JULY 11, 2006

Another visitor at Chicagoland

Juan Pablo Montoya was a visitor to the NASCAR race at Chicagoland last weekend to announce his deal to race in the Nextel Cup next year, but also there in the background was TJ Patrick, father and manager of Indy Racing League driver Danica Patrick, a woman who has done much to keep the Indy Racing League in the public eye in the last 18 months. Her father told US reporters that he was there to have "exploratory talks" with some Nextel Cup teams about the future. Patrick's contract with Rahal Letterman Racing comes to an end at the end of the year and it is a time of negotiation - although things are not that serious as Bobby Rahal is currently on holiday in Europe, having popped over to take part in the Le Mans Classic event. Although Danica is keen on open-wheeler racing, there is not doubt that the way things are in the US at the moment, the future is with NASCAR.