Video: Gilliland's Intentional Wreck of Montoya

Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway had a grand total of two cautions for actual on-track wrecks, and had David Gilliland not intentionally wrecked Juan Pablo Montoya, that number would have been cut in half.

First, the video:

I saw Montoya's crash live Sunday during our live blog here on the 'House, and immediately felt my stomach drop for how blatantly intentional Gilliiland's move was.

Who knew David Gilliland was that type of racer?

I certainly didn't, and couldn't believe that he'd make such an egregious move to take out Montoya in such a bad spot on the race track. To me, it's one thing to spin the a guy out coming off a corner and something entirely different to do what Gilliland did in turning left on the backstretch into Montoya's right rear, sending the No. 42 straight towards the outside wall.

For his part, Montoya did admit the two had tangled somewhat in the laps prior through the corners, but he was surprised his lead-lap run ended with Gilliland's desperate move.

NASCAR took corrective action nearly immediately after the wreck by bringing Gilliland to pit road originally for a five-lap penalty, before parking him for the rest of the event. He finished 42nd.

I am somewhat confused, though, about two things. First, Gilliland, who so obviously wrecked Montoya, tried to pass of his manuever as a complete accident.

My spotter said I was clear and I slid up in front of him and he ran in the back of me and then going down into turn one and two it was the same thing. Then I went up the track to let him go and just kind of misjudged my run coming down back across the track.

I wasn't in the driver's seat, but from my estimation, Gilliland is trying to pass off something that any jury would find him guilty for. If you wrecked him intentionally, fess up to it.

Second, I find it hard to believe NASCAR is considering the situation resolved after simply parking the No. 38 for the rest of the race. I get that he lost a good amount of points on the matter, but come on, a dangerous move like that deserves a slightly more hefty punishment.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-04-2008 @ 2:33AM

annaseitter said...

ABOUT TIME THAT EL SENOR MONTOYA HAS STEPPEDON THE WRONG TOES!!! ABOUT TIME? Long overdue.
Have ya all forgot last year when EL CHICO KEPT ON WRECKING AND CRASHING INTO EVERYBODY? Have you forgotten how he pushed around sissy HARFRICK early in the spring when MONTANA, was the causer of the accident?
WOW, I was waiting for EL MONTANA BOY TO CROSS STEWART PATH THE WRONG WAY but DAVID GIRLEYLAND
will do for now.
Paybacks are a bitch senor MONTANA and you sure got a mean one today. What's going on? iS GIRLYLAND trying to imitate or become another STEWART?
Excellent,we need 10 more stewart against NAZCAR RULES anyway so join in with tony DG. Works for me... Nobody got hirt
anyway, so why not the wreck show?

11-05-2008 @ 1:18AM

Chrisembowelment said...

This isn't a big deal because we're talking about Montoya. If this happened to anyone else I'd feel differently. And Gilliland is one of the most irrelevant drivers in the sport.

11-04-2008 @ 10:36AM

Stewart Fan said...

I don't think any driver deserves to be purposely crashed into the wall at a high rate of speed. Juan could have been killed or maimed for life. David's driving days would have been over as well.

11-04-2008 @ 11:41AM

lester tucker said...

NASCAR RACING IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A ROUGH AND TUMBLE, CHECKER OR WRECKER SPORT. THE DAY IT BECOMES A POLITICALL;Y CORRECT, TOUCHY-FEELY SPORT FOR LIBERAL PUSSIES IS THE DAY I GIVE IT UP. DAVID IS A GREAT DRIVER, AND HE WRECKED THE ABOMINABLE COLUMBIAN FOR GOOD REASON.

11-04-2008 @ 1:18PM

JoJo said...

Sure. When this happened to Earnhardt - Steling Marlin received death threats and that was an accident. Gilliland did the exact same thing here, except it was intentional and thankfully the driver of the 42 car was not hurt. MOntoya could have been hurt really bad or killed!!!!! Gilliland should at least have been penalized with 1 week suspension for his lack of brainpower here. Of coarse unless ya'll are ok with this because it was only Montoya?????????????????? How can Nascar say this is resolved and because Gilliland has a clean records - it's ok???? Look at how Montoya is chastised for being 'colorful' and full of emotions on the track???

11-04-2008 @ 4:16PM

HI CHRISEM BOWELMOVEMENT,
i just wanted to say: it does not matter if girleyland is the most irrilevant driver in nazcar or not.
The point is ; he wrecked a bully, lifetime bully montoya.
He stood up to the bull when others would not.
He might be a bad driver but for sure not a sissy, not scared by the colombian bull head.
Name another driver that would step on the MONTANA FACE besides stewart. NONE. Even HAYWARD cousin carl considered 1 of the nazcar bad boys by some media may not get his own way with the montana boy,exspecially if just lately
he got wipped by who? harvick.

11-09-2008 @ 6:47PM

FrickenFrack said...

I agree 100% with annaseitter.

It was LONG OVERDUE for John Pedro MotorYoYo.

I can't think of anyone Mr. Bugota hasn't wrecked yet.

Harvick should have whipped his azz out in Cali. last year. But he didn't.
Heck it would have been worth the 10G fine for Harvick to have jumped on him like a buzzsaw. But what does HE do? Let MotoYoYo grab him by the face shield and snatch him around like a red headed stepchild. I lost all respect for Harvick after that.

Yep, I have been WAITING and WAITING for Stewart to bop Pedro back to Bogota.

MotoYogata THINKS he OWNS the racetrack.

Kudo's to Gilliland for giving Pedro a lesson in US history.
Keep phucking around with us and we'll kick YOUR azz.

Pedro had been NASCAR's 'golden boy' for TWO seasons now and hasn't shown ANY reason to get all the attention and hype he gets.
Go back to F1, these old 'corn dude' NASCAR boys are WAY to tough for the likes of you, Pedro.
Yea, I KNOW you and ol'Sam 'Cornish' were going to show the NASCAR guys how to race.
Well you can change the title of your book to "How NOT to Race NASCAR".

John Pedro WiggyJiggy-The most NO-Driving rider in NASCAR.

YES! I would have put his no driving butt in the wall myself.

THANK YOU!! David Gilliland !!! Thank YOU!!!!!

12-05-2008 @ 3:31PM

BigCountry said...

I know this is old but can someone tell me who was out first in this race? In other words was Montoya out first b/c of the crash or was Gilliland technically out of the race first by getting parked? Thanks