Juan Pablo Montoya will make a one-off return to NASCAR at Watkins Glen this weekend and has issued a warning to the rest of the field.
The Colombian will drive the No. 50 Toyota for 23XI Racing car in a non-chartered team entry at the Go Bowling at The Glen event.
Montoya has stopped racing full-time after a successful career including stints in Formula 1 and NASCAR, winning multiple races.
But while the 48-year-old has stepped aside from full-time racing, Montoya has warned the rest of the NASCAR grid ahead of this weekend’s event that he will race them exactly the same as how he is being treated on the track.
Juan Pablo Montoya is hoping for equal treatment on the track at Watkins Glen
Montoya has built a reputation over his career for being very aggressive behind the wheel, which was brought to global attention at the start of his Formula 1 career.
He will be stepping into NASCAR at a vital point in the championship at only the second round of the playoffs. This may lead to more battles on the track with less margin for error as drivers, including Tyler Reddick, push for every position to secure a spot in the Round of 12.
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The Colombian believes he is a fair driver on the circuit but Montoya is ready to battle with the required intensity to get a good result.
He told The Athletic: “I race people fair and I hope people race me fair – and if they don’t, I won’t. It’s kind of normal. You treat people like people will treat you. It’s simple. If you want to be an [irritation], I can be a bigger [pain]; if you want to be nice, I’ll be very nice.”
Juan Pablo Montoya took his last NASCAR win at Watkins Glen
Montoya enjoyed some success in NASCAR during his full-time stint in the series, taking two wins and nine pole positions.
His final victory even came at Watkins Glen in 2010 after leading 74 of the 90 laps and finishing ahead of Kurt Busch in second place.
Despite previous success at the circuit, Montoya has admitted that he may struggle in qualifying on his NASCAR return ahead of the latest running of the Go Bowling at The Glen.
The result in 2010 may give the Colombian some confidence going into his one-off entry, as he has performed well on the track in the past.
Although the car is different and the victory was more than a decade ago it may help him hit the ground running as he knows how to win at Watkins Glen.