Laguna Seca will be a fun one this Mother’s Day weekend, featuring the returning Juan Pablo Montoya to IMSA, being added to Rick Ware Racing’s LMP2 driver lineup for the remainder of the season.
Montoya, who has been racing the last few years on a part-time basis in IMSA, has an extensive racing background, having competed in F1, NASCAR, and IndyCar at the highest levels of each organization, including being a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and former CART champion.
Montoya had previously raced in IMSA in DPi cars (now GTPs); however, in 2022, Montoya stepped down a level to drive in the LMP2 for DragonSpeed, a team that has seen some success in auto racing.
Now, Montoya will be piloting the No. 51 for Rick Ware Racing, and the question is, can this addition help grab Rick Ware a win?
Well, as for Montoya, he has had a great deal of success piloting different forms of machines, grabbing five wins in IndyCar, two in the NASCAR Cup Series, and seven in Formula 1.
Beyond the numbers, Montoya brings a veteran presence to the LMP2 class, which may not feature the same racing pedigree for drivers compared to the highest class in GTPs.
With that being said, having Montoya around the garage and working with the team alone will be a plus for the team's development and on-track success.
In terms of competition level, the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ORECA LMP2 07 currently sits towards the bottom of the points list on the season, having had a not-so-stark race in the first points race at Sebring.
However, with the unpredictability that Laguna Seca can bring with the track conditions, it could allow for a team such as Rick Ware Racing to take control and grab a high-class finish this weekend.
While Montoya will boost the team’s competition, the chances of grabbing a win this season may still look bleak.
However, with only two races on the season in the books completed for the LMP2s, Rick Ware Racing’s entry may show something different than what has been shown, having one of the lower-end lap times among the LMP2s at Sebring back in March with a 1:52:564.
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