The 2019 DPi Champion Will Compete in Three Races for Rick Ware Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Juan Pablo Montoya, the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Daytona Prototype international (DPi) champion whose legendary career also includes success in Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR, is returning to the WeatherTech Championship this season for select races in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class.
Montoya will join full-season driver Eric Lux in the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ORECA LMP2 07 for three sprint races, starting next week with the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The duo will also team for races at Road America in August and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September.
Over his career, the 47-year-old native Colombian has won seven IMSA races (including three overall victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona), 15 IndyCar races (including two Indy 500s), seven F1 races and two in the NASCAR Cup Series. He and co-driver Henrik Hedman finished fourth in the 2022 LMP2 standings, winning at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and also sharing the car with Montoya’s son Sebastian at endurance races.
“I have been very fortunate to race in multiple categories with some of the best teams in history,” said Montoya. “During those years, I have had a lot of success in each series constantly fighting for the championship. I love racing the LMP2 car and feel my experience can be a great asset to the team. I can see us winning races together.”
Montoya is one of only three drivers to have won races in F1, IndyCar and NASCAR. The other two are legendary drivers Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney.
“This is a big opportunity for RWR and our IMSA team,” said Rick Ware, team owner. “Juan Pablo Montoya brings a wealth of championship and race-winning experience to our LMP2 program. We are looking forward to seeing what we can do together for the three races Juan Pablo is in the car this year and build on that for the future.”
Lux co-drove the No. 51 in the first two races this season – the Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – with Pietro Fittipaldi, Devlin DeFrancesco and Austin Cindric (at Daytona only). Lux was on the winning LMP2 team at last year’s Rolex 24 along with DeFrancesco, Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward.
“I am thrilled to be teaming up with Juan Pablo Montoya,” Lux said “Juan is a legend in the world of motorsports, and it’s an honor to work alongside him and learn from his vast experience. We have a strong team with Rick Ware Racing.
“I am confident we can achieve great things on the track and bring home multiple victories. I can’t wait to return to one of my favorite circuits in Laguna Seca and see what we can accomplish in the LMP2 category.”
The Motul Course de Monterey race weekend runs May 12-14. The race airs live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, May 14 on NBC network and IMSA Radio.