Montoya:Schu a nobody in America

[Dare]

TONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Michael Schumacher apparently can't understand why Juan Pablo Montoya would leave Formula1

Montoya, for his part, doesn't seem to care what the seven-time world champion thinks.

"Schumacher in America is nobody," said Montoya, who's steadily building on an already strong United States fan base.

Montoya, preparing his new Dodge Charger this week for the Daytona 500, was responding to comments Schumacher made last weekend.

"Personally, I wouldn't do it," Schumacher told the New York Times. "What do you do in NASCAR? What is exciting there? I can't see that, running around on ovals."

Although Montoya said he thinks Schumacher could make the transition, he said he's learned firsthand that stock cars are much harder than his former F1 foes believe.

"People don't understand what a big challenge this style of racing is," Montoya said. "Michael Schumacher, just take him to Homestead (Fla.) and tell him to stay half a second off the pace. He would have a heart attack."

Montoya is proving to be a fast study, pacing Tuesday morning's test session with a fast lap at 184.574 mph. David Stremme, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, was second at 184.479.

The two held their own in the afternoon drafting session, with Montoya running 15th and Stremme 18th.

The confident Colombian, who won a CART championship and the Indianapolis 500 before moving to F1, said he believes experience would give him the edge on Schumacher should the two ever go door-to-door in NASCAR.

"It would be a hard transition (for Schumacher) for sure," he said. "It's not an easy transition. I had the advantage that I raced two years of ovals and did a little bit of stock cars with little ones when I started my career. All that really helps."


If you can't beat em trash talk em

[davewilson]

Thanks dare;
Sounds like he is still a bit upset of how he was treated in F1.......and still has it in for Michael, even though he has now retired.
I suppose it is a totally different way of racing altogether,but i have a feeling Michael would have been good if he had wanted to go in that direction.
Good topic.
The Stig

[Dare]

    Schumacher would have been a champion in
    any form of motor racing he entered,after all
    these years with his skills not quite as sharp
    he's how you measure other drivers

[Wizzo]

I quite agree, MS is just one of those guys thats good at everything, driving, football, bike riding....the list goes on.

I have to admire him but it still makes me sick