Two-time Indy 500 winner set for first NASCAR start in 10 years

23XI Racing are one of two teams set to field a non-charter entry in this coming Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Cup Series round of 16 playoff race at Watkins Glen International.

They have added a third car on a very limited basis since the start of last season, with the No. 50/No. 67 Toyota having only made a total of four appearances since February 2023.

Amid rumors that they will acquire the lone remaining Stewart-Haas Racing charter and expand from two to three full-time entries next year, the Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned team are set to field the No. 50 Toyota for Juan Pablo Montoya this weekend.

Montoya set for first NASCAR race in a decade

Montoya, the 1999 CART champion and two-time Indy 500 winner, most recently competed in a NASCAR race in 2014. That year, he signed with Team Penske to compete full-time in IndyCar, and he also competed for Roger Penske's team in Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

His most recent Cup Series road course start came the year before, when he placed fifth for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing at Watkins Glen. The 2013 season was his seventh and final full season in the Cup Series before he made the move back to open-wheel racing in 2014.

The 48-year-old Colombian, who also won six Formula 1 races during his six-year stint in the series from 2001 to 2006, is a former Cup Series winner at Watkins Glen, having taken the checkered flag for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2010. His only other Cup Series victory also came in a road course race at Sonoma Raceway in 2007.

There are not currently any plans for the No. 50 Toyota to return later in the year, though it would not be surprising to see it appear next month at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Montoya also has no plans to make any other Cup Series starts.

The other non-charter car on the entry list for this weekend's race is the No. 13 Chevrolet, which is set to be fielded by Kaulig Racing for A.J. Allmendinger. Like the No. 50 Toyota, the No. 13 Chevrolet has only made two other appearances so far this year.

USA Network is set to provide live coverage of the Go Bowling at The Glen from Watkins Glen International starting at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 15. If you have yet to begin a free trial of FuboTV, now would be a great time to do so!