Rick Ware Racing Signs Juan Pablo Montoya to IMSA LMP2 Program

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner will compete for the organization alongside Eric Lux in the three IMSA Sprint Races in 2023.

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hero image for Rick Ware Racing Signs Juan Pablo Montoya to IMSA LMP2 Program

Rick Ware Racing has tapped Juan Pablo Montoya - a champion in several disciplines of motorsports and a former NASCAR Cup Series driver - to drive the No. 51 LMP2 entry in select IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this season.

Montoya will join current RWR IMSA pilot Eric Lux for the remaining sprint rounds of the season, driving the entry at Laguna Seca Raceway, Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I have been very fortunate to race in multiple categories with some of the best teams in history,” Montoya said. “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.”

The newfound partnership works an element from Montoya's past racing endevaors, as Rick Ware Racing started out in the NASCAR Cup Series, the series Montoya called home for several years.

Some highlights of Montoya's experience include championships in F3000, CART (IndyCar), and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series.

Montoya holds a myriad of notable wins in motorsports, including two Indianapolis 500 wins in 2000 and 2015, seven wins in Formula 1, including the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix, three wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona, and a pair of NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Joining Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney, Montoya is one of only three drivers to have won races in F1, IndyCar and NASCAR.

“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.”

Eric Lux, of Buffalo, New York, is ecstatic to be paired with Montoya, as they tackle the sprint races together with Rick Ware Racing in 2023:

“I am thrilled to be teaming up with Juan Pablo Montoya,” said Lux, the team’s Bronze Driver. “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.”

Sponsorship will continue to come from Biohaven and Rembrandt Charms. For the endurance rounds, the driver lineup will remain as previously announced with Devin DeFrancesco, Pietro Fittipaldi, and Eric Lux.

In the last two seasons, Montoya will be the fifth F1 competitor to drive for Rick Ware Racing in any division, joining Jenson Button, Takuma Sato, Pietro Fittipaldi, and Romain Grosjean.

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