Juan Pablo Montoya to drive for Team Penske in IndyCar Series in 2014
Juan Pablo Montoya is moving back to open-wheel racing and it's with a familiar NASCAR face.
Montoya will drive the No. 2 car for Team Penske next year in the IndyCar Series. That's the car that AJ Allmendinger drove part time for Penske this year.
“I am really excited to join this legendary team beginning next year,” Montoya said in a release. “I have had the opportunity to drive for some of the best racing teams in the world and I have always admired Roger Penske and his organization. I consider it an honor to be offered the opportunity to drive for Team Penske.”
Montoya will be teammates with Will Power and Helio Castroneves.
The former Indianapolis 500 champion and F1 driver is parting ways with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing at the end of the season. Ganassi brought Montoya to NASCAR after a six years and seven wins in Formula 1 and was Montoya's car owner when he won the 2000 Indianapolis 500, his only IndyCar Series start. If you're familiar with IndyCar, you know that Ganassi and Penske have long dominated open-wheel racing in the U.S. Consider this like Johnny Damon moving from the Red Sox to the Yankees.
Before moving to Formula 1, Montoya won the 1999 CART championship in his first season.
Montoya has two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, one at Sonoma and one at Watkins Glen. He's been in contention for two wins late in 2013 -- at Dover and at Richmond -- but lost the lead in the late laps both times. Kyle Larson, currently in the Nationwide Series for Ganassi, will take over the No. 42 car in 2013.
