The NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on Sunday was yet another chaotic outing that overturned every prediction made before the race. Only two drivers from the playoff grid finished inside the top 10 as Chris Buescher collected the checkered flag at the end of 92 laps. One special entrant, Juan Pablo Montoya, also got his first experience with the Next-Gen car and was beyond surprised with it.
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He was found talking to the media about his race when 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick intervened and began a discussion with him. The duo opened up on their experiences during the second postseason event.
Montoya expressed his delight at the Next-Gen car’s cockpit not being as hot as he had expected and noted that it was the coolest he had been in a Cup Series car.
Reddick explained that the Xfinity Series machine is hot inside but the premier-tier vehicle, not so much. “In the beginning, they were really hot, but not now,” he said. Montoya continued, “In the first start, everybody ran into me. They wanted to move me out of the way. I’m like, ‘Okay. Next one.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t wanna wreck. But I’m not going to start moving out too much.”
I talked to @jpmontoya after he finished 32nd today (he didn’t even know where he placed.)
Turned into a fun impromptu debrief session with @TylerReddick.#NASCAR @Frontstretch pic.twitter.com/3c7jhZM7kL
— Daniel McFadin (@danielmcfadin) September 15, 2024
The Colombian eventually ended up in 32nd place after an outing that he seemed to enjoy. Reddick himself finished a few spots above him in P27. The duo laughed it out talking about the first caution during which Montoya almost wrecked with the cars in front of him, before Reddick said his byes and left to board his plane.
What did Cup Series drivers tell Montoya about the Next-Gen car?
The last time JPM was in a NASCAR car was back in 2014. Owing to his familiarity with the Next-Gen machine, he’d gone to a few active drivers before the race and asked them for insights about what he should expect on his return. “It is so difficult to drive,” summed up the field.
However, Michael McDowell contrastingly said, “It is much easier to drive — it is more like a GT3.” Montoya also visited Virginia International Raceway to test the car out himself before his race appearance this Sunday. 40 laps later, he came out thinking that it was easier to drive than the cars he drove back in the day.
After the 92-lap race on Sunday, he must now have a clearer idea of what it is like to race in present-day NASCAR. Considering that he didn’t rule out the idea of making another appearance in the future, the colombian can be expected to return to the track sooner rather than later.
