NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya is having an outstanding 2009 race season so far. Sponsored by Target (driving the No. 42 Target Chevrolet) and part of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team, Montoya recently finished sixth at Infineon Raceway on June 21, 2009, after battling from the 17-starting spot in the first road course race of the season to earn his seventh top-10 finish for the year. He moved up two positions to 12th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, the cutoff for the “Chase” and is now ready to take on the rest of the races scheduled for the year head on.

“I’m really excited to be in the Target car,” he says. “It’s a great brand, and they care about their people and program. We really want to prove a point this year and are working hard to have good races”

For Juan Pablo, racing has always been in his blood. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, he grew up learning the techniques of karting at an early age from his father Pablo, an architect and motorsport enthusiast. “I’ve been racing all my life,” he says. “It’s all I know how to do.” Juan Pablo began competing in the Colombian Formula Renault Series in 1992, and while racing there, he won four of eight races and had five poles. The same year, he also participated in the U.S. Skip Barber driving school, and was hailed by driving instructors as being one of the best pupils to ever come through their school at 17.

Fast-forward to 1997, when Juan Pablo received an opportunity to advance in his motor racing career when hired by the RSM Marko, Formula 3000 team that began his journey to eventually becoming an acclaimed Formula One driver. In 2001, Williams-BMW announced a two-year deal for Juan Pablo to partner with Ralf Schumacher, which was very much anticipated by the Formula One community due to the talent and raw speed he demonstrated in his racing career at that point in his career.

After six years driving in Formula One, Juan Pablo made the switch to NASCAR and is enjoying every minute of his NASCAR career. The transition for him wasn’t very drastic, but he did notice differences between the two racing competitions. “There are more fans of drivers in NASCAR,” Juan Pablo points out. “They are very loyal fans. Also, racing is a lot more fun in NASCAR. In Formula One, the best thing about the driving is the technology of the car.” Juan Pablo’s wife of more than seven years, Connie Montoya, also enjoys his shift to NASCAR. “With Formula One, we had to travel a lot,” she explains. “We’d be gone for months at a time, and it’s hard when you have kids since you can’t travel with them everywhere. With NASCAR, you still have to travel, but you’re not gone for long periods of time. You get to go home during the week after races. I prefer him driving in NASCAR.”

Another big allure for the Montoya family is that NASCAR is very philanthropic, just as they are. Both Juan Pablo and Connie were born in Colombia and set up their Formula Smiles Foundation to help the children of their native country. The foundation helps children in poor Colombian neighborhoods by building or improving sports facilities and infrastructure. It also encourages sports participation in a country that doesn't have physical education programs. The foundation also hires instructors, provides athletic equipment and gear and encourages children to stay in school. “We started Formula Smiles back in 2003 and started it to get kids off the streets by getting them involved in extracurricular activities,” Connie describes, who deals with the fundraising events for the foundation. “It’s very rewarding for us to give back to our country and create better opportunities for the children.” Before establishing the foundation, Juan Pablo also worked with the United Nations as a Goodwill Ambassador, so NASCAR’s charitable efforts fell perfectly aligned with his own philanthropic efforts.