HispanicBusiness

Three years into Juan Pablo Montoya's closely scrutinized NASCAR experiment, the Colombian speedster is back in the place he knows best: Miami

Montoya, who calls Miami home, not only has qualified for the Sprint Cup Series' Chase for the Cup, he has a chance to win the title.

Montoya sits in sixth place of the circuit's playoff standings, 195 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson with five races remaining.

And the last event on the 2009 schedule is the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 22, giving Montoya the chance to capture the series crown on his local track.

"This is more home than any other home I've had," Montoya said in Kendall last week, appearing at an event to promote the Homestead race and his charity, Formula Smiles Foundation. "I've been living here for a few years now, and I love it.

"Winning the Chase here, or anywhere, would be huge."

Just eight months ago, such a thought would have been nearly laughable. Montoya dominated the open-wheel circuits for much of the past decade, becoming the only driver to win a CART title, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona, a sports car endurance race. But seeking a new challenge, Montoya tried his hand at stock cars in 2007 -- shocking the racing world.

A BUMPY ROAD
Montoya signed on with Chip Ganassi's NASCAR operation, which was looking to duplicate the legacy of success Ganassi's outfit had built in open-wheel racing.

It wasn't a seamless transition.

He started strong in 2007, finishing 20th in the points and earning the Cup series rookie of the year honors.

Montoya took a step back in 2008, though, as he slipped to 25th in the standings. Plus, there was the instability of Ganassi's decision to merge with Dale Earnhart Inc., moving Montoya from Dodge to Chevrolet.

Seems like the change has been for the best.

Working now with superior equipment as well as personnel, Montoya became the first non-American born driver to qualify for the Chase with a consistently solid season -- albeit one without a race victory.

"We definitely want to win," Montoya said. "It gets kind of frustrating. Last year, it was a very hard year for us. When we finished 15th, we were kind of celebrating. Now, I finished third [in Fontana, Calif.,] and I was [angry]."

Thankfully, the at-times acerbic Montoya has his wife, Connie, to keep him level.

She runs Formula Smiles, which tries to use sports to improve the quality of life for the underprivileged in their home country, which for years was torn apart by the violent drug trade.

"Education plus sports is the best formula," Connie Montoya said. "Using sports as a tool, we complement the academic education of the kids with their physical education.

"So, we make them healthier people, make them understand why it's important to maintain a healthy life, but we also reinforce math, geography, so they have a more integrated education."

LOCAL TIES
Now, Homestead is getting in on the act. The speedway is offering a special for its NASCAR event: The Montoya Mania package.

For $142 (Montoya drives the No. 42 car), race fans will get a ticket to the race, a souvenir commemorating the event and a chance to meet Montoya just a few hours before the race. Of that price tag, $42 will go to Formula Smiles.

An added twist: every time Montoya finishes in the top 10 of a Sprint Cup race, the price will be knocked down to $84.

"Why not some extra pressure?" Montoya said in a joking manner. "It's not like we have enough."

Added speedway president Curtis Gray: "There's a lot of hype in South Florida for our hometown driver.

"In today's era, to do what he has in motor sports, it's incredible."