Tough Night for Texaco/Havoline Team Results in 37-Place Finish
Results from Lowe’s Motor Speedway
1. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet
9. David Stremme, No. 40 Target Dodge
30. Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Fuji Film Dodge
37. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
TOUGH NIGHT FOR TEXACO/HAVOLINE TEAM RESULTS IN 37-PLACE FINISH
CONCORD, N.C. (October 13, 2007) --- Juan Pablo Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team had a tough night under the lights at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Montoya had a fast race car, but incidents on lap 35 and lap 278 put the black and red Dodge Charger behind the wall before the checkered flag fell. Montoya finished the Bank of America 500 in the 37th position.
Montoya started the 337-lap race from the 36th position after an early qualifying draw on Thursday evening. Marred back in traffic, Montoya was patiently racing his way up through the field. Unfortunately on lap 35, as Montoya was passing the No. 4 car it forced him up into the outside retaining wall. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge had a flat right side. Montoya tried to remain on the track, but was forced down pit road under green-flag conditions on lap 63 for tires, fuel and so the team could assess the damage. When Montoya returned to the track he was 41st and three laps down to the leader.
Crew Chief Donnie Wingo called Montoya down pit road under several cautions to repair the damage. The car was extremely loose for Montoya to drive, but he was able to remain on the track at a reasonable speed. As cautions continued to wave, several cars were now behind the wall. Montoya had gained five spots by lap 206 due to attrition.
The Texaco/Havoline team’s evening came to an end on lap 278. The No. 10 car was trying to get around Montoya when the right front tire on the No. 42 Dodge blew out. It sent Montoya into the outside wall and collected the No. 10 car in the process. Montoya went to the infield care center as mandated by NASCAR, but was immediately released.
Montoya slipped to 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings. He also continues to lead the Raybestos Rookie standings over David Ragan who finished 40th. The team travels to Martinsville Speedway next weekend for the final short track race of the 2007 season.
CGRFS Driver Quoteboard
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA: "This was a tough night for the Texaco/Havoline team. Even though we didn’t qualify that well, our car was really fast on Friday in the two practices. It was so good in the last practice we actually ended it early. The incident with the No.4 car really did a lot of damage. I was just trying to stay out of the way of the cars on the lead lap when we lost the tire at the end."
About Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
Following a strong career as a driver, Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with a new sponsor, Target. Today, his teams include two IRL IndyCars, one Indy Pro Series car and along with Felix Sabates he has three cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, two entries in the NASCAR Busch Series and two Daytona Prototypes in the world of Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series racing. Ganassi’s IndyCar teams have amassed five Championships and 52 wins since 1994; his NASCAR teams have 10 wins and a Rookie-of-the-Year title; and the Grand American team has won two of the last three Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Championships and are the two-time defending Champions of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Chip Ganassi Racing operates out of state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, Ind., and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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