Controversy brews in IndyCar

Juan Montoya

A controversy is brewing in IndyCar over the amount of testing days veteran Team Penske driver Juan Montoya has received. Montoya is an Indy 500 winner and CART champion as well as former F1 driver and NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. He is by no means a rookie.

The controversy has now reached a fever pitch after IndyCar sent the following statement to the teams:

INDYCAR has received a few inquiries regarding the test days approved for Penske’s driver Juan Montoya. Five refresher/PR days were approved for Juan who we welcome back. INDYCAR will continue its objective to improve the fan experience and promoting competitive INDYCAR racing.

Team owners feel that if it was for PR purposes why are the team engineers present? Are the days not being used to help Team Penske develop their car further, perhaps even test some new stuff? Why are the tests not run on rain tires if they are for PR purposes?

One team owner told AR1.com, "Montoya is getting more test days than any other rookie. The extra testing is giving Team Penske a leg up on 2014, and we all know they certainly do not need it."

Another team owner told AR1.com, "I can see if a rookie driver needs extra miles to pass the rookie test, but Montoya is no rookie, he is a former champion. We as team owners just need to know what the rules are because they are not being applied equally. And if it was for PR purposes, why wasn't an invite sent out to all media members?" AR1.com did not receive an invite.

Special interests have plagued IndyCar for years. The more things change in IndyCar, the more they stay the same. Mark C. reporting for AR1.com