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Montoya relishing part-time role; looks forward to Alonso reunion

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Chris Owens

Juan Montoya was at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend to announce a new Team Penske partner in Fitzgerald Glider Kits, which will also serve as his sponsor during the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil next month.

Montoya was relegated to a part-time driver in 2017, with the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the Indy 500 currently his only scheduled races. Yet, while some drivers may become impatient and frustrated with the circumstances, Montoya is relishing the chance.

“The opportunity with Penske came to do this and I thought it would be… for long-term, would be the best thing for me and it’s good. I’m really happy,” he said in a press conference at Bristol. “If you are going to go race you might as well come do it with best people you can, and to be able to get a relationship with the guys at Fitzgerald: it’s amazing.”

The 41-year-old referenced that he and Penske had been working on an effort for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway events over the last year, but the hunt for sponsorship was something Montoya was not involved in.

“They just tell me ‘Come, we are announcing your sponsor,’” he joked. “Penske is very quiet. I have been here three and a half years and you learn not to ask too many questions.”

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Juan Montoya’s No. 22 entry for the Indy 500.

Of course, Montoya is not exactly sitting idle. He admitted to keeping busy with karting efforts, and is constantly in contact with engineer Raul Prados, who will lead the engineering effort on Montoya’s No. 22 Fitzgerald Glider Kits Chevrolet.

“This morning: his morning text to me is ’21 days.’ Yesterday it was ’22 days to go.’ Every day, he is more intense,” he said of his new engineer.

“He sees this as such a huge opportunity to win Indy. For me, it’s exciting. I’m not thinking about points. I’m not thinking about anything. I know I have a good shot of winning. I feel really good. It should be fun.”

Consequently, Montoya does not feel like he is behind as the month of May looms. This was evidenced at a test at Barber Motorsports Park in March. “I went to Barber to test and actually most of the morning I was quicker than all my teammates,” he quipped. “I was like ‘I don’t know.’ It was good. Honestly, (during) that Barber test is the best I’ve run ever at Barber.”

There is also the added storyline of a reunion with the incoming Fernando Alonso, against whom Montoya raced in Formula 1 from 2001 to 2006 (except 2002, when Alonso was a test driver for Renault’s Formula 1 effort and did not race).

Montoya Penske

Juan Montoya announces his Indy 500 sponsor. Photo: Team Penske

Like everyone else, Montoya was caught off guard by the announcement.

“If you would have told me I was going to run a race ever against Alonso, (I thought it) would be an endurance race or something not in Indy to be honest,” he said of Alonso’s entry. “I think it’s great. I think having Fernando is going to be a really good day for motorsports, not only for IndyCar, but I think the attention overall for seeing Fernando and myself and everybody running Indy is going to be really big.”

When asked about the biggest challenge Alonso may face, Montoya zeroed in on two things. The first: the crowd.

“It is so many people around you. I think that’s a little bit hard for him from what he is used to,” he said of the atmosphere.

“In Formula One, and he has been doing that for a lot of years, we started the same year together when I was there in F1, so he’s been doing it for a long time: It’s just you have your own space and people really respect your space and here, no. The fans, the sponsors, everybody are there and everybody wants a picture and you’ve got to please them.”

The other challenging aspect he mentioned was the characteristics of the car and the track. But, he detailed that the May 3 test should help Alonso get up to speed.

“I think the good thing with a full day of testing: he will get a bit of an idea of what he needs,” Montoya added. “Just good to have a day with no pressure where you can build up and you understand what it takes. I think it will be fine. He is with a good team and they always run well there as well. It will be interesting.”

In terms of his own effort, Montoya is hoping his status as a part-time driver means Penske will experiment a little, especially when it comes to engine tuning. “I’m hoping they do. I don’t know how it works, but I know they have the knock levels and things they have to look after (in) the engine. But, if you are honestly in my position, the engine isn’t going anywhere afterwards, so might as well go for broke. I’m in. That’s what you are there for.”

As noted above, Montoya makes his return to the Verizon IndyCar Series at next month’s INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.