Welcome to NASCAR

Upon first hearing Juan Pablo Montoya was coming to NASCAR, my reaction was one of disbelief.

Then my mind wandered back in time to when I was covering open wheel racing in 1999 and watched up close the then-23-year-old brash, arrogant but extremely talented driver from Colombia no one had ever heard of before.

I thought about it again.

Juan Pablo Montoya in a Nextel Cup car. What a brilliant idea.

Chip Ganassi announced Sunday that Montoya will take the wheel of the No. 42 Dodge Cup car next season, confirming what earlier was first reported on Yahoo! Sports. But Montoya's road to NASCAR hasn't exactly been a direct route.

Montoya first came to my attention in 1997 while he was racing in the European Formula 3000 series. He won three races there, placed second in the championship and took the rookie honors. The next season, Montoya won the title in that series, earning him a job as test driver for the Williams Formula One team.

On the recommendation of team owner Frank Williams, Ganassi hired Montoya to replace reigning CART champion Alex Zanardi, who left for Williams' F1 team after the 1998 season. Seven poles and seven wins later, Montoya was the top CART rookie and the champion of the open wheel series.

Montoya left CART after just two seasons – and a dominant Indy 500 win – and headed to his destiny: Formula One.

But he never realized his potential in that series, having first been with an underpowered Williams team that later found enough speed to give Montoya the kind of car he could win races in. Recently, he went to the fabled Mercedes-McLaren team, but that pairing has never produced anything of merit.

With the only other good rides in F1 (Ferrari and Renault) unavailable, it was a natural choice for Montoya to come to NASCAR.

Having a world class driver like Montoya join the roster of Nextel Cup drivers brings a level of credibility to the American racing series – not to mention possibly changing minds of legions of racing fans around the world who often see NASCAR racing as a joke or worse yet, fixed and predictable.

Montoya's abilities behind the wheel of a race car were obvious from the very first time I watched him race. He thrilled with his skill and daring, passing other cars on the race track where drivers weren't supposed to pass, and winning races with a "get out of my way, I'm headed to the front" attitude.

Montoya once collided with Michael Andretti during a practice session for a CART race in Japan and later laughed at Andretti while they rode together in an ambulance to the infield hospital. Montoya told Andretti that he hit him just because he wanted to make a statement. Andretti was furious and warned that Montoya eventually would hurt someone.

He never did.

But just last weekend, Montoya made headlines for a first-lap incident in which he was blamed for taking out six other cars.

While racing in the States, Montoya's no-nonsense attitude often spilled over into his dealings with the media. During his press conferences, he made a point of telling the press exactly what he was thinking, regardless of the consequences or reaction.

During casual moments away from his race car and around his teammates, however, he was a constant jokester, capable of pulling off a practical joke with the same kind of daring displayed making those daring passes.

It will be wonderful to have him in the Nextel Cup garage next season.

His driving style, which ended up being his downfall in Formula One, will fit in perfectly with NASCAR's fender rubbin' racing action.

Brutally honest, quick-tempered and extremely gifted with a race car – that's what race fans can expect out of JP, as his legions of fans call him.

Picture a Latino version of Tony Stewart. That's exactly what NASCAR marketing executives are thinking.

NASCAR has had their share of Latino drivers, both today and in the past. But getting a driver of Montoya's talents and recognition is without a doubt one of the racing organization's biggest coups.

Not only does NASCAR get a driver who can speak directly to millions of potential NASCAR fans worldwide in their own language, they've also got a driver who can potentially win races and perhaps championships.

Some, however, will see Montoya coming to NASCAR as evidence of the further erosion of the sport's roots as an all-American racing series – that along with Toyota's entry into Nextel Cup. But those who do feel that way are living in the past – a past filled with 20-cent gallons of gasoline, AM radios and small race tracks with even smaller purses.

Speaking of purses, Ganassi knows he's got a goldmine in the Colombian, who will serve as the driver and spokesperson that all of the Latino companies looking to get into NASCAR have been waiting for.

And so does Montoya.

Coming from the world of Formula One where a well-known driver like Montoya can easily match his driving salary with endorsement money, Montoya knows all about the value of sponsor endorsements.

He'll be getting plenty of them.

Everyone wants to be associated with a winner. And Montoya, given some time, will be a winner in NASCAR.

Just wait until he gets a few months of racing under his belt. It'll be exciting to see how he stacks up against the likes of Stewart and Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. In fact, don't be surprised if Montoya wins a race in his rookie season in Nextel Cup. He certainly is capable of it.

And don't expect him to take anything from the other drivers that they aren't prepared to get back.

Welcome to NASCAR, Juan Pablo. And get ready for some real racing.

Your kind of racing.