Up Close and Personal ; Juan Montoya talks about what it's like to race Indy cars at Indianapolis, and what he thinks it will be like at the U.S. Grand Prix.(Indianapolis Motor Speedway )(Brief Article)

Editor's note: Juan Montoya doesn't yet know the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the Formula One perspective. He was a spectator at last year's inaugural U.S. Grand Prix, watching the action on the 2.6-mile road course from the pits of Frank Williams' BMW-powered team.

But this year, the 2000 Indy 500 winner gets to try the Speedway in its F1 state. And with an engine that makes at least as much power as any powerplant on the circuit, the Colombian can't wait for his chance to ruffle the Ferrari feathers and score a clockwise-direction win at the Brickyard. He shares his thoughts about returning to his adopted home.

I haven't driven the track, so it's hard to say what I think. From what I've seen so far, it looks like a really good track, one that I think will suit [the BMWs of he and Ralf Schumacher] quite well. It would be nice if a win could come there.

I did drive around the circuit when they were building it back in 1999 and in 2000 before the Indy 500, so I know the circuit a little bit from that perspective. It's a pretty good circuit, one where we should be very strong. Power does count, and we've got plenty of that with the BMW. The car's fuel economy is good, too, so I think it's a track that is going to fit us quite well, like Germany did.

As for what the Speedway is like [as a road course], that's difficult. I could say it's a bit maybe like Hockenheim; Hockenheim has long straights and chicanes, as does Indy. We don't have chicanes [at the Speedway], but there are hairpins. The straights are really long and it will be quite crucial to see what happens there in the race. That could be the difference for us, at least we hope that's the case.

I think we'll be quite competitive, but it will take some time to get there and really work with the car. From what I've seen so far, I would say we're looking quite strong, but you can't go by what happened at another race or what your team did at a track last year. Every year the car is different; you've got new things in the car. So you just can't go out and say, ``Yes, I learned the setup [last year with another driver],'' because my driving style is different. But the team has a lot of data from the previous year and we'll see how well they apply.

People have talked about me becoming the first driver to win on both of Indy's circuits, but first I have to win a race. It would be something really special if it happened, of course. I won Indy in my rookie year [at the Speedway, his second season driving for Chip Ganassi], and to get a win in the U.S. ...