| Born in Bogota, Colombia, Juan Pablo Montoya was | | | | WilliamsF1 team. Although he was close to winning |
| delivered on September 20 in 1975.The former | | | | the race, the victory lane was snatched from him |
| Formula One and Indycar driver started with go-karts | | | | when he collided with Jos Verstappen however, his |
| at a young age with his father, Pablo Montoya by his | | | | talent and energy was noticed by many of the |
| side. By the time he was 9 years old, Montoya had | | | | Formula One commentators and fans. He did come |
| already captured several local and national Karting | | | | home with three pole positions and was victorious |
| championships in Colombia including the Kart Komet | | | | during the 2001 Italian Grand Prix. |
| category. By the time he was 15, Montoya was a | | | | The next year he went on to set the record for the |
| Kart Junior world Championship. | | | | fastest lap during a qualifying session at the 2002 |
| He moved on the Copa Formula Renault Series in | | | | Italian Grand Prix and although he did not win, he was |
| 1992 and during the same year, he took part in the | | | | one of the few drivers that competed neck to neck |
| Skip Barber Course in the USA. That year he had | | | | with Ralf Schumacher. He was second in Australia, |
| four wins out of eight races with five pole positions | | | | Malaysia, Spain, Germany and third in Austria, Britain |
| as well. The next year proved to be a better year | | | | and Belgium. The next year he was the winner at the |
| when he joined the Nationale Tournament Swift GTI | | | | Monaco and Germany Formula One race while he |
| Championship in Colombi and came home with seven | | | | came in second in Europe, France, Britain and Italy. |
| wins in eight races with seven poles as well. In 1994, | | | | 2004 wasn't a very good year for Montoya although |
| Montoya saw himself in racing the Sudam 125 Karting, | | | | he did win in Brazil, the relationship between him and |
| the USA Barber Saab and the Formula N , Mexico. He | | | | his team mates were strained as Montoya was |
| emerge the victor in the last race. He carved a niche | | | | signed on to leave the next year to join the McLaren |
| for himself as he went on to take on the 1995 British | | | | team the next year. In 2005, Montoya injured his |
| Formula Vauxhall Championship, the 1996 British | | | | shoulder in Spain while playing tennis and had to sit |
| Formula 3 and he was also a participant in racing | | | | out two races until his shoulder was healed. He did |
| events in Zandvoort, Netherlands and Silverstone. In | | | | however, went on to win in Britain, Italy and Brazil. In |
| 1997 he was second in the FIA International Formula | | | | the next year, after being involved in a crash that |
| 3000 Championship and had his first Formula One test | | | | involved his McLaren teammate Raikkonen, Montoya |
| drive with the WilliamsF1 team. The next year proved | | | | then signed on a contract to race in the NASCAR |
| victorious for this ambitious Colombian when he won | | | | series from 2007 onwards. |
| the FIA International Formula 3000 Championship. He | | | | Montoya started out his NASCAR career with a bang |
| then moved to North America to team up with the | | | | during the Automobile Racing Club of America event |
| Target Chip Ganassi Racing and was still a WilliamsF1 | | | | at Talladega Superspeedway when he finished third. |
| driver. | | | | He made his debut in the Busch Series but did not |
| In 1999, Montoya managed to bring home the CART | | | | win. He then qualified for the NEXTEL Cup Series and |
| Championship Series with the CART Rookie of the | | | | was in the top ten position until his car went on fire. |
| Year title and thus becoming the youngest champion | | | | Before he started the 2007 season, Montoya with his |
| in the history of that series. Even though he was | | | | teammates Scott Pruett and Salvador Duran won the |
| offered to drive in the Formula One race that year, | | | | 24 Hours of Daytona race. He ended at 19th during |
| Montoya decided to race in the USA for a year | | | | the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and wet on to win |
| more. The next year, Montoya was voted most | | | | the Busch Series TelCel-Motorola 200. He also won at |
| popular driver but he could not qualify for the | | | | the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma and made |
| championship as he did not manage to finish 40% of | | | | history as being the first foreign born driver to win. |
| the races. He did however emerge winner of the | | | | It would be a vast understatement to say that we |
| Indianapolis 500 on his debut and was in 9th place in | | | | can expect to see plenty more from Montoya's |
| the CART Championship Series. | | | | future undertakings with NASCAR. |
| Montoya made his Formula One debut in 2001 for the | | | | |