Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to NASCAR Cup Series competition when that tour visits the Watkins Glen International road course the weekend of September 13-15. 23XI Racing is entering its No. 50 Mobil 1 tribute Toyota Camry XSE for the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1998 International Formula 3000 titleholder, CART’s 1999 champion and IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Champion in 2019. Montoya has nine years’ experience in NASCAR’s premier series, primarily with Chip Ganassi Racing.
He’ll be competing in the third and final event for the No. 50 Camry XSE, which celebrates the 50th anniversary for the iconic Mobil 1 brand. NASCAR’s and 23XI Racing’s coordinated celebration of Mobil 1’s legacy began at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in March, when sports car ace Kamui Kobayashi competed for the team; Corey Heim, an acknowledged NASCAR rising star was at the wheel of the No. 50 during NASCAR’s visit to Nashville Superspeedway in June.
Both Mobil 1 and 23XI Racing decided to close out this year’s commemoration of the brand’s 50th year with Montoya, an acknowledged international elite racing performer, who makes his first NASCAR Cup Series start since 2014’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At Watkins Glen, Montoya has 12 overall starts in four different series. He has one win in 2010, a pole award, three top-five and five top-10 results in his seven Cup Series starts at the venue.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen, a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” Montoya said. “It’s an honor to celebrate the Mobil 1 team’s remarkable legacy in racing, and to be recognized for my contributions to motorsports. The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing,” the Colombian native revealed, “so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”
To help fans celebrate Mobil 1’s 50th anniversary, the firm is producing a content series to be released later this year on Mobil 1 Racing’s social channels. This series will highlight the activities in 23XI’s Camry as this diverse group of drivers prepared for and took on the three NASCAR Cup Series events in the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE.
“Being able to have such an iconic driver like Juan Pablo Montoya to race the No. 50 car is the perfect way to complete the run of our gold paint scheme with 23XI Racing,” Katy Howell, director of global sponsorships and marketing services related, on behalf of the Mobil 1 team. “We worked with Juan Pablo at the beginning of his career, so to partner with a legendary driver such as himself, as he returns to NASCAR is truly a dram come true.
“It has been an exciting year for our brand globally as we celebrate an historic milestone, and we re thrilled to have an all-star lineup for the third entry of the No. 50 Camry. Each of the drivers and teams,” she continued, “showcase our true passion for racing, that we celebrate in everything we do as a brand. It has been a privilege to continue to showcase how our products can help race teams and consumers get the most out of their engines.”
As the Mobil 1 team continues its work in producing lubrication products, it has unveiled special paint schemes, liveries and decals to honor its 50-year heritage. It has enabled fans to celebrate along with the company in motorsports series around the globe. These series include IMSA, Formula One, INDYCAR, NHRA and MotoGP, among many more.
“Juan Pablo Montoya is a world-class driver, who has won in everything he’s driven,” noted Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. “He will be a great closer to the 50th anniversary celebration we’ve had in NASCAR with the No. 50 Mobil 1 Toyota. The events have highlighted racing legends as well as what’s next in motorsports, and 23XI has been honored to have been a part of adding to the Mobil 1 legacy and celebrating such a momentous occasion.”
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