The first thing Juan Pablo Montoya did after learning Dane Cameron had been signed as his new Acura Team Penske teammate was ask for his number so he could reach out and make an introduction. Considering the different stages of their careers, it spoke volumes about the Colombian’s mindset and motivation for what lies ahead.

As one of the biggest names in the world of racing, the Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar star could have played it cool and waited for his less heralded partner to make the first call, but the thought never occurred to Penske’s 2015 Indy 500 winner. The five-minute conversation on Monday night was their first discussion, and as they build toward the first test in an Acura ARX-05 later this month, the warm and open dialogue could go a long way toward creating a hellacious driver duo.

“I think it’s very exciting for me because Dane is a young guy, is a guy that has run the series, understands the series. I think he has a lot of knowledge,” the Colombian said.

“I’ve been driving all kinds of cars. As you know, I’ve driven everything. I’ve been successful in everything. I’m excited to bring something to the table, and at the same time as a driver, find something new, learn new things. I think we can work together really well and hopefully bring a ton of victories.”

In Cameron, Montoya has a two-time IMSA champion who is ready to take the biggest step of his life for the sport’s most successful team owner.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for me, one I’m very excited about. I think anyone who decides they want to be a racing driver, at some point I think you’d love an opportunity to drive for Roger Penske,” the Californian said.

“I’m really excited to be in a place in my career and have it line up where this opportunity really came across.”

Cameron was a hot open-wheel prospect in the late 2000s – at precisely the wrong time as IndyCar and Champ Car merged – which forced the son of IMSA race engineer Ricky Cameron to make an early move to sports cars. Full factory or factory-related stints with BMW, Cadillac, and Ferrari helped the 28-year-old to gain experience at a rapid rate, and with his chassis development expertise to offer, it wasn’t a surprise to see Acura and Penske reach out to acquire his services.

“Obviously, kind of dabbled coming in and out of sports cars in the past, it’s exciting for me to be in a good place in my career and make a return back to sports cars with Acura,” he said. “[I’m] looking forward to working with everybody there, working with the brand. It’s cool to see it’s all come together.”

While Montoya’s continuation with Penske was welcome news, it’s clear the nomination by Acura Team Penske to partner with the 41-year-old means the world to Cameron.

“This is kind of a gold star to put on top of it, for sure,” he said. “I look forward to more success with Juan over the next couple years.”