
Chip Ganassi and Juan Montoya will be reunited in 2007 but it won't be in open wheel racing.

In one of the most shocking career changes in recent memory, Montoya is leaving Formula 1 to drive for Ganassi in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series.

more

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/28230/

Ginger · 07-09-2006, 10:12 PM

Is this a joke? It's not funny...

lillitnn92 · 07-10-2006, 12:22 AM

not a joke, was watching Grand AM race today on Speed when they interrupted for breaking news to show press conference with Chip and Juan.

white_2kgt · 07-10-2006, 09:22 AM

Dumbest move ever. No NASCAR fan wants him and no F1 fan is going to watch NASCAR because of him, it just makes no sense.

**G.Irish** · 07-10-2006, 10:43 AM

I'll watch the road races maybe. And I think you'll see his huge Colombian fan contingent coming out to support him at races. He's certainly faster than Adrian Fernandez so he might prove to be popular.

But damn I never would've guessed this in a million years. I mean wow, talk about a bombshell. Kind of embarassing for American open wheeled racing that he chose NASCAR instead of Champ Car/IRL. Just goes to show how stupid the split is.

.RJ · 07-10-2006, 10:53 AM

G.Irish Wrote:Kind of embarassing for American open wheeled racing that he chose NASCAR instead of Champ Car/IRL. Just goes to show how stupid the split is.

:?:

He already won championships with Target/Ganassi in Champ Car....

**G.Irish** · 07-10-2006, 11:04 AM

.RJ Wrote:
G.Irish Wrote:Kind of embarassing for American open wheeled racing that he chose NASCAR instead of Champ Car/IRL. Just goes to show how stupid the split is.

:?:

He already won championships with Target/Ganassi in Champ Car....

Well for an open wheeled driver you'd think he'd go to another similar series rather than stock cars. Both IRL and Champcar are much weaker in terms of competition now.

But maybe he just wanted to do something new, can't blame him for that. And now his weight won't be an issue...

Kaan · 07-10-2006, 11:11 AM

there is good money in NASCAR ... i'm sure he'll be making it... its different, new, the big change of pace... we all go through things like that. we'll see how the fans and sponcers react over time. and who knows how long he'll stay... or how well he'll do on the lefties... they set those cars up weird as hell... they arent "typical" from what i understand.

lillitnn92 · 07-10-2006, 11:25 AM

according to the interview i watched. he was and i loosely quote because i can't remember the whole 30 minute interview. ....... basically he was saying he wants the challenge of starting over. it was the week to week not knowing how you are going to do that excited him. he said in F1 you can have a good race and then it would be weeks later before you have another. with NASCAR it could be one week good, next 35th place, then bounce back up to 5th the following week.

also, Chip Ganassi said "the team" was sincerely excited to take him on and they would give him anything he needed.

as far as money was concerned, they made it sound like he is definitely taking a pay cut, but it was worth it.

i don't know. this whole thing sounded like a "Politically Correct" interview. like there was stuff he could have talked about, but this way was much more polite way of saying screw you guys, i'm outta here!

i don't keep up with it all like maybe some of you do, but i do try watch as many races as i can. you might know more about what's going on in the F1, Indy ect ect world than i would.

CaptainHenreh · 07-10-2006, 04:26 PM

Word on the street is he switched in hopes of finding the 6 fingered man that killed his father.

**Mike** · 07-10-2006, 04:33 PM

CaptainHenreh Wrote:Word on the street is he switched in hopes of finding the 6 fingered man that killed his father.

prepare to die.

Dragon · 07-10-2006, 04:44 PM

STOP SAYING THAT

Feersty · 07-10-2006, 04:44 PM

I also heard Danica Patrick is considering NASCAR..WTF!

**G.Irish** · 07-10-2006, 04:50 PM

Like I said AOWR just isn't a huge draw. JPM (and Danica) will make a helluva lot more money in NASCAR. I think the powers that be in Champ Car and IRL need to put aside their differences to confront a common enemy.

Myuki · 07-10-2006, 10:19 PM

I remember Montoya raping the open wheel series he was in. (Whether or not this is completely accurate i dunno, i never followed open wheel back in the day, cept F1 and CART)

Maybe he sees NASCAR as a different sort of challenge. But I think he should stay in F1, get a few more years and stay solid. Then, hopefully he could have gotten a run like Alonso or something.

Great. NASCAR is getting worse and worse.

-Nextel
-rule and car changes
-whining
-possibly Dannica?

Evan · 07-11-2006, 10:38 AM

The switch is effective immediately!
No more JPM in F1 Sad

I wonder if F1 realizes they lost a big reason to watch F1?

.RJ · 07-11-2006, 10:48 AM

Evan Wrote:I wonder if F1 realizes they lost a big reason to watch F1?

I think JPM is a big whiney baby in F1. They havent lost anything. He'll fit right in on the roundy-round circuit.

**G.Irish** · 07-11-2006, 11:09 AM

Evan Wrote:The switch is effective immediately!
No more JPM in F1
I wonder if F1 realizes they lost a big reason to watch F1?

Good drivers have come and gone in F1, sometimes while they still could perform well like Montoya. Him leaving is not such a huge blow IMO because there are several young guns that are coming in that will prove entertaining like Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, and maybe some of the second(third) gen F1 kids like Bruno Senna, Marco Andretti, and Nelson Piquet Jr.

However I think F1 could be headed towards a very real downturn in popularity in the next few years with the draconian and stupid rules that are about to come down. I think Moto GP could possibly stand a lot to gain from F1's downturn. And of course Montoya and possibly Danica going to NASCAR is a plus for them.

Evan · 07-11-2006, 12:04 PM

Well, I think his driving is more entertaining than it is skillfull, and his off track personality adds to the draw of F1.

A bunch of really fast robot drivers wouldnt make me want to watch F1

As far as rules go, I think it will make the racing better and hence the sport more popular, not less

.RJ · 07-11-2006, 12:06 PM

Evan Wrote:A bunch of really fast robot drivers wouldnt make me want to watch F1

I dont give 2 shits about F1 anymore. Its a multibillion $$ dog and pony show for the manufacturers, its not racing. You have a 2 hour race where there's no passing, anywhere.... and every time a car leaves the paved surface its so fragile it falls apart. Whats the damn point of that?

Take away the aero and electronic gizmos and bring back real tires and let them RACE

Confused

hrug:

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