This NASCAR season is filled with surprises. And another one of them has just been announced by 23XI Racing. This year’s sponsor for 23XI Racing, Mobil 1, has completed 50 years; And they’ve got big plans to celebrate their anniversary. Guess who’s back at the Watkins Glen playoff for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series? It’s none other than Juan Montoya, and how?

Juan Montoya has already won a race at Watkins Glen International in his time, so he knows the track pretty well. Adapting to the Next-Gen Camry might pose a challenge, but it’s Juan we’re talking about. This man can do anything!

Why is everyone going berserk about the return of Juan Montoya to the tracks?

There are only a handful of names that can match the status of Juan Montoya in NASCAR. He is a driver from a different league and beyond general comparison, as is evident from his accomplishments. This guy is returning to a stock car after a decade and has never driven this generation of cars. He last raced in 2014 for Team Penske at the Brickyard 400.

Is it concerning, though, for 23XI Racing that they have made such a one-off pick for a crucial race in the season? Absolutely not; If you know what Juan Montoya is capable of, you’ll agree that Michael Jordan’s team has made just the right pick for this special occasion and they’re not going to be disappointed. In Juan’s words on 23XI Racing’s official Instagram announcement, “I’m always very competitive at everything I do. So, I think I’ve done enough laps around Watkins Glen and everything, that it should be pretty good.”

There’s enough evidence that racers of Juan’s caliber can adjust to the Next-Gen quite comfortably, as it is essentially modeled after the GT3. We’ve seen Shane van Gisbergen, Jenson Button, Jordan Taylor, and Kamui Kobayashi make the swift switch recently. Juan is also just one win away from the Triple Crown. He has won the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix, and all that’s remaining now is 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In simple words, Montoya never ceases to amaze spectators. With his stunning racing record and the urge to conquer, he comes back to the tracks with a bang. But he is a humble driver, and says, “Excited to be here and to be honest, it’s an amazing opportunity to be with 23XI and everybody, you know, running the Mobil 1 car on the 50 anniversary makes it really special.” 

On keeping the wheels turning and making the most of his overdue appearance, Juan adds, “And honestly, when they said I could go and race Watkins Glen, I thought I would have a lot of fun. I haven’t been in a Cup car for a long time but I’m excited. I’m really excited for the opportunity and I think you know we’re going to be pretty well prepared, you know.”

He’s evidently excited, but just how excited are the fans of this racing icon’s track arrival?

Just like Juan Montoya, NASCAR fans never let down with their responses

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There has been a lot of buzz on social media among the NASCAR community regarding Juan Montoya’s Watkins Glen announcement. Bob Pockrass was one of the first ones to tweet, as usual, about the matter. And fans have a lot to say on the news. One of the Reddit users commented, “Credit where it’s due to 23XI, they’ve had a pretty fantastic variety of drivers in that third car.” Kamui Kobayashi and Corey Heim drove the No. 50 Camry earlier this year in honor of Mobil 1’s 50.

Another user expressed their excitement by writing, “JPM single-handedly made the glen a must see for me now. I can’t wait to see him race again!!” Juan’s return has certainly raised the stakes for Watkins Glen for all the stakeholders.

Some of the fans mentioned the Next-Gen technicalities, while not failing to be enthusiastic. A user wrote, “Ever since the return of “road course ringers” with the Next Gen and Project 91/60/50/67 the first person I wanted to see back in a Cup car was Montoya, so to put it bluntly… this is f**king awesome.” As we’ve talked earlier, driving a Next-Gen might not be the biggest hurdle for Juan.

And then other users went on making comparisons with other legends, “We got Montoya, SVG, Dinger, Elliott and a couple other great road racers in the field. We are in for a treat. Unless it’s like last years race where passing is limited….” Some users responded to the apprehension around passing and clarified that it might not be the case this season as the temperatures will be cooler in September, thanks to the Olympics break.

Others also referenced his Jet Dryers crash, 12 years back. They wrote, “Hopefully doesn’t rain at the Glen so no Jet Dryers! So excited to see him back!” Nonetheless, the excitement prevails over everything else.

What about you? Are you thrilled to see Juan Montoya in Watkins Glen?