Montoya getting the hang of NASCAR racing

March 18, 2007
By Bruce Martin
PA SportsTicker Contributing Editor

HAMPTON, Georgia (Ticker) - Juan Montoya had to use a GPS system in his rental car to find Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday. He didn't need any help finding his way around the track Sunday.

In just his fifth Nextel Cup race, Montoya finished a career-high fifth in the NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500, sending a message that he will be a factor this season.

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"I think this was an exceptionally good weekend," said Montoya, a former Formula One driver from Colombia who finished eighth in Saturday's NASCAR Busch Nicorette 300.

"The top-10 I had in the Busch race was huge. Man, I was nearly more excited in the Busch race on Saturday than when I won at Mexico City (on March 4). Mexico is one of those places where I expected to be good and competitive. Here, I wasn't expecting to be this far along. It's been great."

In Formula One, Montoya earned the nickname "The Great Juan." To many of his NASCAR competitors, he is worthy of such a nickname.

"When I was running fifth and he blew my doors off running the high side, what I said was, 'He's going to win the race if he doesn't hit the wall,' said third-place finisher Matt Kenseth. "I thought he was going to (win) because he was flying up there. You don't need me to tell you that he's a great driver and if they can give him a car that can contend, he's going to contend."

Race winner Jimmie Johnson said the rookie used some moves that even brave veterans would not try on a high-speed oval, which impressed him.

"He was rim-riding on top of the track, and when an open-wheel guy can do that, it shows what a great driver he is," Johnson said. "I think Montoya did a great job. He should be very proud of the effort he had. Juan on the short run was better than most."

Montoya prefers the high line because it is where he feels most comfortable, which is strange. In his first Cup race at Homestead last November, he stuck to the bottom, afraid to go high.

While Montoya has earned the respect of his fellow drivers, the feeling is mutual from the man who has raced against the greats throughout the world.

"I've been very respectful of them (NASCAR drivers) and I think they're great drivers," he said. "They're making my life tough. It's hard work, but something that is amazing is how clean they race.

"The better they are, the cleaner they are. They give you room if you get a run and you better give them room if they get a run. You learn to play that way and it just makes racing awesome."

It should surprise no one that Montoya has figured out stock car racing so quickly. He won the CART title as a rookie in 1999 and the Indianapolis 500 the following year in his only attempt.

From 2001-2006, he was in Formula One, winning seven races before growing tired of that scene and reuniting with team owner Chip Ganassi.

"I'm a little surprised in a way and I'm not surprised in another way," Ganassi said. "Things are looking better."

For the long term, Montoya has the look of a winner. But over the next few races, that task may become more difficult for the driver who now lives in Miami.

"The next ones are going to be hard," Montoya said. "Bristol is going to be a nightmare, Martinsville will be hard. Darlington - let's not even talk about that one.

"But in the second half of the season when I get to the tracks I've been to and I know what setups to run, we should be in good shape for the win."

Montoya already has been Americanized in terms of motorsports snobbery. He said he watched the start of Sunday's Formula One opener in Australia, then quickly turned off the TV because he was bored.

"By lap 3, Kimi Raikkonen had it by six seconds, so what else are you going to watch?" Montoya cracked.

Spoken like a true NASCAR driver.

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he is doing well, as I knew he would....even better than I thought

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Rome did not create a Great Empire by having meetings--- They did it by killing all people who opposed them!

04-19-2007
23:00:48

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Juan Pablo Montoya said Thursday he and Tony Stewart had talked and were "OK" with each other after a run-in with Stewart last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Stewart was frustrated with Montoya during the Samsung 500, accusing the race Montoya hard later in the event.

Montoya slipped while racing underneath Stewart, bumping into the two-time champion and sending him spinning.
rookie of making a bad move on a restart, which Stewart used as a reason to
"We had Juan Pablo Montoya behind us on a restart, and he tried to go to the outside of me and put me in the middle of three-wide before we even get to the flag stand, and I didn't really appreciate that much," Stewart said in his Sirius Satellite Radio show earlier this week. "So about 15 laps into the run here he comes, and instead of just being courteous to him I thought, 'Well, he was going to put me in a bad spot so I'm going to put him in a bad spot.' So I raced him and raced him and raced him and that's where I made my mistake."

Stewart said he had a "lot of respect" for Montoya and wanted to talk to him in person instead of via cell phone earlier in the week. They did, Montoya said.

"Yeah, we're cool," Montoya said Thursday. "The thing is the press makes a fuss out of everything, and we don't. He's OK with it. I'm OK with it. You guys [in the media] are not, but I don't care."

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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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Its not the first time Montoya has got underneath someone and drove in to hard . Always crashing or using someone as a block for the wall . Anyone watch the busch race 2 weeks ago ... or the mexico city race ? I dont dislike montoya but he needs to learn how to not over drive a car just because he thinks he has something to prove to the other drivers ... or fans ... I know he has the equipment

Go Reed Go

Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge Team Facts

· Standings:

Juan Pablo Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team currently sit 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings following their 26th-place finish at Richmond. Montoya is only one point out of 20th and 132 points out of 12th position – the final transfer position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.

· Chassis:

Crew Chief Donnie Wingo and the Texaco/Havoline team have selected chassis #735 for this weekend’s race at Darlington Raceway. The team previously ran this CoT (Car of Tomorrow) at Martinsville (16th-place finish) and Phoenix (33rd-place finish). Montoya’s 16th-place effort at Martinsville is his best finish of the season in the Dodge Avenger.

· Rookie Race:

Montoya leads David Ragan by three points (109-106) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 12 Dodge Avenger 500 NEXTEL Cup race at Darlington Raceway. He, with the support of the Texaco/Havoline team, has earned Rookie of the Race honors in three races already this season. In the Busch Series, Montoya is currently second in the standings, just one point behind Ragan.

· Too Tough To Tame:

Montoya will be making his first competitive laps around Darlington Raceway. Montoya will be competing in both the NASCAR Busch Series race and the NEXTEL Cup race this weekend.

Updated site:

The fan and media site at www.texacohavoline42.com has been revamped for the 2007 season. Media and fans can get up-to-date information on the team, Montoya as well as special features like an exclusive blog from Montoya’s spotter Tab Boyd.

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Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge Team Facts:

· Standings:
Juan Pablo Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team remain 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings following their 23rd-place finish at Darlington two weeks ago. Montoya is only six points out of 20th and 134 points out of 12th position – the final transfer position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.

· Track Time:

At the start of the season, Crew Chief Donnie Wingo and the crew’s goal was to get Montoya laps on the track. So far this season in the 11 NEXTEL Cup races, Montoya has completed 99.4 percent of the total laps – the best of any rookie. There are only six drivers in the top 20 that have completed more laps than the driver of the Texaco/Havoline Dodge. Out of the 3,653 possible laps this season, Montoya has run 3,631 of them and has no DNF’s.

· Chassis:

Crew Chief Donnie Wingo and the Texaco/Havoline team have selected chassis #707 for this weekend’s 600-mile race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This chassis has not raced yet this season, however, the team utilized this chassis during the two-day NASCAR sanctioned test at Lowe’ Motor Speedway (LMS) earlier this month.

· Rookie Race:

Montoya leads David Ragan by four points (120-116) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 27 600-mile NEXTEL Cup race at LMS. Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team have earned Rookie of the Race honors in four races already this season, including the last points’ race in Darlington. In the Busch Series, Montoya is currently second in the standings, just two points behind Ragan.

· It’s All about our Fans:

CGRFS will wave the yellow flag on Friday, May 25, and take a break from racing 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET to thank its fans for their support. The Second Annual CGRFS Fan Appreciation Day will involve a variety of activities at the team’s Concord, N.C., race shop, including pit stop demonstrations, games and prizes. A complimentary lunch will be provided by TUMS, but don’t forget to bring in your non-perishable food items to help TUMS Relief for Hunger. All donations will support Speedway Children’s Charities Second Harvest food bank. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup CGRFS drivers David Stremme, Reed Sorenson and Montoya, will also be at the shop to meet fans and sign autographs from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. Wristbands will guarantee an autograph and can be picked up in person at the team’s gift shop or by calling 1.866.888.6388 to reserve one. Please note autographs are limited to one item per person per driver. To learn more and keep up to pace on this event and further team updates, go to www.chipganassiracing.com.

· Road Trip:

Texaco/Havoline has just made traveling to the race track easier for race fans. Fans can go to www.texacohavoline42.com, click on the link for the road trip and enter their starting location and race destination. In addition to receiving the best route to the track, fans will also get directions to the nearest Xpress Lube and Texaco service stations along the way to make planning their trip to see Montoya easier.

· Updated site:

The fan and media site at www.texacohavoline42.com has been revamped for the 2007 season. Media and fans can get up-to-date information on the team, Montoya as well as special features like an exclusive blog from Montoya’s spotter Tab Boyd.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

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he's gonna get a woopin tomorrow....lol
be strong Juan

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger)

“I saw a car flying, and as soon as I saw the car flying I checked up. We actually slowed down the car and everything. The 10 car or somebody came right in behind us and just pushed us through the whole mess. It’s a little bit frustrating. Everybody at the Texaco/Havoline Dodge has done a good job all weekend. We had a fast car. It was just a part of racing. I think we had a car to win the race today. We were very conservative to start with. We didn’t know what the condition of the car was going to be like, so we were just being careful and riding. Every time somebody got their nose in I just pointed them through. We went a little too conservative. We were too tight. That lap I made up three spots in one lap and that was pretty good. Welcome to NASCAR I guess.”

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Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge Team Facts:

· Standings:

Juan Pablo Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team slipped one spot to 22nd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings following their 28th-place finish in Charlotte. Montoya is only 23 points out of 20th and 161 points out of 12th – the final transfer position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.

· Walking for a Cause:

Montoya will participate in the 2007 NASCAR Foundation Track Walk at Dover International Speedway on Saturday following the NASCAR Busch Series race. Montoya will be walking on behalf of the Formula Smiles Foundation. He created the Formula Smiles Foundation to improve the quality of life of Colombian children and their environment by implementing programs that instill values through sports and recreation. Fans can register to walk with Montoya on the NASCAR Foundation website or at the track on Friday and Saturday. The Track Walk gives fans the unique opportunity to walk a lap around Dover International Speedway with Montoya. Not only do walkers experience the track from a different perspective and get to enjoy the sights and sounds from the actual racing surface, they are also raising funds for Formula Smiles.

· Chassis:

Crew Chief Donnie Wingo and the Texaco/Havoline team have selected chassis #731 for this weekend’s Autism Speaks 400 CoT (Car of Tomorrow) race in Dover. This chassis has competed at Darlington (23rd-place finish), Richmond (26th-place finish) and Bristol (32nd-place finish).

· Rookie Race:

Montoya was rookie of the race for the fifth time this season in the 600-mile Charlotte event Sunday and leads David Ragan by six points (131-125) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings. Montoya and the team were involved in an early wreck and were posted in the 38th position, but returned to the track to pick up 10 spots and top rookie honors. In the Busch Series, Montoya is currently second in the standings, just five points behind Ragan.

· 20th Anniversary Note:

Davey Allison, piloting his Texaco/Havoline car, is one of only two rookies to win the spring race at Dover International Speedway. Allison took the checkered flag in the 1987 event on his way to becoming the 1987 Cup Raybestos® Rookie of the Year.

· Helping out:

On Thursday, Montoya will play in the sixth Annual Drive for Autism Research Celebrity-Am Golf Outing to be held at the world-class DuPont Country Club located in the Brandywine Valley, Wilmington, Del. The money from the golf outing will go directly to the Autism Society of Delaware whose mission is to improve the lives of people with autism and their families. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Autism associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as one in every 150 births.

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