23XI Racing will bring back the No. 50 Toyota for one more race this season as the entry features another new driver at Watkins Glen International. This is a driver fans have tried to identify.
The Cup Series team provided a tease Thursday afternoon with a quick montage video showing the No. 50 in its two previous starts this season. The clip then showed a figure walking toward the camera.
This person was out of focus, so viewers could not see exactly who it was. However, the hairline provided a hint for multiple people on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Final ride for the 50 car… guess who’s next pic.twitter.com/x7PGixAdMw
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) August 1, 2024
"Holy s*** is that Montoya," one user asked after watching the video. Many others weighed in proclaiming that the figure in the video was indeed Juan Pablo Montoya, the former IndyCar Series champion who made the move to the NASCAR Cup Series in the mid-2000s.
"WOAH WOAH WOAH, IS THAT MONTOYA!??! YOU CAN'T JUST DROP THIS SO RANDOMLY< HOLY!!!!!" another X user posted.
23XI Racing has not confirmed that Montoya is indeed the figure in the blurry video. That didn't tamp down the excitement among racing fans.
A native of Colombia, Montoya spent 2007-13 competing full-time in the Cup Series. He drove the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing and he won races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. He also won an Xfinity Series race in Mexico City in 2007.
Montoya has not raced in the NASCAR Cup Series since the 2014 season when he made two starts for Team Penske.
If the veteran driver does indeed join 23XI Racing, he will be the third to control the No. 50 Toyota Camry XSE during the 2024 Cup Series season.
Kamui Kobayashi took over the entry first as he reunited with 23XI Racing after one start last season. He drove the No. 50 at Circuit of the Americas and finished 29th after an eventful day.
Corey Heim was next on the list. He joined 23XI Racing for a busy weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Heim finished 29th after a multi-car incident collected him, Harrison Burton, Josh Berry, Todd Gilliland, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.