Watch: Juan Pablo Montoya’s 2010 Watkins Glen triumph ahead of his road course return for 23XI Racing

Former NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya will return to the Cup Series for the Go Bowling At The Glen playoff race at Watkins Glen International. He last competed in a NASCAR event in the 2014 Brickyard 400, where he drove the #12 Ford for Team Penske.

Montoya was a NASCAR regular from 2007 to 2013. The two-time Indy 500 winner has raced full-time in F1, CART, IndyCar, and IMSA, winning the 1999 CART title and the 2019 IMSA championship. He has 12 starts at Watkins Glen across four series, including a Cup win on the road course in 2010. He also earned three top-fives and five top-10 finishes in his seven NASCAR starts at the track.

It was recently announced that 23XI Racing will run a third entry in the playoff race at Watkins Glen International, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mobil 1 brand. Montoya will pilot the #50 Toyota for 23XI in the playoff race. Meanwhile, here's a look at the 48-year-old's last appearance at the track, where he secured his second race win in his Cup Series career.

Following this announcement by 23XI, Montoya shed light on what brought him back to racing at Watkins Glen in the Cup Series. He said:

"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."

This is the third time 23XI has run a third entry in the Cup Series this season. Japenese racing sensation Kamui Kobayashi appeared in the #50 Toyota at COTA early into the season, and Truck Series driver Corey Heim competed in the Ally 400 for 23XI at Nashville Superspeedway in June.

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23XI Racing's President sheds light on Juan Pablo Montoya's return to NASCAR

23XI Racing team, co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, runs two entries in the Cup Series powered by Toyota and driven by Bubba Wallace (#23) and 2024 regular season champion Tyler Reddick.

Following Juan Pablo Monotoya's announcement as the #50 driver for 23XI in the playoff race at Watkins Glen, 23XI President Steve Lauletta expressed his views on the Columbian's return, via Speedway Digest.

"Juan Pablo Montoya is a world-class driver who has won in everything he's driven, and he will be a great closer to the 50th-anniversary celebration we've had in NASCAR with the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota," said Lauletta.

"The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what's next in motorsports, and 23X1 has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion." he added.