Now that I’ve finally finished my writeups of the Pepsi Max 400 race weekend at Auto Club Speedway I can finally get to my the interviews I did while I was there.
My interview with Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevy for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, was VERY fun as you’ll see below. That guy had some great answers. But another interesting story I heard about Juan Pablo came from a conversation I had with a German journalist covering the race that weekend. We chatted about Formula 1 racing and how they treat the media (not very well at all) and the difference between interviewing F1 drivers and NASCAR drivers, more specifically how Juan Pablo has changed as an interviewee since leaving F1 and coming to NASCAR. The journalist told me how surprised he was to find a much more chatty Juan Pablo that weekend than he had met back in his F1 days, a time when you’d leave the interview wondering why you bothered in the first place.
I’m so glad I got to meet the more relaxed Juan Pablo! 🙂
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What is your favorite word? (laughter) I don’t think I have a favorite, but the most used one starts with an F.
What is your least favorite word? Uhm, they’re all swear words. No, I’ll tell you the truth. I hate it when people try to act over smart and say complicated words. Life is very simple for me.
What turns you on? My wife.
What turns you off? People in bad tempers.
What sound or noise do you love? Engine noise.
What sound or noise do you hate? A horn. No, more than a horn, alarm clocks. Not because they’re going to wake me up, I don’t mind, but it’s just they’re so freaking annoying. And I try always to use the most annoying one to make sure I get up and turn it off. That really drives me insane.
What is your favorite curse word? The f-bomb. I don’t even see it as a curse word, it’s a part of my vocabulary.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I love windsurfing and golf, I really, really do, and I spend a lot of time in boats. If were to do something else I have no idea what I’d be doing. I’ve been racing since I was 5-years-old.
What profession would you not like to do? I wouldn’t like to sell my body for money.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You’re allowed in. (laughter)
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
