Juan Pablo Montoya, who was a full-time NASCAR competitor from 2007 to 2013 and scored two wins in NASCAR Cup Series competition, will return to the series in the upcoming event at Watkins Glen International. Montoya will pilot the No. 50 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, an entry that will carry a Mobil 1 50th anniversary paint scheme.
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
Montoya, who hasn’t run a NASCAR National Series event since the 2014 season, is excited to get back behind the wheel of a stock car.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen – a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya said in a team release. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing and be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”
Montoya joins Kamui Kobayashi and Corey Heim as drivers that have piloted the special No. 50 Mobil 1 machine for 23XI Racing this season. Montoya is without a doubt the biggest star of the all-star No. 50 lineup in 2024.
In addition to his two NASCAR Cup wins and one NASCAR Xfinity Series win, Montoya is a seven-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, he also has five wins in the NTT IndyCar Series including two wins in the Indianapolis 500.
“Being able to have such an iconic driver like Juan Pablo Montoya to race the No. 50 car is the perfect way to complete the run of our gold paint scheme with 23XI Racing,” explained Katy Howell, Director of Global Sponsorships and Marketing Services, on behalf of the Mobil 1 team. “We worked with Juan Pablo at the beginning of his career, so to partner with a legendary driver such as himself as he returns to NASCAR is truly a dream come true. It has been an exciting year for our brand globally as we celebrate a historic milestone, and we are thrilled to have an all-star line-up for the third entry of the No. 50 Camry. Each of the drivers and teams showcase our true passion for racing that we celebrate in everything we do as a brand. It has been a privilege to continue to showcase how our products can help race teams and consumers get the most out of their engines.”
The Colombia native is without a doubt one of the best race car drivers of his generation, and has competed among the top talents in just about every discipline of racing over the years. 23XI Racing is proud to have Montoya in their car.
“Juan Pablo Montoya is a world-class driver who has won in everything he’s driven, and he will be a great closer to the 50th-anniversary celebration we’ve had in NASCAR with the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota,” said Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing. “The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what’s next in motorsports, and 23XI has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion.”
The upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen will take place on Sunday, September 15.
