Here's video of the contact made in Sunday's race between the
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Pruett.
Judge for yourselves ... Did JPM race him clean or was he too aggressive getting past Pruett?
Update: Were there were plenty of laps left for him to complete the pass? Maybe yes, maybe no. Who's to say he would have caught up with him again?
I just don't think that JPM is fully responsible for this incident. He clearly had enough room to pull ahead of him ... and then Pruett came back down. The real question is ... where the heck was Pruett's spotter?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-06-2007 @ 7:53PM
DEI Fan said...
In my opinion Montoya was too agressive. He had plenty of time to pass cleanly.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:01AM
donna said...
My opinion I am 51 have been watching Nascar since I was 10. If you watch Juan had room to pass his car was faster and Scot cut him off. Also anyone who watches he is a big cry baby in these situations !!Juan was much faster he should respect that let him pass. Scott has been in these situations with many top drivers!!! Congrats to Juan!!!You earned it!!!
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:01AM
Barry said...
Looks to me like the driver in back tried to avoid the impact; you can see the smoke from his wheels as he applied the brake just before making contact.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:00AM
Carol said...
If you watch Montoya had room to pass his car was faster and then Scot cut him off. Anyone who says he was at fault is whiner. This is bound to happen if you try to cut the guy behind you off so he cant pass you. You Reap what you sow..Good going Montoya..
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:00AM
John sharkey said...
Montoya is learning...That looked like a classic D Earnhart pass to me with 4 laps to go...
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:23AM
Bud said...
I Say Montoya shouldn't even be in Nascar
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:00AM
Petra said...
Montoya knew what he was doing. Prutte had it in the bag and Montoya just wanted to win in his home town. Such a waste of a race.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:12AM
Rebecca said...
When I first heard about the incident, I thought that Juan as wrong. But in all honestly, after seeing it for myself, Scott was trying to protect his position. Scott actually came down on Juan, should Juan of lifted, I think if it was not for the fact that Juan is a rookey, and they are team mates, there would not of been such a big issue.
Rubbin' is racing.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 8:35AM
u170who said...
Any good driver knows that Montoya had time to cut, he saw an opening and he took it. Pruett didnt see him and thats too bad. Thats why these cars should have mirrors, duh! Not his fault.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 9:12AM
Steve Mead said...
Pruitt chopped him off. Montoya had the quicker car. He had the line and Pruitt clearly went wide into the corner then dove down late. He had to know that Montoya was attempting a pass. Sure, Montoya was extra aggressive. That happens when you're charging through the field late in the race after problems in the pits. Pruitt should have let him by...tried to chop him off...then cried like a baby after the race.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 9:29AM
Slim said...
It's "just one of them racin' deals". Clearly Juan had the line to pass, Scott tried to block him, and spun. Montoya avoided the wreck, and went on to win. We have seen this a thousand times in Nascar racing, and the "REAL" Nascar drivers accept it as part of the program. There two are really not Nascar drivers until they learn to accept it and stop whining.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 9:39AM
auto craft racing said...
scott was alawys a cry baby ever since his imsa days he will never change
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 10:16AM
Doc said...
A driver has the line when his nose is at least even with the other cars door.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 12:14PM
Robbie said...
Well obviously from the video clip, Montoya had the advantage and Pruett is whining over his own mistake. I think Montoya did the best he could to avoid the accident and the fact remains that he had the faster car and would of pulled ahead regardless. Pruett needs to work on being part of a team since that's what he's complaining about.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 10:22AM
Marcocha said...
Montoya was closed intencionaly for no let pass him if we check the video was close early, that is no correct trayectory for make it curve, he look Montoya but no make any intention to avoid the impact
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 10:39AM
pro said...
Any honest person can see that this was not Montoya's fault. Barry above was right, smoke appears from the back of Montoya's car just as he sees Scott make that last desperate move inside to prevent him from passing. So clearly, Montoya was trying to avoid the impact but at that speed, Scott gambled and lost. And I am not even a Nascar fan and can still easily see what happened. Scott needs to stop whining, and at least be happy his teammate won.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 2:19PM
Nate said...
First let me say that Montoya did not want to win because he was in his home town (he's from Colombia smarty pants not from Mexico)Pruitt cut him off, Montoya young but excellent driver had the line and Pruitt clearly went wide into the corner then dove down late. Yeah Montoya was aggressive for god sake he wants to win, everybody does,if he was passive he'd come in last. And if they were not teammates we wouldn't even be having this discussion. S.O.L it happens and you move on. So stop crying
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 11:39AM
Alexandra said...
My comment is for Petra. First of all Montoya's home town is not mexico dah and second of all a race is just that, a race, where people compete to win and that is basically what he did.
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 11:55AM
bsokolow said...
he totally cut him off, the front of his car was at the door, look at the replay, he totally cut him off and wrecked himself, alls he had to do is go nose to nose with him side by side, balls to the wall. why cut into him. please he won straight up fair and square. And they say women are bad drivers, plzzz
Reply
3-07-2007 @ 11:44AM
Michael said...
Montoya was not playing fair he still thinks like an open wheel driver and should have been charged points at least for agressive driving!! His owners really need to open his eyes to his mind set on racing especially in a team situation!!
Reply