Published February 16, 2007
 |
All Eyes On Montoya As He Makes
Nextel Cup Debut At Daytona |
Juan Pablo Montoya’s switch from F1 racing to NASCAR “dovetails with
two major initiatives” for the sport’s growth –- “finding
an international foothold and diversifying its drivers and fan base — and
his impact might not end there,” according to Nate Ryan in a front-page
Cover Story in USA TODAY. Driver Kyle Petty said, “If [Montoya is] competitive
like he can be and some of the other stars align, this could be a major event
in the history of the sport.” Driver Jeff Burton added, “We have a
great opportunity for NASCAR fans to understand that, ‘Man those guys who
turn left and right over there in Europe, they’re pretty damn good.’
And I think we also have a great opportunity for F1 fans to understand that this
is really hard and that we’re not just a bunch of dumb rednecks with cherry
pickers taking engines out of trees. I think it’s going to be an eye-opener
for everybody.” Montoya, who is the “only auto racing driver”
represented by William Morris Agency (WMA), will have his rookie year documented
by the company for a movie or TV series. WMA agent Philip Button said that Montoya
is also “drawing interest for endorsements from many companies particularly
from the beverage and consumer electronics industries” (
USA
TODAY, 2/16). Montoya is also profiled in this week’s issue of
SI (
THE DAILY).
