Motorsports legend Juan Pablo Montoya making first NASCAR start in a decade

A decade removed from his most recent appearance at the highest level of NASCAR , Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to the Cup Series with 23XI Racing to drive the No. 50 car on September 14-14 at Watkins Glen International.

The 48-year-old will join teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace in a car that has featured the likes of Kamui Kobayashi, Travis Pastrana and Corey Heim in it over recent seasons.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen — a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya said. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing and be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”

Montoya raced full-time in the Cup Series from 2007 to 2013 for Chip Ganassi Racing. He made two starts in 2014, at Michigan and Indianapolis, for Team Penske, where he was also racing full-time at the time in his IndyCar Series return for the organization.

Montoya raced in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006 and was the 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1999 CART IndyCar Series champion.

Watkins Glen is a solid place for Montoya to race as he made seven Cup starts at the upstate New York road course with one win and five top-10s. He has 12 overall starts across four different categories from NASCAR, IMSA and IndyCar.

This is the final start of the season for the No. 50 car for the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.

“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 Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. “The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what’s next in motorsports, and 23XI has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion.”

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