Montoya to Nascar

molateen

Looks like Montoya has finally given up crashing F1 cars and will be moving on to crashing some Nascars

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/racing/07/09/montoya.nascar.ap/

aidan_dunne

Yep, just saw the report about it on F1Racing.net. I know he mentioned recently how we was considering rejoining Chip Ganassi's team in the States if he couldn't get another F1 seat but I thought he meant the IndyCar team, not the NASCAR team. :eek: Kind of surprised he decided to make the switch to the tintops, to be honest. Though, having said that, as it stands right now NASCAR is the biggest motorsport series in the States so I guess he wanted to race in the highest profile series over there and get the most exposure (and probably the bigger bucks, too! ).

Also, if you think about it, maybe there's also a little bit of method in his madness. If the proposed merger between IndyCar and ChampCar finally does go ahead and it all unifies back into one series, then it's possible he'll be in a perfect position to just simply switch seats from Ganassi's NASCAR team back to the new Indy/ChampCar team once the new series gets up and running and establishes itself again. And he'll then be easily back in a single seater for a top team without having to go negotiating or anything like that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the clauses in his contract and one of the things Chip Ganassi used as an incentive to lure JPM back across the Atlantic; that there'll be a seat automatically available to him in the new Indy/Champcar single seater series if and when the merger takes place.

trendkill

Really wish he wasn't leaving F1 though, the grrand prisx weekend will be that bit boring without him monstering people.

Nuttzz

glad to see the back of moantoya tbh

NASCAR=Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

Im sure he will be right at home

gs39t

Nuttzz wrote:

glad to see the back of moantoya tbh

NASCAR=Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

Im sure he will be right at home

I was pretty much waiting for that :rolleyes:

Would put any amount of money down saying you;ve never seen a race in your life?

Nuttzz

I've been (not watched on TV) to Indy Car, NASCAR and F1 races as well as the "lesser" series like A1GP, anymore questions?

gs39t

Nuttzz wrote:

I've been (not watched on TV) to Indy Car, NASCAR and F1 races as well as the "lesser" series like A1GP, anymore questions?

Then you shouldnt be so quick to dismiss it Think what you want, but Montoya is going to THE fastest growing motorsport series on the planet - and back to some real racing - where he has the potential to win probably the same if not more money than in F1. Many of the top current drivers have earned close to $100m, in prizemoney alone. This move by Montoya is giving some credibility to the sport around the world - the "haha rednecks driving in circles" thing is the clouded view a lot of ignorant people this side of the world have of it, and people will start seeing an F1 driver MOVE to NASCAR and will sit up and take notice.

John R

gs39t wrote:

Then you shouldnt be so quick to dismiss it Think what you want, but Montoya is going to THE fastest growing motorsport series on the planet - and back to some real racing - where he has the potential to win probably the same if not more money than in F1. Many of the top current drivers have earned close to $100m, in prizemoney alone. This move by Montoya is giving some credibility to the sport around the world - the "haha rednecks driving in circles" thing is the clouded view a lot of ignorant people this side of the world have of it, and people will start seeing an F1 driver MOVE to NASCAR and will sit up and take notice.

The only thing people will take notice of is Montoya apparently volunteering to jump off the top rung of the circuit racing ladder into the mudhole at the bottom.

Unless it is the scenario aidan_dunne posted and he is guaranteed a seat in indy/champcar then it really is a crazy move. Even still it seems to be a bit risky, if he performes well then that is only to be expected but if he gets poor results then he will be in serious career trouble.

justfortherecor

I'm surprised to see Montoya back away from the most challenging motor sport in the world to compete in a lot simpler class. His brilliant overtaking skills will be wasted in his new sport. Sorry I just think NASCAR is a load of bulls**t tbh. Aerodynamically simple, uninspiring and pure monster engines with little technological development.

He's leaving behind Eau Rouge for the 'challenge' of keeping his arms turned at 30degrees for 2 hours.

Nuttzz

Moantoya going to nascar may give it some credibility, but doesnt give him much credibility, he'll just look like a ex-f1 driver who couldnt hack it

gs39t

John R wrote:

Unless it is the scenario aidan_dunne posted and he is guaranteed a seat in indy/champcar then it really is a crazy move.

Both of those series are on the verge of death - Champcar is only on TV because THEY are PAYING for it to be on TV. The IRL was cancelling races a few years ago the attendance was so bad. Both series put together couldnt come close to NASCAR's popularity.

I'm just going to stay out of this now because its the same close minded crap i always see. :rolleyes:

doubledown

Well, it looks like McLaren's patience with Juan has run out. They have dropped him with immediate effect for the rest of the season!

http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Page/0,15909,3210_3213_1326817,00.html

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=123802

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5168206.stm

SouperComputer

I'm surprised to see Montoya back away from the most challenging motor sport in the world to compete in a lot simpler class.

Moving from single seater, circuit racing to NASCAR is a pretty big challenge.

Also I'm interested as to how you describe a "simple" form of racing. A statement like that is a double-edged sword. One could say that F1 is more complex due to the technolgy used in materials, aerodynamics and computer "trickery". But this makes it more simple to drive by removing invlovment of the driver.

NASCAR actually has quite a bit of tech going in, including complex engine management & telemetry, just like F1. The key to its success is that they didn't allow it to affect the invlovement of the driver.

Sorry I just think NASCAR is a load of bulls**t tbh. Aerodynamically simple, uninspiring and pure monster engines with little technological development.

Naturally you are not the first to think this, in fact I once shared this opinion until I got closer to it. It's usually people who either know very little about it or come from the elitist opinions that F1 is the pinnalce, despite the fact that it is the most "infected" form of motorsport about. By infected I mean with technology and finance to the detriment of the entertainment value of the sport as well as the involvement of the driver

I take it you haven't gotten very close to NASCAR? I know a couple of team owners and drivers and I can tell you its a lot more technical and meticulous than it looks, any form of motorsport is at its highest level.

Challenging as F1 may be for a driver, the reward for most of the field is poor. IE your chances of winning racses are slim if you are not with the right team. not to mention a championship. Of course this is true of many ranks of motorsport, but it is more pronounced in F1. On any given day there are 10 drivers that could feasably win a race in NASCAR, could that be said for F1?

His brilliant overtaking skills will be wasted in his new sport.

He is leaving F1, his "overtaking skills" are already wasted.

He's leaving behind Eau Rouge

Eau Rouge is already gone from F1.

for the 'challenge' of keeping his arms turned at 30degrees for 2 hours.

By the same token, whats the challenge of moving your arms from left to right? Sounds stupid right? Because circuit racing is more than just moving your arms left to right, indeed there is a whole lot more to it. Same applies to ovals.

Example:

Ive seen rookies go out in NASCAR on the fast tracks, flat out without lifting around the entire lap and still come in 1.5s slower than a quick driver in the same car, same setup. Its momentum racing, and with 2 tonnes of metal and $hitloads of torque its not very forgiving either. 1.5s is a lifetime! 200 laps at that pace at Daytona and you are 300s behind the leader, not including the fact that he\she is going to be more consistant. Thats quite a few laps at 45s a lap! Take a track that is not quite flat all the way and the gap opens even further.

Again, remember in this example that both drivers are driving the same car, same setup with the throttle COMPLETELY BURIED!

Here's a more practical challenge, buy a copy of the game\sim NASCAR 2003 off ebay. Go to one of the flat-out ovals, say Daytona and see how you fair in an online race. You will quickly understand the sickening degree of precision and momentum that the drivers have. Actually dont even bother with the online racing, use the jasper setup and see how close you get to the fastest laps in the game itself.

NR2003 is used by many teams to prepare drivers for races, so its a valid test.

Basically there is a lot more to NASCAR than meets the eye. But your eyes have to be open in the first place!

ibanezjem

doubledown wrote:

Well, it looks like McLaren's patience with Juan has run out. They have dropped him with immediate effect for the rest of the season!

http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Page/0,15909,3210_3213_1326817,00.html

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=123802

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5168206.stm

Yeah thats just Ron Dennis getting the last laugh like the child that he is. OK Montoya is gone (was never a fan) and they (Mclaren) have to find another driver but this is typical of McLaren & Ron Dennis. They dont like to be seen as beaten, ever, so as a result of moaning and complaining having no effect, "Sure lets sack him!"
They kept Coulthard tight lipped about the team for his career and came out of his shell with RBR. But now that Montoya is gone, they want him to leave ASAP so as not to comment about any arrangements the team had with him. Bloody hate McLaren!!

J.R.HARTLEY

ibanezjem wrote:

Yeah thats just Ron Dennis getting the last lasugh like the child that he is. OK Montoya is gone ( was never a fan) and they (Mclaren) have to find another driver but this is typical of McLaren & Ron Dennis. They dont like to be seen as beaten, ever, so as a result of moaning and complaining not having any effect, "Sure lets sack him!"
They kept Coulthard tight lipped about the team for his career and came out of his shell with RBR. But now that Montoya is gone, they want him to leave ASAP so as not to comment about any arrangements the team had with him. Bloody hate McLaren!!

completely agree, he's cutting his nose off to spite his face, dennis knows he'll score less points without montoya, but wants to be the one who gets the final say.

gs39t

doubledown wrote:

Well, it looks like McLaren's patience with Juan has run out. They have dropped him with immediate effect for the rest of the season!

http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Page/0,15909,3210_3213_1326817,00.html

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=123802

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/5168206.stm

Wahoo! With the NASCAR seasons only halfway now we'll likely see Montoya in at least some Busch races, with likely a few Nextel Cup (top division) races before the year is out

thegoth

I think Pedro de la Rosa will surprise and if he is left in the car for the rest of the season, I think he will prove that he can do a better job than Montoya, but I suspected that he will be replaced by Gary Paffet who I expect to be the teams second driver next year.

Running Bing

SouperComputer wrote:

Example:

Ive seen rookies go out in NASCAR on the fast tracks, flat out without lifting around the entire lap and still come in 1.5s slower than a quick driver in the same car, same setup. Its momentum racing, and with 2 tonnes of metal and $hitloads of torque its not very forgiving either. 1.5s is a lifetime! 200 laps at that pace at Daytona and you are 300s behind the leader, not including the fact that he\she is going to be more consistant. Thats quite a few laps at 45s a lap! Take a track that is not quite flat all the way and the gap opens even further.

Again, remember in this example that both drivers are driving the same car, same setup with the throttle COMPLETELY BURIED!

Here's a more practical challenge, buy a copy of the game\sim NASCAR 2003 off ebay. Go to one of the flat-out ovals, say Daytona and see how you fair in an online race. You will quickly understand the sickening degree of precision and momentum that the drivers have. Actually dont even bother with the online racing, use the jasper setup and see how close you get to the fastest laps in the game itself.

NR2003 is used by many teams to prepare drivers for races, so its a valid test.

Basically there is a lot more to NASCAR than meets the eye. But your eyes have to be open in the first place!

Nice post soupercomputer. Im sure that Oval racing is just as challenging as street circuits but for me it just doesnt feel like that. For me when watching racing the driver working the wheel non stop braking and accelrating around corners will always be more impressive than a driver going around in an oval. Like you say it takes just as much skill but It all looks the same. True the same could be said of f1 but at least there you actually see the drivers doing something. The fact that many drivers can win on the day and the furious racing is very appealing but I could just never get into it (I have tried).

SouperComputer

Babybing wrote:

Nice post soupercomputer. Im sure that Oval racing is just as challenging as street circuits but for me it just doesnt feel like that. For me when watching racing the driver working the wheel non stop braking and accelrating around corners will always be more impressive than a driver going around in an oval. Like you say it takes just as much skill but It all looks the same. True the same could be said of f1 but at least there you actually see the drivers doing something. The fact that many drivers can win on the day and the furious racing is very appealing but I could just never get into it (I have tried).

Thats fair enough, its a bit more constructive than saying "its retarded BS" or whatever.

I can understand that not everyone is going to find it entertaining, its the closed-minded, ignorant comments like "anoyone can drive in a circle" stuff that bug me.

TBH, from my perspective, I see drivers in NASCAR doing a lot more (bearing in mind 2 tonnes of metal @185MPH with no wings) in the cockpit than those in F1, but its purely subjective I guess. Of course the physical stresses are higher in F1, but 2G is enough to keep you awake. I think they pull up to 3 on some circuits.

At times it can be boring to watch on TV, but the problem is that TV ruins any sense of speed for most motorsports.

Anyway, it should be an interesting move. I think Montoya made a good move, in NASCAR its feasable that he will be doing what he loves (racing) until he's 50 or more and make a good living while he's at it without any of the B$ politics of the FIA.

Hmm maybe in 2-3 years time if I get the funds together I will get to dice with Montoya. Failing that, I might get lapped. Either I would be happy with That would never happen in F1.

gs39t

There is a long, long list of ex-single seater racers who tried NASCAR and failed miserably. Only 3 current drivers are ex IRL drivers, all the rest have rest have gone away to try other things. With all the hype surrounding Montoya i hope he doesnt end up the same way, but ive heard its a multi-year deal. Ganassi's Nextel cup equipment is proving average, so he wont have the advantage of consisent performer, plus the team he will be racing for has already had 2 different drivers in the last 2 years, make that 3-in-3.

Jonny Arson

Montoya is past his best and if he thinks he can just walk into Nextel Cup then the guy is completely over his head.

Reasons why Montoya has chosen to go to NASCAR are simple.....

1 - He can't hack it in F1 anymore
2 - Megabucks from Ganassi, Texaco and potential Latin American market
3 - He knows if he joined Ganassi's IRL team he would be teamates with Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon, they would blow him away and destroy whats left of his career.

Ok it's fantasy stuff seeing Montoya compete against Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. etc which is fantastic for interest and entertainment value but honestly Montoya won't last long in NASCAR. I think NASCAR can be quite horrible to watch but I do appreciate the challenge it is for drivers.... it's a total different ballgame to F1 or even Indycar racing. Montoya will need temperment and discipline to succeed in NASCAR (which he doesn't have) as it will take at minimum 3 years to become competitive when you're not from a stock car/short track background. Also the small matter of 38 race weekends a year with races at minimum lasting 3 hours and including gruelling 500/600 mile races.... won't be his cup of tea for sure! Also as successful as Chip Ganassi Racing has been in CART and IRL, they're a mid pack team in NASCAR have rarely look like winning anything..... Monty won't like been at the back of the pack.

I'll give him half a season before he's crying to Ganassi for an IRL or Sportscar drive.... but Ganassi has a keen hobby of firing drivers too.....

Ay Cee

Never a fan of Monty but he's another character gone from F1.
He was a real hot head and never delivered like he should have. If you were to believe the hype.

That video some weeks someone posted was genius, him gettin' whacked in the noggin. It really showed him for what he was. He's quietened down in the last while though.

dcr22B

Well, I'm hoping that double V8 Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose makes the step up from Craftsman Trucks with Team Australia to Nextel Cup as it's about tiime that NASCAR went more international with their drivers although I know that they are still massively popular Stateside not allowing for their restricted appeal out of the USA.

OSiriS

While I will grant you that driving an oval is nowhere near as simple as it may seem, driving an F1 car requires the same amount of precision to drive fast, but given the complexity of many of the circuits in the season, this level of precision is much more difficult to achieve. NASCAR's appeal is the same as the appeal of every other mainstream american sport, it provides the spectator with non-stop action. You pile a load of cars onto a simple oval, every part of which can be seen from every seat in the place, and the audience gets to watch everything from their seat. The spectacle is the overtaking which NASCAR provides plenty of. From a spectators point of view NASCAR probably is much more exciting, and with the american marketting engine behind it, much more financially rewarding to the driver.

Try not to confuse crowd pleasing entertainment with challenge for the driver. F1s problem right no is that it isn't entertaining enough. This is something the FIA is trying to fix, and which in many ways the manufacturers are trying to prevent. In order to have entertaining racing you need relatively close performance of all the cars, but anyway the problems with F1 are a huge other topic of their own.

Eau Rouge is already gone from F1.

Only for this season. Spa is far and away the most popular track F1 has ever visited, and Bernie knows he can't afford not to keep it on the calender. He is putting up his own money to make sure it stays there from now on.

gs39t

dcr22B wrote:

Well, I'm hoping that double V8 Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose makes the step up from Craftsman Trucks with Team Australia to Nextel Cup as it's about tiime that NASCAR went more international with their drivers although I know that they are still massively popular Stateside not allowing for their restricted appeal out of the USA.

Ambrose is on a TEAR right now. Finishing 3rd at Kansas after only a few starts and nearly taking pole at Charlotte; id say he's in a with a great shot to win his first race before the year is out. All that after not being allowed to compete in the first 3 races!