September 20, 1975
Juan Pablo Montoya
(Photo: williamsdb via photopin cc)
Born in Bogotá, Colombia.
Montoya has multiple top ten finishes in the year end standings for Champ Car including the 1999 championship, NASCAR finishing 8th in 2009, IndyCar including 2nd in 2015 and Formula 1 finishing 3rd in 2002 and 2003. He is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He currently competes in the Weather Tech SportsCar Series driving for Team Penske.
The highlights of his career include winning the International F3000 championship in 1998, and the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999, as well as victories in some of the most prestigious races in the world, including the Indianapolis 500 (2000, 2015), Grand Prix of Monaco (2003), 24 Hours of Daytona (2007, 2008, 2013), British Grand Prix (2005), Italian Grand Prix (2001, 2005) and Grand Prix of Long Beach (1999). He is the only driver to have won the premier North American open-wheel CART title, Indianapolis 500, 24 Hours of Daytona, Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Italian Grand Prix all at the first attempt. Montoya is one of two drivers to have won the CART title in his rookie year, the first being Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell in 1993. He is the only active driver who has won two legs of the Triple Crown of Motorsport in its original definition.
Montoya has also become a crossover race winner by winning races in Formula One, CART, IRL, IndyCar, Grand-Am and NASCAR equaling in that respect Mario Andretti's caliber of success (except for the F1 World Championship); and shares honors as well with Dan Gurney in being a race winner in IndyCar/F1/NASCAR.
In October 2009, Montoya was ranked 30th on Times Online's list of the Top 50 Formula One drivers of all time.
Montoya and wife Connie have three children; son Sebastian and daughters Paulina and Manuela. He and his family have been living in Miami since the early 2000s, though Montoya had owned residences in London and Madrid during his Formula One years.
This Day In Motorsport History - Home Page
This Day In Motorsport History - Home Page
No comments:
Post a Comment