Juan Pablo Montoya To Join NASCAR

[BroChaos Veteran]

I guess we'll see how Montoya does then...He should obviously dominate in NASCAR since he is competing against minor leaguers. I've actually driven both types of race cars on both their respective tracks (Petty Interprises and Team Green Racing Schools). And NASCAR race cars are much much harder to control and much hotter inside. Its heavy and has no grip compared to an Indy or F1 car.

People make NASCAR sound like its easy since they don't race road courses (except for twice a year). But its a totally different type of racing. F1 guys have far less competition on the track, far less contact, and far less stamina. Their races average about an hour in length wheras a NASCAR race goes on for about 3. None of the F1 or Indy guys who move to NACAR have success. They are used to the cars doing all of the work for them. Once your in a stock car there is no changing the setup while your driving. If it isn't handling well then you better grow a pair and get used to it.

i would expect him to dominate, but we've already agreed his nowhere near the top of his game, and not good enough for f1 anymore. if he even contends in nascar, it will still show that f1 drivers have more skill.

i understand the differences between the cars. and yes, the nascar cars are way less technical, and more out of control. but that doesn't mean that, in the true sense of a driver, that they have more skills actually driving. in a technical sense, i guess you'd say.

going along the lines you are saying, i could argue that top fuel dragster drivers have more skill than f1 and nascar combined ;)

the lack of advancement in a car doesn't necessarily mean the drivers are better.

[DreAming in DigITal]

i would expect him to dominate, but we've already agreed his nowhere near the top of his game, and not good enough for f1 anymore. if he even contends in nascar, it will still show that f1 drivers have more skill.

i understand the differences between the cars. and yes, the nascar cars are way less technical, and more out of control. but that doesn't mean that, in the true sense of a driver, that they have more skills actually driving. in a technical sense, i guess you'd say.

going along the lines you are saying, i could argue that top fuel dragster drivers have more skill than f1 and nascar combined ;)

the lack of advancement in a car doesn't necessarily mean the drivers are better.

No I totally with that point. I just don't think that F1 guys are better drivers just because they don't race ovals. That would be like saying that Baha drivers are better than F1 drivers because they don't race on a "track". There are totally different skill sets and strategies in all types of racing.

[Martyn]

I just don't think that F1 guys are better drivers just because they don't race ovals. That would be like saying that Baha drivers are better than F1 drivers because they don't race on a "track". There are totally different skill sets and strategies in all types of racing.

To be honest, I think rally drivers are some of the most skilled drivers on the planet. The races last much longer, and the track's are very difficult.

Edited July 13, 2006 by Martyn

[samg]

Guys, i dont think you can call a stlye of driving the best drivers on the planet. There all bloody hard, and average joe isnt going to do good at any of them.

You cant say a nascar driver is faster at nascar than a F1 driver is. Its silly.

The've all got to be pretty down good drivers to be in any professional tournamant.

Maybe nascar is a left corner, but then they have the challange of other cars nudging then etc when thats not allowed in F1.

F1 is over rated at the minute. Most of the driving is done by a computer, its taking away the "fear" of driving. It winds me up. Seeing the on board camera (with the tv's HUD) showing the traction kicking in on every gear change! Damnit, turn all that crap off and race there ment to.

[DreAming in DigITal]

/\ Amen

[supernova_00]

Guys, i dont think you can call a stlye of driving the best drivers on the planet. There all bloody hard, and average joe isnt going to do good at any of them.

You cant say a nascar driver is faster at nascar than a F1 driver is. Its silly.

The've all got to be pretty down good drivers to be in any professional tournamant.

Maybe nascar is a left corner, but then they have the challange of other cars nudging then etc when thats not allowed in F1.

hey they do some road courses also and do very well at them

F1 is over rated at the minute. Most of the driving is done by a computer, its taking away the "fear" of driving. It winds me up. Seeing the on board camera (with the tv's HUD) showing the traction kicking in on every gear change! Damnit, turn all that crap off and race there ment to.

amen

[Fourjays Veteran]

F1 is over rated at the minute. Most of the driving is done by a computer, its taking away the "fear" of driving. It winds me up. Seeing the on board camera (with the tv's HUD) showing the traction kicking in on every gear change! Damnit, turn all that crap off and race there ment to.

Last years season was amazing, and this years season is ok so far, but I think that is mainly because Ferrari isn't dominating anymore, and the top teams have been fairly equal car wise (more emphasis on the driver).

It should be so much better when we lose traction control and all the other fancy gadgets. Will sort the men out from the boys. ;)

I think Montoya made the right choice. I think he is too aggresive and fiery for F1. He's a great character and he will be missed in that respect, but as a driver I doubt he will be.

[Martyn]

Look's like we may not have seen the last of Juan Pablo just yet :D...

Only days after he was though to have raced his last grand prix, Juan Pablo Montoya has been offered a chance to make a possible racing return after Ron Dennis confirmed that the Colombian has not yet been released from his McLaren contract and therefore could yet be called back.

Although Montoya was thought to have stepped down in order to gather experience before his move to NASCAR in 2007, Dennis suggested that his contract stipulates that he cannot compete elsewhere until he honours the agreement.

As a result though, Montoya could return to his seat later in the year, with Dennis insisting it is 'more than possible' once the situation had 'cooled off'.

"Juan Pablo is fully contracted through to the end of the year, and if we so choose, he will test and race again, so that is at our option, nobody else's," Dennis claimed in Friday's press conference.

"The appropriate course of action for the team was to let the whole thing cool off and let him sit and think about the circumstances that surrounded his involvement in the team until we had a very common objective for the remaining races."

Furthermore, Dennis confirmed that he would not breach Montoya's contract in order for him to start testing with the Chip Ganassi team, despite the links between Mercedes and Dodge through their DaimlerChrysler parent company.

"He is a contracted McLaren driver and it will stay that way until the end of his contract unless there is some other commercial arrangement between ourselves and the Nascar team or Juan himself."

Test driver Pedro de la Rosa has claimed Montoya's seat in the short-term, with Dennis hinting that the Spaniard will more than likely remain Kimi Raikkonen's team-mate, thus halting rumours that either Gary Paffett or Lewis Hamilton would be in-line for a guest drive later in the year.

"Their programmes (Hamilton and Paffett) are well mapped and their programmes didn't include racing a Grand Prix car this season, so highly unlikely. It's more likely that Pedro will continue in the car but we are a team who decides how the drivers are utilised and those drivers are all contracted to us and we chose to go down the path we've gone down."

[h00nta]

I think Montoya made the right choice. I think he is too aggresive and fiery for F1. He's a great character and he will be missed in that respect, but as a driver I doubt he will be.

That's pretty much how I see it. As for all this talk of F1 cars 'driving themselves' - what a lotta tosh.

If there is a problem with F1 then it's more to do with the circuits, far too many have had 'bus-stop' chicanes cobbled into what were the main straights - places where high-speed overtaking could (and did), take place.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm all for making racing safe for drivers, marshalls, and spectators alike, but these new chicanes have taken the thrill out of F1. Racing fans WANT to see drivers dicing for position at 200mph - not just trying to outbrake each other into a corner the size of a pit garage. And another thing, it's time to bin fuelling stops - you know something's wrong when TV commentators get more excited about in laps and out laps when they should be describing REAL wheel to wheel racing.

*Sorry if that came out like a rant. :blush: