He began car racing in 1992, and travelled to the United States that September to attend a three-day Skip Barber Racing School at Sonoma Raceway under the tutelage of lead instructor Vic Elford. Montoya then returned to Colombia to drive a Van Diemen car in the 1600cc Copa Formula Renault after series officials rejected him for being inexperienced and for being an aggressive driver until the withdrawal of one driver enabled his entry. He took four wins and five pole positions for second in the eight-race championship. Montoya won the eight-round Nationale Tournement Swift GTI Championship in a Suzuki Swift in 1993, winning seven races and seven poles. He was second in the ten-race Lada Samara Cup with five wins and three pole positions and he won his class in the 1994 Karting SudAm 125 Championship. After his father determined that his son could better himself outside of Colombia because of the country' lack of race tracks and senior championships, Montoya entered the American-based Barber Saab Pro Series in 1994 featuring normally aspirated cars, winning two races, two poles and eleven top-ten finishes for third overall with 114 points. He also raced for the Osaka team in Mexico, finishing third overall in the local sports car prototype division and earning three wins and four pole positions in the Nissan-powered single seater Formula N support category.
He began car racing in 1992, and travelled to the United States that September to attend a three-day Skip Barber Racing School at Sonoma Raceway under the tutelage of lead instructor Vic Elford. Montoya then returned to Colombia to drive a Van Diemen car in the 1600cc Copa For,mula Renault after series officials rejected him for being inexperienced and for being an aggressive driver until the withdrawal of one driver enabled his entry. He took four wins and five pole positions for second in the eight-race championship. Montoya won the eight-round Nationale Tournement Swift GTI Championship in a Suzuki Swift in 1993, winning seven races and seven poles. He was second in the ten-race Lada Samara Cup with five wins and three pole positions .and he won his class in the 1994 Karting SudAm 125 Championship After his father determined that his son could better himself outside of Colombia because of the country' lack of race tracks and senior championships, Montoya entered the American-based Barber Saab Pro Series in 1994 featuring normally aspirated cars winning two races, two poles and eleven top-ten finishes for third overall with 114 points. He also raced for the Osaka team in Mexico, finishing third overall in the local sports car prototype division and earning three wins and four pole positions in the Nissan-powered single seater Formula N support category.