Montoya Gets Top 20 Finish In First Visit To Pocono
Results from Pocono
1. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet
20. Juan Pablo Montoya, No.42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
23. David Stremme, No.40 Coors Light Dodge
24. Reed Sorenson, No.41 Target Dodge
MONTOYA GETS TOP 20 FINISH IN FIRST VISIT TO POCONO
LONG POND, Pa. (June 10, 2007) --- After a lengthy rain delay held up the start of the Pocono 500, Juan Pablo Montoya and the No.42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge were able to move up four spots to 34th before the green flag even flew due to a number of cars going to the rear of the field for pre-race modifications. From there Montoya managed to keep his nose clean for the 106 laps that were run before rain washed out the remainder of the 200-lap event for a 20th-place finish in his first visit to Pocono Raceway.
With weather coming into Pocono for the second time Sunday, the real race became a scramble to the halfway point (lap 101) to make the event official. Montoya and crew managed to overcome a left front fender skirting blemish from curb contact on lap 54 to finish 20th. The result earned Montoya the highest rookie finisher of the event.
The No. 42 team moved up one position to 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. The team is just 35 markers out of the top-20, and 254 points away from the 12th position – the final transfer spot for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
Up next for Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team is the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The race will be broadcast Sunday, June 17, on TNT and MRN radio (12:30 p.m. ET).
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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