When it comes to Juan Pablo Montoya, many NASCAR fans don?t have an opinion of the former Formula One driver who was expected to dominate the Nextel Cup in his first season.
For those of us whose enthusiasm for auto racing rarely strays beyond watching our favorite drivers in the Nextel Cup series, Montoya is a newcomer ? the driver who replaced Casey Mears in the No. 42 car.
For those who know the path he took to get to NASCAR, though, Montoya is far from your typical rookie. With seven Formula One wins, a CART championship and an Indianapolis 500 title, Montoya is a seasoned, proven veteran.
But here?s why fans aren?t flocking to buy Montoya merchandise: The aggressive driving style he used to succeed in Formula One has been a liability in Nextel Cup.
His unwillingness early in the season to allow faster cars to pass led to several on-track incidents, leaving fans with the impression Montoya had little respect for other drivers. But in reality, though, the exact opposite is true: Montoya has an immense amount of respect for his competitors, and has taken their advice, which has changed his strategy.
“At the beginning, you’re really hot-headed, and then you learn to play it smarter,” Montoya said. “What’s really nice about this year is the give and take. You learn to race smarter.”
If his second-place finish at Sunday?s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is any indication, Montoya is on the verge of establishing himself as a Nextel Cup contender.
“It’s obvious how talented he is,” said Jeff Gordon, who was passed by Montoya in the closing laps Sunday. “At Atlanta, he impressed the heck out of me. Here, he impressed me today. He’s done a fantastic job.”
Montoya seems to have changed his approach off the track, too. Known in the past for being brash and opinionated, Montoya still speaks his mind, but is finding ways to temper his comments with an unusually sharp sense of humor ? even joking with Gordon about how his performance Sunday was “not bad?for a rookie.”
While earning respect in the garage is one thing, earning the respect in the grandstand is much more difficult. The best way for Montoya to accomplish that is by racing clean and getting to victory lane.
“We’re getting there,” said Montoya of his performance Sunday. “It shows where we’re going, it shows that the potential is there.”
It might take some time, but when Montoya realizes his potential, he?ll start winning races ? and more fans.
Get up to speed on the latest in NASCAR ? listen to Wilson’s Race Report every weeknight at 7:25 p.m. on 93.1 WPOC.
