Montoya still achieving his motorsports dreams

By DAVID THOMAS

dthomas@star-telegram.com

The man driving the Dream in Color car in today’s Dickies 500 knows about dreams.

Colombian-born Juan Pablo Montoya has made his dreams come true in motorsports’ top circuits. With the publicity from his spot behind the wheel of Target’s special car celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, Montoya wants to serve as an example that dreams do come true.

"I see myself not only as an example for Latinos, I see myself as an example for anybody," Montoya said. "It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter how you grew up. If you want something and you work hard enough, you can achieve it."

Before joining NASCAR full-time in 2007, Montoya was one of open-wheel racing’s top drivers.

Montoya, 34, won the Formula 3000 series championship in 1998. He won CART’s championship in 1999 and the 2000 Indianapolis 500. He finished top-six in points five times in Formula One and won seven races, including the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix.

This year, Montoya is in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time. He is fourth in points heading into today’s event, for which he’ll start in the 20th position.

Making the Chase has further boosted Montoya’s already high international profile. He took part in a video conference with media members from Colombia last week. He regularly fields media requests from such places as Germany, England and Finland.

Montoya handles what could become the weight of his international popularity through a simple approach: think only about the person in the driver’s seat.

"It’s very hard because you want to be an example to people," he said. "But you don’t do it for the people. If you really want to succeed in something, you don’t do it so people talk about that you did. If you want something, you’ve got to do it for yourself."

His success is serving as an example others are following.

Back home in Colombia, where Montoya started racing karts at 6, he estimated there now are probably 10 to 12 race car drivers.

That influence is one reason he was among four Hispanics selected for Target’s Dream in Color program, along with musician Luis Fonsi, actress Elizabeth Pena and East Harlem educator Lillian Ortiz.

The program’s message is that hardships can be overcome and dreams can come true.

"I’ve done it," Montoya said, then added he knows many others in the program who have done the same.

Montoya’s No. 42 Chevrolet features a new color scheme for today’s race, with red, orange, green and yellow.

But based on recent results, it is what is under the Dream in Color’s colorful hood that has Montoya believing he can win today at a track where he finished seventh in April’s Samsung 500 for his second top 10 in five starts at the track.

"We’ve been very close, and this is normally a good race car for us," he said. "If it would happen in the Dream in Color car with National Hispanic Heritage Month happening, it would be special."

David Thomas, 817-390-7760

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