INDIANAPOLIS With three of the four drivers at Team Penske starting in the first two rows of Sunday s 99th Indianapolis 500 the driver who is actually leading the Verizon IndyCar Series points standings entering the race has been overlooked because he s starting back in 15th place.
Juan Pablo Montoya however believes it s a big mistake for anybody to overlook him in Sunday s 500 mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
I ve done a really good job for the team I ve come here twice in an IndyCar with a win and a fifth place in the Indy 500 so I think I ve done pretty good Montoya said. Fifth place here is my worst start. I think I m looking pretty good.
Is it a guaranteed win No. But I guarantee you I will be there at the end.
Montoya enters the Indy 500 as the Verizon IndyCar Series points leader.
It means we are doing a good job up to now Montoya said. I ve got three out of five podiums and it could have been four out of five. At Barber we struggled with the setup and everything went bad.
During Thursday s Indy 500 Media Day the crowds of media were huddled around three time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves who starts in the middle of Row 2. Meantime Montoya was at a table next to him sitting by himself.
Listen I always said that Juan has incredible talent Castroneves said. He is a great teammate and I do know and see what he has brought to this team. I m trying to keep updated with all the information on the team and with Juan Pablo s experience with so many cars that is his biggest strength. I believe all four cars on this team have an excellent chance to give Roger Penske another win here.
Montoya has been one of the biggest names in international racing since he arrived in CART as a rookie in 1999 but this is just his third Indy 500 start.
Last year was my first oval back and it was hard said Montoya who won the Indy 500 as a rookie in 2000. This year I feel better prepared and I believe we have a pretty good car. It s a 500 mile race and starting 15th here is not bad. The chances of moving to the front will require patience but I believe we have a pretty competitive car.
Montoya s victory in 2000 was a monumental day because Target/Chip Ganassi Racing was the first big name CART team to participate in the Indianapolis since the infamous split over the creation of the Indy Racing League in 1996. CART teams boycotted the Indy 500 and when Montoya arrived he whipped the field leading 167 laps of the 200 lap contest.
With today s rules package and depth of talent in the field at the Indianapolis 500 it s unlikely that any time soon there will be a driver who dominates the Indianapolis 500 the way Montoya did in 2000.
It s hard to dominate with this package but you never know Montoya said. We did a good job that day and had a really good car. The opportunity came and I took it.
Today is the team that I have to bring my A Game and the team has to bring their A Game and see what happens.
He would leave CART at the end of the 2000 season to compete in Formula One. In 2006 he left F1 to begin a career in NASCAR Sprint Cup. At the end of the 2013 Montoya returned to IndyCar joining Team Penske for the 2014 season.
Montoya is confident he can be a factor in this year s big race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The chances are really good right now but you still have to execute Montoya said. I believe I have a genuine shot at winning it. I ve been really happy with the car. We ve done a lot of racing running with the same car and setup and it s been good. When you are confident with the car it makes a big difference.
It s not a rush to move up in the race. You have to play the race as it comes. If you have a good car and you can move up without risking the car you move forward. It depends on what the car will give you. You try to plan these races and think of every scenario and what happens is the scenario you never thought of. The only thing you can do right now is put yourself in a position at the end to go for the win. It s different here than it was in the past when you could drive away from the field. The only way there is no last lap pass today is if there is a caution. It s just how everything rolls out.
You have to play your cars and hope your hand is better than everyone else s.
Be sure to catch Bruce Martin's Honda IndyCar Report on RACEDAY on FOX Sports Radio every Sunday from 6 8 a.m. ET.
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