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In October 1998, just before his 32nd birthday, CART driver Alex Zanardi got a phone call from an agitated Chip Ganassi, owner of the team he drove for. "Alex," said Ganassi, "I need you to help out Montoya."

Juan Pablo Montoya, a 23-year-old Colombian test driver for the Williams Formula 1 team, was part of a complicated swap that essentially traded Montoya to Ganassi to replace Zanardi, who was off to Formula 1 with Williams.

Ganassi, planning to test Montoya at Homestead-Miami Speedway, was literally begging Zanardi to help. "You have to do this favor for me," Ganassi said, "because Montoya is scared shitless of the ovals." Zanardi, as he recalls in his autobiography,

My Sweetest Victory,

did help Ganassi and Montoya. And soon Zanardi, and everyone else, recognized that scared or not, Montoya did pretty well on oval tracks, including an Indianapolis 500 victory the first and only time he raced there.

An eventful eight years later, we’re standing in the infield at Homestead-Miami, where Montoya has just qualified for his first NASCAR Nextel Cup race and is about to qualify for a NASCAR Busch Series race.

"So, it looks like you’re over that fear-of-ovals thing."

Montoya, now 31, just smiles. He has always had two different smiles. One says, "I find that amusing." The other says, "I’m smiling because I anticipate the likelihood that you will soon go away and leave me alone."

This seems to be the latter smile. The NASCAR fraternity will see that smile a lot in 2007.

On July 9 last year, Ganassi announced that Montoya would leave Formula 1 to join the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2007, thus resulting in a gasp heard ’round the motorsports world. "Historic," proclaimed NASCAR president Mike Helton, and for once, no one accused him of hyperbole. A summit meeting was promptly scheduled within the sanctioning body to explore how best to exploit the presence of such a high-profile Hispanic.

In Europe, the reaction was slightly different: Montoya’s announcement was viewed with confusion, mild interest, and a general attitude previously reserved for Pavarotti’s move to the Grand Ole Opry.

But those who really understand how Formula 1 works, and so often doesn’t work, were not that surprised. After two years rocking CART’s world as Zanardi’s replacement, Montoya returned to Williams, and this time, not as a test driver. He drove for Williams from 2001 to 2004, winning four races — in Italy, Monaco, Germany, and Brazil. Midway through 2003, it was clear that the outspoken Montoya had worn out his welcome with team honcho Frank Williams and teammate Ralf Schumacher — not that anyone gets along with Ralf — and it was announced that in 2005 Montoya would move to Team McLaren. The 2004 season was understandably tense at Williams, yet Montoya won in Brazil, his last race with the team.

With McLaren in 2005, Montoya won the British GP and again in Italy and Brazil, despite the fact that he frequently complained that the McLaren-Mercedes did not suit his driving style. He missed two races due to an injured shoulder that never seemed entirely healed for the remainder of that season. He also did not endear himself to McLaren boss Ron Dennis or teammate Kimi Rikknen, who was clearly the team’s lead driver. In December 2005, McLaren announced that it had signed F1 champ and Renault driver Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season, presumably to replace Montoya, which was not the sort of motivation Montoya was looking for. He drove hard but went winless through the first half of 2006, and his involvement in the eight-car crash in the first turn of the first lap of the U.S. Grand Prix appeared to be the final straw for driver and team, especially since it started when he rear-ended teammate Rikknen. McLaren and Montoya jointly announced that he was leaving, effective immediately, although he remained under contract.

About that same time, in what Ganassi thought was a casual telephone chat with his former driver, Montoya inquired about a job. Although Ganassi fields Indy Racing League teams and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car teams, it was the seat being vacated by Casey Mears in the Chip Ganassi Racing With Flix Sabates three-car Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup team that Montoya was interested in, much to Ganassi’s surprise. Mears, although winless in four years, was Ganassi’s lead driver. Earlier in the season, based in part on Mears’s second-place finish in the Daytona 500, Mears was hired to replace the Toyota-bound Brian Vickers at Hendrick Motorsports.

"It took us an hour to close the deal," Montoya said. And Ganassi could not believe the public-relations miracle that had just dropped into his lap. "Who would

not want Juan Pablo Montoya driving his car?" Especially since the team has not won a race since 2002.

It’s a "multiyear deal," the team announced, likely for three years with an option for five. Salary was not announced. Had Montoya stayed in Formula 1 — and reportedly he had offers — it is likely he could have made perhaps $13 million a year. His base salary with Ganassi, who is not known for throwing around money, is a whole lot less than that at a rumored $3 million a year, but it’s safe to say that with endorsements, winnings, and souvenir sales, Montoya should have no problem grossing $10 million. It is, Montoya insists, "not about the money," but drivers always say that when they take a pay cut.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/07q2/juan_pablo_good_ol_boy-feature