Juan Pablo Montoya won't return with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the
Sprint Cup Series next season, two team officials told USA TODAY Sports.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is team policy not to comment on driver contracts.
The
news of Montoya's impending departure, which was first reported by the
Associated Press, was announced to team members Tuesday at the EGR shop
in Concord, N.C.
Montoya, 37, is in his seventh season in
NASCAR's premier series with team owner Chip Ganassi. He is ranked 22nd
in points with five top 10s in 22 starts. After finishing 17th, 21st and
22nd in the points standings the past three seasons, this was viewed as
a critical season for the Colombia native, who has only two career
victories and hasn't enjoyed the same success that he did in IndyCar and
Formula One.
Ganassi and Montoya, who won the 1999 CART
championship and 2000 Indianapolis 500 together, have been coy about the
driver's future and deflected questions about whether 2013 would be a
make or break year after the team changed crew chiefs and went through a
personnel restructuring last season.
"Every year is," Montoya
said in February before the Daytona 500. "Make or break what? I'll
always run as hard as I can, and that's it. It's all I can do."
"We
continue to work with him (and) try to get the most out of him,"
Ganassi said in March. "If I thought there was a quick fix, or if I
thought there was something we're doing … we've put people around him,
put other people around him and put other people around him. We're not
giving up by any stretch."
Montoya, who made headlines when he
crashed into a jet dryer and caused a fire at the 2012 Daytona 500, left
Ganassi for Formula One and notched seven victories from 2001-06.
While
he hasn't won in Cup since Watkins Glen in 2010, Montoya's performance
has been better than the results have indicated this season. He led in
the closing laps at Richmond International Raceway and Dover
International Speedway and was headed for strong finishes at Bristol
Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway before
mechanical failures.How solar panel cells work and where to buy solar kits for home use.
"This year has been like life-changing," he said at Indianapolis.Shop funtional and elegant solar lights, outdoor solar lighting, solar garden lights, path lights and decorative solar lights.
"Last year, it was so hard going to every race hoping for better, and
there was no better. This year, it's exciting everywhere we go. When we
suck now,How are solar outdoor lighting
products different from other lighting, like fluorescent or
incandescent? we still run 15th. It's not fair for the team, sponsor or
ourselves because we're running a lot better than where we are in
points, but it is what it is.
"I feel that one of these days
when (stuff's) not looking up, it's going to come to us for no reason.
Something's going to happen, and it'll be, 'Oh, we won!' "
Montoya
said his No. 42 Chevrolet has been as fast in 2013 as it was during his
best season when he made the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009 and
finished eighth in points. It was the only berth in the 10-race title
run for Montoya, who won at Sonoma, Calif., in his rookie season but
finished 20th and 25th in points during his first two years.
There
is no imminent announcement expected on a replacement for Montoya,
whose ride is sponsored by Target. Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch remain
unsigned for next season, and Ganassi also has Nationwide driver Kyle
Larson, viewed as perhaps the best prospect in NASCAR, under contract.
Montoya's
options also might be limited in finding a quality ride in NASCAR. He
has ruled out a return to F1 several times, and there likely wouldn't be
a viable opportunity there anyway. Sports car racing might offer a
possibility for Montoya,Wholesale hid kit and xenon bulbs at low price factory direct. who won the Rolex 24 Hours for the third time with Ganassi in January. We turn your dark into light courtesy of our brilliant sun, solar street light, solar power generation.
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