Juan Pablo Montoya to drive No. 50 car for 23XI Racing at Watkins Glen

For the first time since the 2014 Brickyard 400, Juan Pablo Montoya is suiting back up again in the NASCAR Cup Series. This time, he’s piloting the No. 50 Mobil 1 50th anniversary car for 23XI Racing.

Kamui Kobayashi and Corey Heim have had their hands on the 50 car so far this year. This is the final drive for the 50 car as far as 23XI Racing is concerned. Juan Pablo Montoya will race at Watkins Glen, the site of his second and final Cup Series victory.

Of course, Montoya is one of the greatest drivers ever in motorsports. From his storied F1 career to being a Champ Car champion to winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. Then there is all he did in a stock car.

Fans are going to love seeing JPM back at the track.

Welcome back to NASCAR, @jpmontoya! To help celebrate the Mobil 1 brand’s 50th anniversary, the championship-winning driver in multiple series will drive the final race for the No. 50 Mobil 1 Camry XSE at Watkins Glen. As a former winner at the Glen, he is proud to return to the… pic.twitter.com/fEjnd58R6H

— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) August 2, 2024

At 48 years old, Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to take on the Glen one more time. During his NASCAR career, Montoya raced at Watkins Glen seven times in his career. He has a win, two top-5s, and two additional top-10s at the track.

With 23XI Racing equipment, it will be fun to see what JPM can do. There is a lot of talk about Kyle Larson and his versatility, and all of that is warranted.

However, it feels like we often forget to mention Juan Pablo Montoya among those drivers who can and have done it all. Montoya won races in IndyCar, Champ, F1, NASCAR Cup and Xfinity, and IMSA. Is he perhaps the only driver with wins in all of those series?

Juan Pablo Montoya returning to NASCAR Cup Series

The 23XI Racing program has done a lot to bring talent to the Cup Series. Ever since they put Travis Pastrana in a third car at the 2023 Daytona 500, they have been focused on bringing quality, fun, and sometimes out-of-the-box drivers to NASCAR.

Kamui Kobayashi has gotten in the third car a couple of times as the 67 and the 50 now. Putting Juan Pablo Montoya in the car brings back a fan favorite and a driver with a ton of skill and ability.

Mobil 1 and Montoya have a long relationship. They were one of his first sponsors in racing back when he was racing Formula 1. There is a lot of history and synergy being brought to the table here.

Watkins Glen is a playoff race, so Juan Pablo Montoya will have to be mindful of others. No one wants a one-off changing the direction of the postseason. What are your expectations for JPM in the No. 50 Toyota Camry XSE?