NASCAR driver juan pablo montoya has made a smooth transition from Formula One to the NASCAR circuit. The signing was one year ago, and Montoya has won three races since.

Daytona Beach, Fla. ? Chip Ganassi’s NASCAR organization was at a crossroad this time last year.

He had lost another investment when Casey Mears said he was leaving for Hendrick Motorsports, and Ganassi was faced with finding yet another new driver. Just like Jamie McMurray had done the year before, Mears decided his career would be better served with another team.

As Ganassi waded through the talent pool, he only found recycled drivers and young kids who would take years of development in NASCAR’s premier series.

Ganassi needed to make a splash with his next signing, but his options were all pretty drab.

Then out of the blue, Ganassi got a phone call from Juan Pablo Montoya, who had grown disenchanted with Formula One. The two won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and a CART championship together, and Montoya wanted to team up again.

Ganassi couldn’t sign him fast enough.

“He said, ‘I want to get back to racing,”‘ Ganassi said. “The guy loves racing. And what better place than here? It’s nice to have somebody in your car who wants to be there, wants to be with your team, wants to be a part of it.”

The one-year anniversary of the signing was Monday, and the dividends from it have been tremendous. Granted, Ganassi and partner Felix Sabates were not in danger of losing the team, but after three-plus winless seasons, the organization needed a lift.

Montoya instantly provided one, both on and off the track. He’s picked up three wins – a Busch Series victory in Mexico City, a Nextel Cup win at Sonoma and teamed to win the non-NASCAR Rolex 24 sports car endurance event.

But its the interest he’s created – for himself, for the team and for NASCAR in general – that has had the most impact.

In the year since Montoya signed, the Ganassi organization said:

¢ He’s been written about approximately 40,000 times, made an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and will be prominently featured in an ABC News special that will air later this summer.

¢ Montoya has increased traffic to Ganassi’s web site, which is now visited by people in 150 countries and offers a Spanish version for Montoya’s fans.

¢ Merchandise sales for Montoya’s No. 42 are up 300 percent since last year, and the organization’s overall sales are up 70 percent.

It’s a new adventure for Montoya, and he couldn’t be happier. Although he previously resisted relocating from Miami to Charlotte, he’s now house-hunting for a part-time place in North Carolina so he can make more visits to the race shop.

After the intense pressures of Formula One, where owners show favoritism, teammates can be difficult and rivalries are bitterly intense, Montoya is thriving in his new environment.

He’s struck a solid friendship with Ganassi teammate David Stremme and has settled into the hectic NASCAR lifestyle. Montoya plays golf with NASCAR officials, participates in charity events with rival drivers and socializes with the guys he must compete against every weekend.

But most importantly, he’s resumed a relationship with the car owner who helped him during two pivotal points of his career: Ganassi paved the way for Montoya’s F1 career during their successful CART days, and he offered him a new challenge when Montoya badly needed one.

“Working with Chip has been really cool. I really like Chip,” Montoya said. “He believes in you, and he supports you. He’s just a guy that really believes in me, and he’ll trust you 100 percent. Chip is a guy if something goes wrong, he still always believes I can get the job done.”