Juan Wins in Wine Country

No race winner at Infineon Raceway has ever started deeper than 13th in the field, but Juan Pablo Montoya changed that today.

After a disappointing qualifying run, Montoya climbed his way from 32nd and got to the front when it mattered. He called his first Nextel Cup win the "biggest thing he's ever done," but he's still not satisfied:

"To get our first win in our first year is huge. We know we're a little behind at some of the ovals, and we still need to work hard, but I think this is a big boost for everybody working in the shop."

At least he's got some bragging rights, now. Montoya joins Mario Andretti and Dan Gurney as the only drivers to win in Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR Nextel Cup.

And he did it without wrecking anyone despite making a driver or two nervous along the way, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. who said as much on his in-car radio when the Comobian was on his tail. I suspect Montoya's Busch road course win was fresh on his mind.

Montoya's win was the first of the season for his owner, Chip Ganassi Racing, and his manufacturer. The Dodge win is also the first COT win by a non-Chevrolet.

The Chevys of Richard Childress Racing all stretched fuel mileage and Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer claim 2nd through fourth respectively.

Toyota/Save Mart 350 Results | Standings

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-25-2007 @ 9:49AM

mel serrano said...

This Nextel Cup win by a Spanish surnamed driver must really tweak the noses of the good 'ol boys who infect "stock" car racing. In the post-victory interview with Mr. Wingo, the redneck congratulated everyone he felt contributed to the win, the crew, mechanics, etcetera, and when he was done, the interviewer noticed he failed to mention the driver. He asked him point-blank "How about the driver?" Wingo replied that he did a good job of saving fuel, and didn't even consider thanking him. It was almost like HE was driving the car, or that someone from out of audience could do just as well. Everybody knows southerners are racist, but other people are too. Non-rednecks don't like stupid inbred crackers, either. Go Montoya, kick ass!

6-25-2007 @ 9:50AM

6-28-2007 @ 10:26AM

sue george said...

Well done Juan, whether it is a racist thing or not Juan is here to stay. Other drivers will now take note - they seem to forget when they were Rookies and just starting out - had they also driven FI and IndyCar before coming to Nascar? - probably not "so if they can't take the heat stay out the kitchen". Experience and strategy were the key but without the teamJuan could not have done it but the other side of the coin is without Juan the team would not have their first Nextel win so to all involved excellent race - oh yes Juan is my favorite driver!

6-25-2007 @ 12:33PM

Joey said...

mel serrano are you out of your mind? Donny Wingo gets his first win at chip gannasi racing, and you actually think he would be racist to the driver that delivered him that? After having to go through two drivers abandoning the team two straight years, he finally gets a superstar driver that wins him a race, and now all of a sudden he isn't thankful to montoya because he has a spanish surname?? wtf are you smoking??? I'm willing to bet he'll kiss Montoya's feet for the rest of his life for winning that race.

6-25-2007 @ 8:05PM

VA Bernie said...

Hey Gail, if you hate the fact that Montoya has finally won a race because he is of latin origion get over it fast because he isn't going to be the last latino to win a NASCAR cup race. There are more coming up the ranks and there is nothing anyone can say to stop it. You think your pissed off now? Wait until Montoya has latino company on the track! Nothing can stop that not even all of the collective crying the entire rebel south is going to stop latinos from racing. So you might as well put a fresh set of tires on your mobile home and tow it off the North American continent! GOOD NIGHT NOW!!!

6-25-2007 @ 9:09PM

RC said...

Why does everyone make things into issues of race? The fact that I don't like Montoya has nothing to do with his ethnicity and everything to do with his personality and driving style (or lack thereof). And no, I'm not from the south, I'm from the North...And I have to say that yesterday's race was the most boring "race" I've ever seen. There was minimal racing, and everytime there was, Juan was outraced. It was only when Jamie McMurray started REALLY trying to conserve feul that Juan passed him. The "race" was pit strategy from the get-go. Any driver could have won it if they had the right fuel strategy. Donnie Wingo thanked the right people yesterday...the people who came up with the winning strategy.

6-25-2007 @ 9:20PM

Oh, and I do believe the Aric Almirola is of Latin descent and I became a fan of his this weekend...and I believe if you go over to the article posted on this website you'll see that a lot of people have no issue with him and think he was screwed this weekend. So maybe it's not an issue of people hating latinos and latino racers so much as people hating Juan Pablo Montoya. And can the announcer just call him Juan? It's sooo annoying to hear his full name every time when there aren't any other Juans in the field.

6-25-2007 @ 10:26PM

Gail said...

MONTOYA'S RACE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER I LIKE HIM OR NOT IT'S HIS COCKY ATTITUDE.......BERNIE.....
ALREADY!!!!!!!

6-26-2007 @ 11:33AM

hemicharger said...

RC, it takes no skill to conserve a full lap's or more worth of fuel and still be able to pass Harvick and McMurray? Not to mention, he moved up from 32nd to 15th within a matter of about 20 laps. Do you really think if David Stremme was in the car, the outcome would be the same? I don't get why the drivers and other people are discounting his win because of fuel strategy and "luck". Did anyone discount Casey Mear's win at Lowe's? No, because he drove a smart race, but didn't have the fastest car, just like Montoya this weekend. So all the haters quit making it a race issue and/or discounting his win because of "luck".

6-26-2007 @ 10:19PM

Hemicharger, does it take skill to conserve feul...not really considering every other driver on the circuit can do it to (and has). He passed McMurray bc McMurray was a lot shorter on feul and therefore trying to conserve more (letting it coast longer, etc.). He went from 32 to 15th because people were pitting for feul, he didn't pass them on the racetrack...he passed them as they went to the pits. Do I think Stremme could have won in the same situation in the same car? Yup. Any driver could have. It wasn't driver skill that won the race, it was pit strategy plain and simple. Casey Mears won on feul strategy also, but in his case he only started to conserve towards the very end. If I remember correctly, it didn't really effect the end of the race. Meaning cars that had been in the top ten all race long ended up in the top ten. This wasn't the case at Sonoma. At Sonoma the fastest car didn't win, nor did the second, third, fourth or fifth fastest win. The races outcome had nothing to do with skill or speed and everything to do with feul mileage. Boring as h8ll.

6-26-2007 @ 7:58PM

Gail and RC! You guys should start a Montoya haters club or something! Get a room and plan it out "ALREADY" RC, you seem smarter than your hater constituent Gail. Please explain why so many people like Tony Stewart? He is just as arrogant egotistical, self centered as you claim Montoya is why is that? I hate no one, I don't like Stewart!

6-27-2007 @ 12:23AM

I never said I liked Tony Stewart...I know a lot of people do like him. I think it's probably because they think he's funny or because he's friends w/one of their favorite drivers. But there are also a lot of people who don't like him. And disregard that last part of my other post where I say that the people who were in the top ten at Lowes were there all night...I completely forgot the results of that race. But I do remember people weren't happy w/the fact that it was fuel mileage as well. I think a lot of people were happy, however, that Kyle Petty was in there and that Casey Mears finally got a win. Again, sometimes it's just about personality. I don't think that Juan Pablo has earned the respect of a lot of fans or drivers. He's made a lot of enemies wrecking people, and their fans don't like it either. There are a lot of drivers that I don't like, some more than others. I am entitled to my opinion, and you to your's. You know what they say, "There's no accounting for taste."