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Silly season has become Loco (crazy) season with the news that Juan Pablo Montoya's seven-year run at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing will end after the close of this year.
Although the usual team public relations would not discuss this development Ganassi's NASCAR partner Felix Sabates said on SiriusXM satellite radio "we did not renew the contract for next year," Sabates told the channel. "It was a difficult decision. He understands. You have to move on in life sometimes.
"It's frustrating for everybody when you know you've got good equipment and you can't seem to put everything together still."
The 37-year old Colombian had rejoined Ganassi team, where he won the Indy 500 in 2000 and CART championship in 1999, after an unceremonious end to his Formula One career after crashing his McLaren-Mercedes with teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, in the first turn at the USGP in 2006.
Since transforming to stock car racing he's produced only two wins in 239 career starts with a best season finish of eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings in 2009.
Although he had some one-off success in Ganassi's sports car team the Sprint Cup has not been a major factor in the standings in the United States number one motorsport.
All of this opens the door to the ride in the No. 42 next year. Kurt Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion may be available and so is Ryan Newman the former Penske Racing driver, and recent Brickyard 400 winner whose contract at Stewart Haas Racing has not been renewed for 2014.
And Ganassi has a star-in-the-making with the 21-year old Kyle Larson who is in the first year of a Nationwide Series deal but may not be ready for Sprint Cup racing yet.
As for Montoya - if Busch leaves the one-car Furniture Row Racing that might be a place for him as well as the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team which has seen a number of drivers such as AJ Allmendinger run for them this year. Allmendinger is within the Penske Racing family, but, team owner, Roger Penske has said that he wouldn't hold Allmendinger back if a full-time ride became available.
If NASCAR is done for Montoya he might end up with an IndyCar team, but, without bringing sponsorship one wonders if any team could afford him. That would leave the unified sports car series as a possibility.
It's not clear where Montoya goes next, either. He's got an impressive resume on the world level that's not appreciated in the confines of the NASCAR garage, and there aren't many open seats available — at least not any good ones — in the Sprint Cup Series.
It could force Montoya to look at sports car racing, a return to open wheel, or maybe even a European series if he chooses to continue racing.
Although the usual team public relations would not discuss this development Ganassi's NASCAR partner Felix Sabates said on SiriusXM satellite radio "we did not renew the contract for next year," Sabates told the channel. "It was a difficult decision. He understands. You have to move on in life sometimes.
"It's frustrating for everybody when you know you've got good equipment and you can't seem to put everything together still."
 |
| Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR |
The 37-year old Colombian had rejoined Ganassi team, where he won the Indy 500 in 2000 and CART championship in 1999, after an unceremonious end to his Formula One career after crashing his McLaren-Mercedes with teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, in the first turn at the USGP in 2006.
Since transforming to stock car racing he's produced only two wins in 239 career starts with a best season finish of eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings in 2009.
Although he had some one-off success in Ganassi's sports car team the Sprint Cup has not been a major factor in the standings in the United States number one motorsport.
 |
| Photo: René Fagnan |
All of this opens the door to the ride in the No. 42 next year. Kurt Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion may be available and so is Ryan Newman the former Penske Racing driver, and recent Brickyard 400 winner whose contract at Stewart Haas Racing has not been renewed for 2014.
And Ganassi has a star-in-the-making with the 21-year old Kyle Larson who is in the first year of a Nationwide Series deal but may not be ready for Sprint Cup racing yet.
As for Montoya - if Busch leaves the one-car Furniture Row Racing that might be a place for him as well as the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team which has seen a number of drivers such as AJ Allmendinger run for them this year. Allmendinger is within the Penske Racing family, but, team owner, Roger Penske has said that he wouldn't hold Allmendinger back if a full-time ride became available.
 |
| Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR |
If NASCAR is done for Montoya he might end up with an IndyCar team, but, without bringing sponsorship one wonders if any team could afford him. That would leave the unified sports car series as a possibility.
It's not clear where Montoya goes next, either. He's got an impressive resume on the world level that's not appreciated in the confines of the NASCAR garage, and there aren't many open seats available — at least not any good ones — in the Sprint Cup Series.
It could force Montoya to look at sports car racing, a return to open wheel, or maybe even a European series if he chooses to continue racing.