“A phone call”: Juan Pablo Montoya on what marked his return to Cup Series after a decade for 23XI Racing 

A month ago, F1 standout Juan Pablo Montoya announced his return to NASCAR after a decade, taking the wheel of the #50 Toyota for 23XI Racing. He recently revealed what motivated his comeback to the Cup series after such a long break.

Pablo Montoya made his NASCAR Cup debut in 2006 at Homestead, driving a Dodge for Chip Ganassi. He raced full-time in NASCAR’s premier series from 2007 to 2013 under Ganassi's banner, securing victories at Sonoma in 2007 and Watkins Glen in 2010.

The Colombian racer once achieved a peak finish of P8 in the Cup Series championship following his playoff qualification in 2009. His most recent Cup races came in 2014 at Michigan and Indianapolis, where he drove a Ford for Roger Penske. After this, he believed his NASCAR days were behind him.

As he gears up for his return to drive a black and gold #50 Camry, Juan Pablo Montoya recently disclosed the factors that drew him back into the NASCAR fold. He said (via 23XI Racing on X):

"A phone call! I love to say I do this amazing story but no, they called me and they said, 'Hey, you want to run the Glen?' And I thought, 'I mean, it will be really cool.' [...] Honestly, I don't know what's gonna happen. I'm hoping I'm very competitive. I'm like, I don't want to go there just to suck. I want to go there and do the best I can. [...] I think we might have a shot at it so I'll be happy."

He will be the fourth driver to helm the third car for 23XI Racing over the last two seasons. The car has alternated between using the numbers 67 and 50. Prior to him, Travis Pastrana, Kamui Kobayashi, and Corey Heim took turns driving the #50 car.

This season, however, Pastrana has not participated in any races. Meanwhile, Heim took part in the Ally 400 at Nashville, finishing in 29th place, and Kobayashi competed in the Echopark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, also finishing in 29th position.

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Tyler Reddick shares thoughts on becoming teammates with Juan Pablo Montoya

Following the announcement that Juan Pablo Montoya would be returning to Watkins Glen, Tyler Reddick had the opportunity to discuss racing with him. According to the #45 driver, it was a remarkable experience to gain insights into racing from an experienced professional's perspective.

During a media interaction, Reddick expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Juan Pablo Montoya, saying (via Speedway Digest):

"I got to run into him actually. [...] I’m looking forward to that experience when we get to the Glen. He’s just going to offer a unique vantage point. A very experienced vantage point on where our cars are at on road courses. I’m really looking forward to having an experience like that and being a teammate with a driver as accomplished as him."

With Juan Pablo Montoya set to return to the very track where he last claimed victory, it could be nostalgic for him and his fans. It will also be intriguing to know his perspective on the Next Gen cars in the current NASCAR series.