Montoya to NASCAR -- is Judgement Day at Hand?

[mattb]

The biggest news in motorsport this year has to be Juan Pablo Montoya's decision to vacate his F1 seat at McLaren for a ride in NASCAR. Short of George Bush joining Greenpeace, it's hard to imagine a more dramatic defection. The question is: What will this mean for each respective series?

For F1's part, the loss of Montoya himself hasn't had an immediate impact. He was clearly the #2 driver on what has deteriorated into the #3 team in F1. But his departure does open up a prime seat. More intriguing are the slightly longer term effects to the prestige of the sport. The idea that a top driver would jump ship for -- of all places -- NASCAR must strike a critical blow to the pride of the series that considers itself the pinnacle of motorsport worldwide. And with the immanent retirement of Michael Schumacher -- the face of F1 for more than a decade -- one wonders what the next couple of years will bring.

For NASCAR, on the surface this looks like a big coup and a step towards international legitimacy. Americans take their stock car racing pretty seriously, but the world motorsport establishment has tended to look at it sort of the way Olympic wrestlers look at the WWE. Poaching a former CART Champion and F1 and Indy winner is a good way to serve notice that NASCAR is ready to take on anyone.

But as I see it there are some hidden pitfalls. What if Montoya does poorly? How long before the rest of the world nods and says 'see, NASCAR is a good-old-boys club that stacks the deck against outsiders.'

Worse yet -- what if Montoya is too fast? How will it look if a newbie to NASCAR comes in and cleans the clocks of the old guard -- giving fuel to the claim that the talent level in the stock car world just isn't up to the F1 standard?

How will all of that affect the diecast market? Are you rooting for JP? Would you buy a model of his car, or must he prove himself first?

[Killerush]

As with all racing series I think he will have to prove himself first. I love NASCAR and never miss a race(GO JUNIOR!!), but I think he will be treated like any other rookie, as it should be. I would really like to see Montoya do well, but typically the guys that swap series are just a flash in the pan(with exceptions of course, look at Smoke).
Take the "Roadcourse Ringers" for example; most of the time they struggle to get a top 10 finish on a track that is supposed to be their area of expertise. I am by no means saying Montoya can't do it, he just needs the right sponsors, team and equipment and of course he needs to pay his dues, just like any other rookie in NASCAR. Just my opinion.

It should definitely make for some interesting racing!!! And yes I would buy his diecast, the first run will make a nice addition to my collection.

[desfjr1300]

I wondered if anyone would bring this up. The news blew me away when I first heard it (being a diehard F1 fan) and made me seriously question Montoya's mental health. I can't imagine giving up the hotseat in the world's premier racing class to go run circles in a stock car, but I'm sure there was a lot more to the decision than what we'll see in the news or on Speed.
My guess is this will last all of one season, in the middle of which ol' Juan Pablo will get bored, and crash alot due to falling asleep at the wheel.
As for the series being affected by his absence, McLaren will push on as always and may now even be able to advance with some new blood. Personally I don't think Montoya's jumping ship will affect Formula's reputation or prestige too much-While the act won't be forgotten for a long time it was certainly one man's decision-not the FIM's or Dorna's or any other organizing body's-and your typical F1 fan will understand this as well. The casual observer, on the other hand, or especially what I call the "circle jerks," (Nascar fans) will more than likely find this a source of amusement for a long time.
Overall it looks to me like a win-win....I think the change will be good for McLaren based on Montoya's past performance, Nascar gains a bit of legitimacy with his presence, and the blogger's have something else to make fun of for a couple of weeks.

[mattb]

Killerush --

You bring up an interesting point -- the idea that a driver must "pay his dues". This is a common sentiment in NASCAR, and I've always been puzzled by it. I'm of the opinion that success in racing should be dependent on skill, and to a certain degree, luck. But in NASCAR, it's often much more about who will work with you and how the officials choose to selectively enforce the many "judgement call" rules than raw speed. If a driver hasn't "paid his dues", he'll get cut off, hung out, and no slack will be given to him by officials. However, if it an established driver –say Junior for example – officials and fellow drivers are much more forgiving.

I think it speaks to the larger issue of change -- or resistance to it. NASCAR resists change more vehemently than any other motorsport. Whether its new technology or new drivers, time moves very slowly in stock car land (the so-called 'car of the future' for 2007 will still employ a 50's-era truck arm suspension, a transmission with only 4 gears, and a carburetor!).

I have no doubt that on a level playing field, JP Montoya is the equal of any driver in NASCAR and superior to most in terms of driving talent. But as long as the concept of "paying dues" pervades the series and fellow drivers and officials treat competitors differently because of it, the field will be far from level.

That said, I think JP is good enough that he'll be successful anyway - ala Tony Stewart. And once he passes enough people, I expect the other drivers will set aside their 'dues' issues and get in line.

[mattb]

desfjr -

I tend to agree with you on the effect on F1 -- I don't think it will rock the boat that much, but maybe it should. When it comes to marketing and fan appeal, NASCAR is on to something, and F1 should take note. When a top echelon driver bails to go bang doorhandles with the good ole boys, alarms should be sounding in the ivory towers of the F1 elete.

But I think JP will stick with it -- for a while at least. His career in F1 was about done, and where else could he go? He has bested Indy and CART already, and he has history with Ganassi. The lesser physical demands of stock cars mean he can be competitve for decades after he would be washed up in open-wheelers. He gets paid less in NASCAR, but its still a growth sport, whereas in F1 he was on his way down.

[Killerush]

Killerush --

You bring up an interesting point -- the idea that a driver must "pay his dues". This is a common sentiment in NASCAR, and I've always been puzzled by it. I'm of the opinion that success in racing should be dependent on skill, and to a certain degree, luck. But in NASCAR, it's often much more about who will work with you and how the officials choose to selectively enforce the many "judgement call" rules than raw speed. If a driver hasn't "paid his dues", he'll get cut off, hung out, and no slack will be given to him by officials. However, if it an established driver –say Junior for example – officials and fellow drivers are much more forgiving.

I think it speaks to the larger issue of change -- or resistance to it. NASCAR resists change more vehemently than any other motorsport. Whether its new technology or new drivers, time moves very slowly in stock car land (the so-called 'car of the future' for 2007 will still employ a 50's-era truck arm suspension, a transmission with only 4 gears, and a carburetor!).

I have no doubt that on a level playing field, JP Montoya is the equal of any driver in NASCAR and superior to most in terms of driving talent. But as long as the concept of "paying dues" pervades the series and fellow drivers and officials treat competitors differently because of it, the field will be far from level.

That said, I think JP is good enough that he'll be successful anyway - ala Tony Stewart. And once he passes enough people, I expect the other drivers will set aside their 'dues' issues and get in line.


Your right, it should be based more on driver skill, and for the most part it is. The paying your dues part is more about driver interaction, how well they hold their composure and race other drivers. Look at Mark Martin, whose driving style is calm and cool, and he won't risk wrecking another teams day for the sake of position. There are alot of drivers in NASCAR that practice that philosophy, Kenseth(most of the time), Dale Jr, Labonte, Edwards..and the list goes on. If you watch those guys race they tend to get more help than say Kyle/Kurt Bush because the other drivers know that they race clean.

As for the old suspensions and carbs, these are meant to be bare bones racecars, they stopped being stock cars 20 years ago. And part of it is to make the racing more competetive and more exciting to watch. It's gotta be harder to make a car with '50s technology do 200 MPH than a car with 21st century technology, so the pressure falls on the teams to find the sweet spot in their setup every weekend. If JP goes in there trying to prove himself to be superior he's gonna be done for, but I doubt that will be the case, as
i said I hope he does well.

[mattb]

I'll admit it -- I like the roughhouse drivers in NASCAR. I liked Earnhardt Sr. in the old days, I like the Busch brothers and I love Stewart. NASCAR cars are such blunt instruments, I don't really want to watch guys trying to tiptoe around with them. If you're driving a sledgehammer, don't be afraid to hit something (or someone) I say.

JP is not afraid to jam a car in there to make a pass. That's why he -- unlike many F1 aces -- is a pretty good fit for NASCAR. I WANT to see him hang it out sideways or put the left-sides in the weeds to make a pass. Its ironic, but an F1 driver might be our best shot at seeing old-school stock car driving next season!

[Killerush]

I'll admit it -- I like the roughhouse drivers in NASCAR. I liked Earnhardt Sr. in the old days, I like the Busch brothers and I love Stewart. NASCAR cars are such blunt instruments, I don't really want to watch guys trying to tiptoe around with them. If you're driving a sledgehammer, don't be afraid to hit something (or someone) I say.

JP is not afraid to jam a car in there to make a pass. That's why he -- unlike many F1 aces -- is a pretty good fit for NASCAR. I WANT to see him hang it out sideways or put the left-sides in the weeds to make a pass. Its ironic, but an F1 driver might be our best shot at seeing old-school stock car driving next season!


That's great, just the kind of fresh face NASCAR needs to get rid of the "good ole boy" image. If he can drive the wheels off it I think it'll be a real shot in the arm for all race fans. I'm not really into F1 or any of the open wheel stuff, but I may start watching it.

[ykbillrc]

[QUOTE=mattb]The biggest news in motorsport this year has to be Juan Pablo Montoya's decision to vacate his F1 seat at McLaren for a ride in NASCAR. Short of George Bush joining Greenpeace, it's hard to imagine a more dramatic defection. The question is: What will this mean for each respective series?QUOTE]

Montoya didn't quit F1, he was booted! Too many crashes, too many driver caused wrecks and blow-ups and generally too slow. He was spectacular to watch because who knew what he would do next, but his team needed more consistency to try and salvage what has turned out to be a bad season.

So now he's gone to Nascar, the WWE of car racing. I'm sure that the Nascar powers that be will let him come close to winning, just to attract his large number of South American fans, but he's not a good ol' boy, so he'll never be a champion.

F1 will continue to be the world's largest motorsport without Montoya and even without Michael Shumacher. There are 2 or 3 young drivers who have been really impressive this year and Bernie E is trying to make it more competitive and easier to pass. We can only hope that F1 doesn't follow in Nascar's footsteps with phoney "tension builders" like the chase for the cup.

My 2 cents worth.

[z-man280]

should be interesting to see where and how he fits in....look at robby gordon...3rd in points his rookie year in IRL, several off-road wins, jumps into nascar,and is a "also ran".

[mattb]

Montoya didn't quit F1, he was booted! Too many crashes, too many driver caused wrecks and blow-ups and generally too slow. He was spectacular to watch because who knew what he would do next, but his team needed more consistency to try and salvage what has turned out to be a bad season.
I appreciate your points, but I gotta disagree with this one. He quit. There is no way McLaren wanted him to leave mid-season, and even briefly considered legal action to prevent it.

If you need evidence of Montoya's points value, consider these startling facts:

1) He has missed half the season and he is still going to finish 8th in points -- just 3 spots behind teammate Kimi who is driving the whole year.

2) He never finished worse than 6th in any race his car lasted.

3) His replacement, Del La Rosa, is MUCH slower.

He quit because he was tired of the F1 political garbage and because he resented being the #2 driver. Some suggest his McLaren seat was in jeopardy next year, but considering Kimi bailed for Ferrari, Montoya would have been retained. And he would have had no trouble signing with another team.

F1 will continue to be the world's largest motorsport without Montoya and even without Michael Shumacher. There are 2 or 3 young drivers who have been really impressive this year
I hope it does continue, but that's by no means a sure thing. However impressive the new drivers might be, I don't see any superstars yet. Alonso is good when he has the best car, but can he win when he doesn't? Can he help a team elevate? I guess we'll find out next year because the McLaren stinks right now. I'm not sure who the other 2 you mention might be -- Rossberg? Massa? Kubica? Speed?!? They're fine, but I don't see championship material yet. Lewis Hamilton is a fine prospect, but until he runs a race that's just theoretical.

and Bernie E is trying to make it more competitive and easier to pass.
Hah! If you think Bernie is doing anything except lining his own pockets and hoarding more power, you're inhaling too many exhaust fumes! This guy is the Al Capone of motorsports; blatant corruption and stupendous ineptitude have been his calling cards thoughout. Only the star power of Schumacher saved the sport over the last several years. The best thing for F1 would be if Bernie fell overboard from one of his 47 yachts.