Montoya set to lose Earnhardt Ganassi NASCAR seat after 2013
Juan Pablo Montoya is set to lose his Earnhardt Ganassi NASCAR Sprint Cup seat at the end of the 2013 season
Although the Colombian and his team have made no official comment on the news, which was broken by the official NASCAR website on Tuesday, it was confirmed by EGR minority partner Felix Sabates in an official interview with Sirius XM radio.
"It was a difficult decision, but he understands," Sabates said. "He's professional, and you know, you've got to move on in life sometimes."
Montoya has driven for the team in NASCAR since dramatically splitting with the McLaren Formula 1 squad to pursue a stock car career in mid-2006.
He also raced for Ganassi in Champ Car, winning the title at the first attempt in 1999, and took Indianapolis 500 victory with the team in 2000.
Earnhardt Ganassi has struggled for Cup form in recent seasons. Montoya only has two series wins to his name, the last at Watkins Glen in 2010, and he has not been a regular frontrunner since making it into the championship Chase in '08.
At present he is only 22nd in the standings, seven places behind team-mate Jamie McMurray.
"It's frustrating for everybody," Sabates added. "When you know you've got good equipment and you just can't seem to put everything together still...
"You can't ever point a finger at one person, two persons, three persons, because we win as a team and lose as a team.
"And we've had a lot of things happen to us this year and last year that wasn't anybody's fault, but it happens, and sometimes you have to make a change and hopefully you have that bad luck go away."
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