NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya became the first Colombian
sportsperson to meet with a US president as he and several colleagues
were honored by Barack Obama on Wednesday.
Montoya had a front row seat at the White House event, as Obama spoke about the importance of NASCAR to the American people.
“NACAR is a uniquely American sport,” the president said. “Since its humble beginnings, when moonshiners raced on the sands of Daytone Beach during prohibition, it’s grown into a sport with tens of millions of fans here in America and around the world.”
Montoya, who was joined by current NASCAR legends such as Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty, refused to talk to the press following the meeting but did spend part of the day recording a campaign that should keep youngsters from dropping out of school.
The 33-year-old from Bogota joined NASCAR in 2006 after six seasons in Formula 1.