IndyCar drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Kanaan have become the latest names to be added to the Race of Champions list. The 2017 event, which is being held at Miami in the Marlins Park Baseball Stadium, will be the first in the US.
Montoya has already had a long an exciting career in motorsport, with many highlights coming early in his youth. In 1998 he won International Formula 3000 to only go on and win the CART World Series at his first attempt a year later.
This was succeeded by a win at the Indianapolis 500 and a subsequent move to Formula One. Despite only racing for five and a half seasons, the Colombian won seven Grand Prix. Since then he’s won in NASCAR and the Daytona 24 Hours.
“I’m really looking forward to competing in my first Race Of Champions. It’s an event I’ve always wanted to do, and to be able to race here at home in Miami makes it even more special. I actually won my first international race in America here in Miami – in the Barber Pro Series in 1994.
“The Race Of Champions is such a unique event, bringing together the top drivers from the main series around the world and from different generations.
“We are all top drivers, all very competitive and with lots of respect for each other. So it would be very special to be able to win here in Miami, where I hope I will have a lot of support from the many local fans.”
Joining him as the first member of the Brazilian team will be Kanaan. The 41-year-old featured in Montoya’s 1999 CART championship year. While his compatriot has raced in a number of different categories before his return to IndyCar, Kanaan has remained loyal. He won his only championship in 2004, also winning the Indy 500 once.
“I absolutely loved when I raced at the Race Of Champions in France back in 2004 and I always wanted to do it again. I live in Miami, so having the race here in my backyard is the perfect opportunity to be part of it and to race against the biggest names from motorsport around the world.”
