No. 42 Target Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Owner: Teresa Earnhardt/Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

The Rundown

In winning the Indianapolis 500 during his second full year in CART, Juan Pablo Montoya was unfamiliar with the racing term “sophomore slump.”

After Montoya dropped to a 25th-place finish in the point standings, you can’t say that anymore. Last year wasn’t the breakout season many were expecting. Despite being labeled the best of the open-wheel converts these past two seasons, Montoya has more Cup starts (73) than laps led (40) thus far in his Cup career.

Now, change is in the air, and Montoya will be surrounded by a new team for Year No. 3. Just before the season ended, Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt announced a merger between their two organizations. The newly formed Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will put Chevys on the track this year for what appears to be three cars. Sponsorship from Target has been moved from EGR’s No. 41 ride to Montoya’s No. 42 with Wrigley’s remaining as an associate after Texaco-Havoline bolted following the ’08 season.

While consolidation will lead to better resources, these aren’t two owners who were lighting up the track last year. The benefits, if any, won’t be known for months. Roughly 60 employees from the Earnhardt and Ganassi camps were let go in the merger, signs of a poor economy and ultra-competitive market.

One bit of stability will come from Brian Pattie, the last man standing in a crew chief carousel that saw the No. 42 team go through three in one month in 2008. He’ll have a tough task ahead, trying to figure out a change in manufacturer — from Dodge to Chevy — by Daytona.

On the track, Montoya’s runner-up showing at Talladega coupled with the expected strong finishes at both road course races were the highlights of his second full year in NASCAR. The unexpected results were the nine DNFs that plagued the team, including five crashes in the last nine races of the season. Montoya gives 100 percent every lap, but to move up the rankings, he must learn to keep his famous temper from boiling over and ruining his day.

The Colombian reportedly turned down an offer this November to return to Formula One, stating that stock cars are where he wants to be. But unless there’s a big surprise that comes from this merger, that could be a decision he’ll regret.

Opposing Crew Chiefs’ Take

Many observers expected Juan Pablo Montoya to burst into superstardom, but it failed to happen in his second season in NASCAR. “He has shown improvement since Brian Pattie moved over there,” says one rival crew chief. “That surprised me because I think (former Montoya crew chief Donnie) Wingo is smart. It goes back to talent carrying him early on and then becoming less of a factor as time goes on. He impressed people with how fast he picked it up, but he’s not a beginner. He’s raced all over the world and won less here than any of those other places.”

Another crew chief says: “One problem Montoya’s got is he’s got a lot of enemies, not because they’re jealous of what he’s done but because the way he drives makes them mad. A lot of times, when Montoya needs a break, no one’s out there to give him one. He’s learning, but is he already learning too late?”

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