The racing world got a surprise over the weekend when F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya announced he would be joining Chip Ganassi's NASCAR team next season. Now comes word that Danica Patrick's father is trying to find her a ride with a NASCAR team as well.
Couple of thoughts:
1) After Montoya was told he was no longer wanted at F1's McLaren-Mercedes team, he reportedly offered to drive for free. I'm surprised he didn't get another offer to stay in F1.
2) These reports are a horrible slap in the face to the open-wheeled IRL series. After all, Montoya made his mark with Ganassi, winning the Indy 500 in 2000. As for Patrick, she's simply the only face that gets any recognition for IRL outside of the hardcore fan base (though it looks like Marco Andretti may actually be the most exciting new face on the circuit).
25 years ago, would anyone have ever considered that Indy might prove to become a development circuit for NASCAR?
3) Can it really be that for the world's most talented drivers, NASCAR has become the first choice if you can't get a hop with an F1 team? It's certainly starting to look that way.
If I was F1's Bernie Ecclestone, I'd be getting worried right about now. He's tried for years to penetrate the American marketplace, and enjoyed rather mixed results. If NASCAR decided to establish a circuit in Europe -- or even just one race -- I wouldn't bet against them.
Remember, this is auto racing, not football. I'm guessing that there are loads of international drivers besides Colombia's Montoya who would be happy to join a NASCAR team if they were only asked. NASCAR has made it abundantly clear that they're willing to experiment with races outside the U.S. And don't forget that Toyota, which has already joined the Craftsman Truck Series, makes its NASCAR Nextel Cup debut in 2007.
Maybe Ecclestone ought to be making a call to Charlotte right about now.
The Mighty MJD has noticed. And Can I Have A Ticket For One thinks Danica would be a great addition to the circuit.
UPDATE: Here's John Oreovicz with some more thoughts:
With Montoya already on board, NASCAR's recruitment of Patrick could be the final knockout punch for Indy-style racing in the United States. The mere fact she is considering leaving should be used as a catalyst to accelerate efforts to solve the open-wheel split.
He's got other ideas about Patrick's prospects in NASCAR.
Montoya may have won the Indy 500 (technically an IRL race), but he made his name in CART (now ChampCar), winning the points championship there as a rookie. He was dominant and a sensation (and fan-favorite) in CART. So I’m not surprised he had little interest in IRL. He’s still CART/ChampCar loyal I think in that regard.
Montoya is currently only 6th in the F1 standings, I can’t fathom why they’re ditching him. He’s a great driver who happens to be racing at a time when Schumie and Alonso and ruinign it for everyone else (it’s not like anyone else can beta them either).
Montoya will be successful in NASCAR. He has a pre-existing racing relationship with Ganassi from the CART days, and he’s too smart and talented of a driver to not make an impact. He might not win in the first year, but look out after that…
As for Patrick… meh. She’s a good driver but she doesn’t have nearly the proven versatility or the racing cred Montoya has. Montoya has done well in everything he’s ever sat in. Patrick might be a good move from a PR standpoint, but I can’t see her succeeding outside of open-wheel racing right now. She’d get eaten alive in the “rubbing is racing” world.
I was hoping a reunified IRL/CART could maybe lure Montoya back though. So it’s disappointing in that regard because NASCAR has to be one of the least-interesting racing sports out there (two road courses guys? How can you even call yourselves “racers”?).
I should also point out — F1 won’t have a race in the U.S. next year again it looks like, so F1′s brief (and spectacularly-failed) attempt at U.S. penetration is over. They were doomed when they boycotted the U.S. Grand Prix last year, that killed any hope F1 had in the States.
That said, NASCAR won’t play well elsewhere ovals != road courses (which Europeans want to see), and where Europeans love the extreme politics of F1, NASCAR is a different breed from that.
I don’t think either of them need to worrying about stealing the other’s market anytime soon….