Second Top-10 Finish for Montoya and Texaco/Havoline Team this Season
Results from Texas Motor Speedway
1. Jeff Burton, No.31 Chevrolet
8. Juan Pablo Montoya, No.42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
10. David Stremme, No.40 Coors Light Dodge
40. Reed Sorenson, No.41 TUMS Dodge
Second Top-10 Finish for Montoya and Texaco/Havoline Team this Season
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 15, 2007) --- Juan Pablo Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline Team earned their second top-10 finish of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. Montoya now sits 12th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series standings and has taken the lead in the Rookie of the Year standings. Montoya earned his first top 10 at Atlanta in the same car one month ago.
Montoya started from the 16th position for the 334-lap race after qualifying was cancelled due to tornados in the area. The race stated under blue skies and warm weather, and the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was immediately loose into the corner and tight off the corner. The team made an air pressure adjustment on its first stop to try and help Montoya get back into the gas off the corner.
Montoya broke into the top 10 for the first time on lap 96 as green-flag pit stops were about to begin. The team made another air pressure adjustment on lap 98, but it seemed to loosen the car more going into the corner. When the caution flag eventually waved on lap 115, the team removed a spring rubber from the left rear. When racing resumed on lap 120, Montoya was 15th with just 18 cars remaining on the lead lap.
Once again, Montoya broke into the top 10 on lap 166 after he passed the No. 20 car. Green-flag stops began on lap 168 and Montoya brought his Dodge Charger down pit road on lap 170. Unfortunately, Montoya had trouble braking in the pit stall and stopped the car just shy of pit wall. It took the team extra time to jack up the car and change the tires on the right side. Montoya apologized to the crew, but was now the last car on the lead lap with the leader in his mirror on lap 177. Montoya drove the wheels off the Texaco/Havoline Dodge as he maneuvered his way up to 12th by lap 205 and had put eight cars between himself and the leader, who at one point was on his rear bumper.
Montoya moved to ninth on lap 230 and was racing the No. 20 for several laps trying to get to eighth. He moved in front of the No. 20 car several times, but was unable to complete the pass as the two continue to battle side-by-side. Eventually on lap 238, the two made contact and the No. 20 car spun into the infield grass. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge received minor damage. When racing resumed on lap 243, Montoya was now seventh. He would remain in the top 10 for the remaining laps and took the checkered flag in the eighth position.
Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team are 13th in the standings, 12 points behind teammate David Stremme who sits 12th and 38 points out of 10th. He leads the Rookie of the Year standings by four points over David Ragan.
On Saturday in the NASCAR Busch Series race, Montoya ran as high as first thanks to a pit call by Crew Chief Brad Parrott. But a pit road miscue, a brush with the wall after getting loose and a run in with fellow rookie Marcus Ambrose put the Texaco/Havoline Dodge behind pit wall with 20 laps remaining in the race. Montoya finished the race in the 30th position.
CGRFS Driver Quoteboard
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA "The top 10 finish is great for the team. It’s funny. You know, I was very happy with like a 19th in Martinsville two weeks ago and finished eighth today and I’m a little disappointed. We made a mistake in the pits and we really didn’t lose too much. I know we just couldn’t get going at the beginning and that cost us a lot. Couldn’t keep up with the guys in front and always had four or five back-markers(lapped cars) between the guys and myself. And it was hard, but from there on the car was good. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge car was amazing today. I don’t know what happened with Tony Stewart. He just got really close to me, got me loose and I went into him and he spun. I tried to pass him about three or four times and never gave me any room until I went in a little different. I got really loose, we touched a little bit and the next think I know I see him spinning"
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