The 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen is all set to go live this weekend as NASCAR Cup drivers prepare to battle on the esteemed road course during the first round of this year’s postseason.
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However, this Sunday’s race could also witness wild card entries such as Juan Pablo Montoya or Shane van Gisbergen playing spoilsport for a prospective playoff driver’s hopes of winning and advancing into the Round of 12.
Montoya will be seen returning to stock car racing after a ten-year hiatus driving the #50 Toyota Camry XSE fielded by 23XI Racing this weekend. This will be the Colombian driver’s first outing since the governance introduced the Next Gen car into the sport in 2022. Former NASCAR crew chief turned broadcaster Steve Letarte had firm opinions on how he expected Montoya to adapt to the same.
“The guy wins in everything. He’s a hell of a racecar driver. He ain’t just gonna jump in the old Next Gen car and be as good as these guys are now. It’s been a long time since he’s been in the Cup car,” opined Letarte on his podcast.
Enter the GOAT:
Juan Pablo Montoya made a return to Ganassi, this time in NASCAR, in 2007.
He scored the win at Sonoma. Ganassi first win since 2002.
On this day he became 3rd driver ever to win in NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, and sportscars. #nascar pic.twitter.com/sLge2a1p9x
— Chevy84 (@chevychevelle48) November 7, 2021
He added to the former F1 and Indy 500 winner’s abilities and said, “This is not a discount on Juan Pablo, the man is a wheelman. He’s like, the real deal, but not in a one-off. I think he’s going to run good.”
Previewing the former Williams F1 driver’s performance ahead of the weekend, Letarte was also of the opinion that Juan Pablo could realistically be found running inside the top-25 during the 90-lap event at ‘The Glen’, with a top-5 running out of the question according to him.
It remains to be seen how the Colombian driver performs at what should be a type of event aligning well with his abilities. The 2-time Cup Series winner could also surprise many if he can adapt quickly to the seventh-generation race car.
The Next Gen car which relies more than ever on aerodynamics in the current day and age could play to Montoya‘s strengths and past experiences with open-wheeled machinery as well as sportscar racing in the IMSA Series.
Meanwhile, drivers on the qualification bubble such as Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski will also be looking to put in solid results on Sunday to ensure that they advance into the subsequent rounds of the title chase.
The event goes live with the green flag dropping on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 3:00 pm ET.
