Motorsports FanHouse

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Homestead

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:46:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

Notes, quotes & commentary from a championship weekend in Homestead.

Well, there you have it.

We, as NASCAR fans in 2009, have seen something that has never been done before in the 61 years of NASCAR competition, and something that could very easily not happen for another 161 years if this sport lasts that long.

Yep, Jimmie Johnson -- the smooth-drivin' Californian -- is the first guy in all of NASCAR's moonshining and intimidating history to take four straight championships at any level. But, strangely, he's not the first to do so in a major stock car racing series.

Frank Kimmel, the longtime ace of the Automobile Racing Club of America, has a streak of championships (albeit in a series that doesn't rival NASCAR Sprint Cup in terms of competitiveness) that Johnson can only look straight up at from this point. From 2000 to 2007, Kimmel's name was the only one to appear on the driver's champion trophy -- a span of 8 years.

Let's hope, for the sake of writing interesting stories at the end of the next four seasons, that Johnson didn't just have his goals realigned thanks to that fact.

It is funny, though, to remember how no one picked him to win the championship this season after three in-a-row from 2006 to 2008. I know I won't make that mistake again.

Here's my pick for 2010: Jimmie Johnson. (and yes, I'm hoping that I'll be wrong.)

Just in case you were needing a reason to flip into that 2010 calendar, expect Feb. 5, 2010 to be the first day of NASCAR Sprint Cup practice for the Budweiser Shootout if the sanctioning body doesn't make drastic changes from last year's Daytona Speedweeks schedule.

You can bet Dale Earnhardt Jr. is more than ready to get back to Daytona -- both to start a new season and to revenge what turned out to be a pretty awful Daytona 500 experience in 2009.

Before we roll into 2010 stuff, though, there's still plenty to talk about from Sunday's race.

One note, I think, that's interesting is how fast Marcos Ambrose's day went down hill after he passed -- and celebrated in humorous form over the radio -- Jimmie Johnson for the lead early in the race. Four laps later, though, Ambrose was on pit road for a flat tire.

A problem with a carbeurator and a few spins on-track later, Ambrose had quickly lost all enthusiasm after coming home with a 35th-place finish. Regardless, it was one heckuva season for the Aussie as he ended up 18th in the season standings and actually made a legitmate case to be a Chase contender over the summer stretch.

I still don't believe this, but Carl Edwards failed to win a race in 2009.

The No. 99 was a bad move at Talladega in 2008 from beating Johnson for the title after a season with 9 wins, and looked like the team that most people thought could overtake Johnson for good in 2009. It wasn't meant to be as the entire Roush-Fenway operation struggled in 2009.

Edwards did finish 7th Sundat at Homestead, his first Top-10 since Fontana in October and just his 14th of the season.

What exactly was Erik Darnell doing on pit road when he decided to stop with cars behind him?

The No. 96 came to an abrupt halt on lap 116 under caution as the back part of the field entered pit road, causing race-ending damage to Richard Petty Motorsports teammates Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson.

Obviously, it was an ill-timed move by Darnell, but just as the season started with Sadler essentially losing the Daytona 500 after the rain came a half lap after Matt Kenseth passed him for the lead, Sadler's season ended on a note of bad luck.

On several levels, I'd say, Sunday's race was quite entertaining overall.

From Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart getting in a shoving match (not their first on-track hurrah, mind you) to the three-wide racing we saw after several restarts, I'd say the Homestead finale showed that the Sprint Cup boys get after it much harder when all that's really on the line for most teams is picking up a win in the season-finale.

Obviously, the championship process is something that keeps a layer of continuity throughout a racing season, but I think a way to get a little more action from most races is something that's been said before: make finishing higher in a race have a higher value than it does now.

After all, the best race of the season, hands down I say, was the Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway. There, it was simple: win the race, or don't win anything.

And boy was that fun.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Homestead originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stewart, Montoya Tangle in Finale

Holly Cain — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:50:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya positioned themselves for a grand finale in NASCAR's Sprint Cup season-ender at Homestead Miami Speedway on Sunday. Montoya was set for a career-best points finish, with Stewart enjoying a great debut effort for his own new team.

Instead of finishing on a high note, the two veterans engaged in a spirited battle of fender-banging that resulted in both losing positions in the final championship standings.

Montoya started it with hitting Stewart's Chevrolet from behind. Stewart retaliated by coming down the race track and spinning Montoya out.

After almost a half-hour in the garage with his team making repairs to his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, Montoya returned to the track and promptly spun Stewart out, resulting in a two-lap penalty for Montoya, and a smashed-up car for Stewart.

Neither would comment after the race. However, Stewart's crew chief, Darian Grubb, approached Montoya's crew chief, Brian Pattie, in the garage after the race and said, "Sorry, dude.''

Pattie said he was dumbfounded how or why the whole dust-up started.

When Montoya made the final retaliation, Stewart came on the radio and said, "He got us,'' and Grubb responded, "Well, we deserved it.''

"We had the car going really good, we were really coming up through the field,'' Pattie said. "The part I'm frustrated with is I don't know how it all happened.

"I'm not mad though because I know where we're going, and we're going in the right direction.''

Grubb was a little more candid in his assessment.

"We weren't thinking about points, we were thinking about winning the race and then both of their common senses went out the window,'' Grubb said.

Stewart ended up 22nd in the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet and dropped one place to sixth in the final standings after leading the championship at the end of the regular season. Montoya, the first non-American driver to qualify for the Chase for the Championship, finished 38th Sunday and lost two places in the standings, dropping to eighth in the final points -- still a career best for the former Indy 500 winner and Formula One star.

Sunday's winner Denny Hamlin, who was penalized in Saturday's Nationwide Series race for intentionally spinning out Brad Keselowski, joked afterward that he must have been an "inspiration" to Stewart and Montoya.

"I thought yesterday was worth it to me and maybe they thought today deserved it too,'' Hamlin said.

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Jimmie Johnson performs a burnout as he heads to victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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Jimmie Johnson stands on his car after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season championship, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Rusty Jarrett, Pool)

Jimmie Johnson is the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 22, 2009, in Homestead, Florida. (Peter Andrew Bosch/Miami Herald/MCT)

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Juan Pablo Montoya (42) was penalized for aggressive driving after hitting Tony Stewart (14) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 auto race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 22, 2009, in Homestead, Florida. (Peter Andrew Bosch/Miami Herald/MCT)

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Mark Martin makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 auto race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 22, 2009, in Homestead, Florida. (Peter Andrew Bosch/Miami Herald/MCT)

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Jimmie Johnson, left, is congratulated by his wife, Chandra, right, after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Jimmie Johnson, front right, and Scott Speed, front left, lead the field as they take the green flag to start the NASCAR Ford 400 Sprint Cup series auto race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

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Jimmie Johnson holds up his trophy after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season championship, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Rusty Jarrett, Pool)

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Jimmie Johnson does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup series season championship, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Jimmie Johnson celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup season title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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Stewart, Montoya Tangle in Finale originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Griese Suspended for Montoya Remark

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Media Watch

ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese has been suspended one week for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz says Griese will not be working a game this week.

Krulewitz says ESPN has spoken to Griese and "he understands the comment was inappropriate."

During ESPN's broadcast of the Minnesota-Ohio State game Saturday, a graphic was shown listing the top five drivers in NASCAR's points race. Fellow analyst Chris Spielman asked where was Montoya, who is Colombian.

Griese replied he was "out having a taco."

He has twice apologized on air for the remark.

Montoya is declining to comment on Griese's suspension. He brushed off the remark Sunday, and said he'd never heard of Griese.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Griese Suspended for Montoya Remark originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Griese Apologizes for Comment About NASCAR's Juan Pablo Montoya

Tom Herrera — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:45:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya

ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese apologized for his comment about NASCAR star Juan Pablo Montoya at the end of Saturday's Ohio State-Minnesota game.

Earlier in the game, as a promotional preview of ABC's coverage of the NASCAR Chase for championship aired, a graphic listed the top five drivers in the Chase standings. When analyst Chris Spielman asked where the Colombian driver was, Griese quipped: "He's out having a taco."

As the broadcast came to a close, Griese apologized for the remark, saying "You know, he's one of the best drivers in NASCAR."

More Coverage: Griese Suspended for Montoya Remark

In a statement released later by ESPN, the network called the remark "inappropriate." "ESPN has spoken to Bob and he understands that his comment was uncalled for," the statement said.

During ESPN's Saturday night telecast of Florida and Mississippi State, Griese apologized further:

"Earlier today on our game I made an offensive comment regarding Juan Pablo Montoya as part of a NASCAR promo," he said by phone. "It was regrettable and I should not have said it. I really enjoy NASCAR and I follow it closely and would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Juan, NASCAR and everyone else who heard my comment."

Bob Griese, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins quarterback, shouldn't catch too much flak for the insensitive comment -- especially considering Griese has never slipped up like this before.

As Kyle Koster over at the Chicago Sun-Times blog noted, this also isn't the first time a television analyst made a south-of-the-border joke. When a portion of ESPN Deportes' play-by-play aired during a Monday Night Football game last season, Tony Kornheiser remarked: "I took high school Spanish and that either means 'nobody is going to touch him' or 'could you pick up my dry cleaning in the morning." He later offered a "100 percent apology" during the broadcast.

However, Griese's comment is a reminder of the scrutiny Montoya has endured since his NASCAR crossover in 2006. Not just because of his heritage, but due to the fact he represents diversity -- and ongoing change -- in the sport.

Montoya currently sits in sixth place in the standings, 195 points behind dominant leader Jimmie Johnson. There's no doubt Montoya is on the rise, with six Top-5 finishes this season, four of which have come over his last five races.

Bob Griese Apologizes for Comment About NASCAR's Juan Pablo Montoya originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chasing Jimmie: Contenders Fading Fast

Holly Cain — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Lowes Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup

CONCORD, N.C. -- For the past two days, one driver after another took the podium in the press room at Lowe's Motor Speedway and made his case that NASCAR's Chase for the Championship was far from over. Sure, Jimmie Johnson had taken the points lead last week and looked every bit the postseason form that won him the previous three Sprint Cup championships.

But the Chase wasn't even halfway over yet, we were reminded. And no way could anyone maintain a finishing average less than five in the most pressure-packed time of the year.

Turns out, it's all wishful thinking.

More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

With his victory late Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Johnson became the first to win three of the opening five races of the 10-race Chase playoff. His average finish is an unworldly third place and he's turned a 12-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin into 90-point runaway as the series heads to Martinsville, Va. next week.

We might as well rename this Chasing Jimmie Johnson for the Championship.

Johnson's incredible run to a historic fourth consecutive Cup title is hardly Saturday's most shocking outcome. He's done this before.

The biggest shakeup in the championship came from the biggest surprise in the championship, Juan Pablo Montoya, whose title run was derailed with a 35th-place finish courtesy of a chain-reaction fender bender on an early race restart.

Montoya entered the race in third place -- the only Chase driver with top-five finishes in the first four races -- and was running strong early in the night. On a restart about a fifth of the way into the race, Clint Bowyer's Chevy checked up, Montoya got into the back of it and of all things, the driver directly in front of him in the standings, Martin, hit Montoya's car in the rear.

The contact relegated Martin to a 17th-place finish -- his worse of the Chase. But Montoya's No. 42 Chevy got the worst end of it and he went two laps down at one point. Worse still, he dropped from third to sixth in the standings, 195 points out.

"There was not much we could do, we worked as hard as we could, we did all we thought was possible and here we go, the best we could do is 35th,'' said Montoya, who was philosophical and subdued after climbing out of car.

"We made the Chase, up to today we had four Top 5s in a row, what's bad about it. We actually surprised everyone, including everyone on our team we were doing such a great job.

"Even today we had a faster car than the 48. This happens. It's one of those racing things that happen and you've gotta just move on. If you're expecting to have 10 clean races, then you're dreaming.''

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In this photo provided by HHP Images Jimmie Johnson takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Series auto race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/HHP Photo, Gregg Ellman) ** NO SALES **

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Transformers 2 Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Joey Logano

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Transformers 2 Chevrolet, leads Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 Transformers 2 Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Ryan Newman

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his wife Chandra after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

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CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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If so, Johnson hasn't woken up yet.

He topped every practice speed chart, won the pole position for Saturday's race and took the trophy. His crew chief Chad Knaus considered it a perfect weekend -- the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet was best of every session on track.

When race runner-up Matt Kenseth was asked about competing against that kind of dominant car this weekend, he joked, "I think you have to lead every lap to have a perfect weekend, so he's still got some work to do.

"Seriously though, ever since those two guys [Knaus and Johnson] got together they've been the team to beat.''

And the challenge they have now -- a good challenge to have -- is convincing others that this championship isn't over yet. They are emphatic, genuine and serious when they talk about the work still ahead.

"There's no need for anyone to get too excited yet,'' Johnson said. "We're optimistic and have a lot of good tracks coming up, but also some danger too.

"One flat tire, one mechanical. ... one Talladega. ... 90 points is gone. I'm not trying to downplay where we're at, but there's a lot of racing yet.

"You never know what's going to happen. I feel very good racing for the championship if we don't have any problems. But we don't want to get too emotionally wrapped up in this thing and let our guard down.''

Or as team owner Rick Hendrick put simply, "I don't think you can have enough points, it's just too early.''

The good news for Johnson and the bad news for the rest of the field is that the series moves to the .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next weekend. It's the lone short track in the 10-race Chase and for everyone else it's considered a wild card. For Johnson, who has won five of the last six races there, it's almost a gimme.

And so NASCAR's most underrated champion ever now must face a new criticism. There are ridiculous rumblings that his success somehow hurts the NASCAR product. That watching a master on top of his game is a bad thing.

Johnson can't win for winning.

"I'm just out there doing my thing,'' Johnson said.

"I don't think we've been stinking up the show. Everyone tunes in to watch Tiger [Woods] win, they watch [Roger] Federer do his thing on the tennis courts. I think a lot of people are watching and rooting us to win a fourth. The rest of them. ... I don't know.''

There's still plenty of time to win them over. And plenty of reason.

Chasing Jimmie: Contenders Fading Fast originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let's Face It: Johnson Is Unstoppable

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

Jeff Gordon gave Jimmie Johnson a handshake in victory lane to congratulate his teammate on yet another win, but really, it just symbolized what most NASCAR fans have to be fearing -- it's time to throw in the towel yet again at the feet of King Jimmie.

Johnson led 126 of 250 laps in Sunday's Pepsi 500 in Fontana, Calif., and overcame a dramatic final 20 laps that saw him bounced from the lead by Gordon. No matter. Johnson shot back by just a few laps later and then ran away from the field for the win.

It wasn't a surprise, really, that Johnson won. But it's a surprise to realize that pending crazy circumstances, there's not a team in NASCAR that can top the No. 48.

More Coverage: Pepsi 500 Results | Sprint Cup Series Standings

Need proof? Just go through the list of guys who were chasing Johnson, and trying to stop his pursuit of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, during Sunday's race outside of Los Angeles.

Gordon, the second-place finisher, was quite straight to the point after the race.

"We finished second," Gordon said,"but I feel like we were in a second-class category. We're good, but we're not good enough."

His final question in his post-race conference, though, really left an idea of what Gordon will be gnawing on during his long flight back home on the East Coast. What exactly, a reporter asked, is the difference between the No. 24 and No. 48, knowing the fact that they are based out of the same garage?

Gordon shook his head, grimaced and paused.

"Ask the tech center," said Gordon in a low voice. "I don't know. I really have no idea."

Talk about sounding defeated.

Gordon, though, did gain two spots in the Chase standings and now sits 105 points behind Johnson in first.

Juan Pablo Montoya shared Gordon's frustration.

"It's incredible," said Montoya. "I have four top-5's in a row, and I'm losing ground to the leader."

Incredible, indeed.

Montoya's worst finish in the Chase is fourth -- something he's done three times including Sunday's race. Yet, he's 58 points behind Johnson in third.

It's almost unfair.

"It'd be nice if we could get a freakin' win soon," said Montoya.

It seems that Jimmie Johnson has other plans. He is, after all, batting .500 in the win column in this season's Chase.

Mark Martin finished fourth Sunday and fell from the Chase lead for the first time. He's now a mere 12 points behind Johnson -- though you get that feeling that its more like 1,200.

Tony Stewart finished fifth after a day that saw him a lap down and as low as 30th at one point. The finish certainly staved off his elimination, but he's fourth in points and 84 markers back of the No. 48. Not that the team owner is giving up.

"This team never quits," said Stewart after his comeback day. "Never has, never will."

Certainly, Stewart's attitude is nothing short of noble. There's still opportunities for Johnson to have troubles -- for reference, see Denny Hamlin's mistake Sunday at ACS that left him with a 37th-place finish -- in the final six races. But after watching this story unfold for three straight years, can we really expect anything different to happen?

I certainly don't think so, but more importantly, it seems like some of the drivers don't think so.

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Jimmie Johnson's crew celebrates after Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Jimmie Johnson, center, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Jimmie Johnson's crew celebrates after Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Jimmie Johnson kisses his wife, Chandra, as they celebrate his victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet, crosses the finsih line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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Let's Face It: Johnson Is Unstoppable originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Doubles as NASCAR's Outsider And Contender

Holly Cain — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Lost in all the geriatric hope of 50-year old Mark Martin's incredible run at his first NASCAR championship and the possibility of Jimmie Johnson producing a historic fourth Sprint Cup Series title is the biggest stunner of the postseason. Or maybe not.

Juan Pablo Montoya is 65 points away from leading the championship standings.

The Colombian-born open wheel star wasn't a shoo-in pick to make the Chase for the Championship. The newly merged Earnhardt Ganassi team hadn't exactly established itself a Hendrick-slayer in the regular season and Montoya only clinched a spot in the 12-driver playoff field during the last possible race to do so.

Two races into the Chase, however, Montoya is ranked third and leading the likes of regular season champ Tony Stewart and one of NASCAR's all-time greatest Jeff Gordon.

But should we really be surprised? No.

Look beyond Montoya's can't-argue Chase performances in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet -- a pole and third place finish at New Hampshire two weeks ago and a fourth-place run Sunday at Dover, Del. -- and Montoya's racing resume gives you every indication that his becoming a realistic contender was only a matter of time.

For all of Montoya's career, he has won. He's won early, often, against the odds and in every type of car he's ever steered. And the difference between him and much of the Chase field is that he doesn't just win races. He knows how to win season championships -- as does his team owner, Chip Ganassi, whose teams are also leading the championship standings in the IndyCar Series and Grand-Am Sports Car Series.

Maybe those fans still leery of accepting Montoya as a stock car driver aren't giving him enough credit. Those that race against him, do give him credit, however, as they know he is a rare and exceptional talent.

NASCAR is the first series where his success has been more gradual, and even saying that is debatable.

The first time Montoya ever competed in a stock car, his ARCA debut in October, 2006 -- only two months removed from Formula One -- he won the pole position at Talladega, Ala., led nine laps and finished third.

Montoya won the Cup Series' Rookie of the Year title in 2007, won a race in only his seventh Nationwide Series start (at Mexico City), won a Cup race in his first season (at Sears Point, Calif.) and last year led the series in one of the most impressive statistical categories: green flag passes (3,090).

More Montoya points to consider:

-- He was the youngest (24) and one of only two drivers in history to win the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) championship as a rookie. And he did it in 1999 when it was still the most competitive American open-wheel series.

-- He is the only driver to have competed in the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 and United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- and he has finishes of fourth or better in each, including the 2000 Indy 500 win and a runner-up in NASCAR's 400-miler. He led the most laps this year, but a pit road speeding penalty took him out of contention.

-- He led 167 of 200 laps to win the 2000 Indianapolis 500, the first Indy rookie to win since Graham Hill in 1966.

-- He and Hill are the only drivers in history to win both the Indy 500 and Formula One's prestigious Grand Prix of Monaco.

-- His success in Formula One came during an era when Michael Schumacher and Ferrari completely dominated the circuit.

-- He is the only driver to win the CART title, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona in his first try.

Factor in all these varied successes, and add in Montoya's apparent coming of age in a stock car, and you have Mario Andretti with a Spanish accent.

And an attitude.

Montoya's aggressiveness is as renowned as his skill and last week his temper was broadcast for everyone to see when he walked out on a scheduled television interview that ran late.

He's rankled his competitors from CART to Formula one and now NASCAR.

But he has their respect.

The question is, when will fans come on board?

People simultaneously think a Montoya championship would be the best thing to happen in NASCAR's evolution. And the worst thing.

But the truth is, it is neither.

Diversity may be a by-product of all of this, but the only thing that should matter is a competitive, compelling championship scenario.

And Montoya's holding up his end.

Montoya Doubles as NASCAR's Outsider And Contender originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Juan Pablo Montoya Skips Interview, Draws Ire of Sacramento Sportscaster

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:47:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup

If you believe a certain Sacramento sportscaster, Juan Pablo Montoya might be hearing some harsh words in a few weeks from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when the Sprint Cup Series visits California.

KTXL-TV's Jim Crandell -- the "Scoopmeister," if you ask the Sacramento Bee -- was scheduled to interview Montoya prior to last weekend's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway via satellite. Montoya, however, ducked out on the interview just prior to recording the segment with Crandell.

Crandell, obviously peeved at Montoya, later took the footage of Montoya walking out to craft a segment slamming NASCAR for declining popularity and drivers that Crandell thinks are a little too full of themselves. Catch the video below.

In the video at 0:27, Crandell shows what happened during his satellite linkup with Montoya. The Colombian driver wraps up an interview with a local Los Angeles station, says "thank you," looks at his watch and announces that its "5:01." Montoya then smiles, looks off-camera and starts to remove his microphone and ear piece while someone in the background pleads for Montoya to stay on for the final interview.

Montoya had likely already completed about 10 interviews with other television stations via the linkup.

"You know what, I'm not going to make a federal case out of this thing, but the fact is NASCAR's popularity is dropping," Crandell said while standing next to a monitor depicting NASCAR's logo above the word 'popularity' on top of a red arrow pointing down, "Their money coming in is dropping and I think this might be one of the reasons.

"Honestly, it makes no difference if he talks to me or not. But [Montoya] is really dissing every fan in northern California who wants to hear what he has to say."

He later described how several drivers are now nearly impossible to get access to and tried to make a connection between Sacramento being the capitol city of California and that somehow having an effect on how Gov. Schwarzenegger would greet Montoya.

A stretch, to say the least.

On one hand, you can certainly understand Crandell's frustration in watching a guy blatantly skip out on an interview. Instead of having material for a segment later that evening, Crandell was left with nothing.

And on the side of Montoya, it certainly makes the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing driver look snobbish by skipping out on a 5- to 10-minute interview. It seems easy as pie -- and generally is -- to answer a few questions from a local television station.

The exact story about Montoya's departure, though, may include details that make the ditch a little more understandable. Maybe Montoya had another commitment to get to and he had to leave the interview studio by 5:00 pm? Or maybe Montoya was just trying to make a point to NASCAR's public relations folks about running over an allotted interview time?

Regardless, neither character -- Montoya or Crandell -- seemed to come out a winner here. Montoya shows a side of arrogance while Crandell launches into what feels like an extremely emotional, personal and biased attack on NASCAR based on a solitary incident.

Perhaps Crandell was trying to make a point to NASCAR drivers that he's fed up with their actions and elusiveness with interviews, but he truly just comes off as being cranky over a missed interview.

Juan Pablo Montoya Skips Interview, Draws Ire of Sacramento Sportscaster originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sylvania 300

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Chase for the Sprint Cup

We promise to throw a caution with ample time to slow down in the event of a spinning car on this Chase edition of Notes & Quotes.

Pressure? What pressure? Juan Pablo Montoya's run into the Chase for the Sprint Cup is quite the enviable position for most other drivers simply because of the expectations that the former Formula 1 driver has on his back.

Or, make that the lack of expectations.

"I mean, what's the pressure? We made the Chase," said Montoya after his third-place finish. "From now on, anything about that, it's a balance. Come here, first Chase race, put on the pole, finish second. Can I ask for anything else? Not really. A win would be nice, but that will come."

Sure, a win would be nice for Montoya, but you can bet that's a little less important for the Columbian driver than, say, a championship. A title isn't completely a completely off-the-wall possibility for the No. 42 car, based on his slim 55 point deficit to leader Mark Martin and the consistency the team put together in regular season's closing races.

There was plenty of three-wide and otherwise risky maneuvers during Sunday's race -- and not just between drivers with nothing on the line except winning. The Chase drivers were fully involved with the good show we had for several laps.

Denny Hamlin surmised that it had a lot to do with track position and little to do recklessness.

"I think everyone is just -- I think everyone panics," Hamlin said after coming out unscathed in second-place. "When you see at the beginning of the race the top 10 and they're all Chase guys, you're like, man, I've got to fight for every position I can, and track position means so much that I think every hole that you see on the racetrack you immediately go for because it doesn't matter if your car is two tenths faster than the car in front of you. If he runs your line, you're not going to get around him.

"So I think everyone is just jumping to every opportunity that they can, and that's why you see the three wide is everyone is just trying to make up all the spots they can, and a lot of it has to do with the excitement of the start of the Chase."

Restarts played a big role in how two Chase drivers didn't perform as expected on Sunday, and left them both disappointed with their first of ten rounds of NASCAR's championship system.

Jeff Gordon, who looked strong early, ran 15th while Carl Edwards trailed him as the second-worst finishing Chase driver in 17th.

"If you're on the front row, you can get away with it a little bit but being fifth or sixth we just really struggled with the grip on the restarts," said Gordon. "We'd lose three or four spots every restart and then we'd start not being able to gain it back. It just wasn't a good day for us. It's one we've just got to put behind us and go on."

Edwards echoed Gordon's sentiments that the restarts -- especially on the low air pressures of new tires after a pit stops -- really hurt his march to the front.

"Our car just struggled all day and I couldn't go fast," said Edwards. "Once I got strung out I could hold my own and I could run well, but on those restarts I just got killed on the short run."

Thanks to their finishes, each driver has a pretty big hole to dig out of if a run at the championship is a possibility. Edwards sits 11th in points 113 back of leader Martin while Gordon is 10th, 102 back.

Brian Vickers managed an 11th-place finish, but felt like he could have gotten even more had the team not struggled through multiple problems throughout the weekend.

"We're not making it any easier on ourselves as a team," Vickers said. We started the weekend off and had a lot of engine problems in the first practice that put us about an hour and a half behind the competition. Then in the race, we had a lot of problems in the pits and some other problems that I think cost us an opportunity at a top-five."

Otherwise, Vickers called his 11th-place run a "solid finish" to his first ever race as a Chase competitor that leaves him 90 points from the top spot in the point standings.

Give some props to Elliott Sadler for his strong run Sunday at New Hampshire.

The Virginia-native is driving for the same team as Kasey Kahne and has certainly felt the setbacks and growing pains of the various mergers of Richard Petty Motorsports. His 8th-place finish was the best for No. 19 since his 5th-place run at Daytona in February and marked just his fourth Top-10 of 2009.

Remember, just a few years ago Sadler was a contender in the Chase with Yates Racing. His infectious down-home personality would only do good things for the sport if he could get back to being competitive again.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sylvania 300 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Makes Risky Late Caution Call

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:36:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin

A.J. Allmendinger's car sat quiet across the frontstretch of New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the white flag waving as he flipped the car's starter, trying to crank the engine.

Meanwhile, leaders Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya scrambled for position on the final lap through turns 3 and 4 as the flagman prepared to wave the checkered flag. In a flash, it looked like the finish of the first race of the Chase was going to end in a crushing fashion as Allmendinger sat helplessly in peril.

At the last possible second, NASCAR threw the caution to avoid the collision but also provoked a new topic of discussion for the coming week: when exactly is the best -- and safest -- time to put out the yellow flag on a race's final lap?
Drivers were certainly a confused over the matter, but NASCAR stood firm behind their call. According to the NASCAR Scene, the policy observed by the sanctioning body has the objective of allowing the finish to transpire normally as long as they can safely avoid or will not catch the potentially caution-causing danger.

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton indicated that NASCAR did everything it could to finish Sunday's Sprint Cup race under green-flag conditions.

"We were waiting to see if the 44 car [of Allmendinger] could get going and get out of the way, and we realized there was a potential blocking of part of the race track," Pemberton said. "You know when the cars are going to get there, and you wait as long as you can to try to not affect the outcome of a race. We felt like we had adequate time when we threw the caution."

Pemberton said NASCAR often waits as long as possible throughout a race.

"We don't like the race to end under caution," Pemberton said. "We felt like we gave enough time for safety's sake, and it is what it is. I believe we wait as long as we can. There are times during the middle of the race when a car will turn around and we bide some time to see if it gets going. It happens quite a bit. It just gets more noticed when it's the last lap of the race."

Jeff Gordon probably summed it up best when he described the communication between himself and his spotter -- generally the person who relays information over the radio when a caution waves. Confusion was the name of the game.

"All I know is my spotter was saying there was a car down low on the front straightaway stopped, and I never heard them say, 'Caution,'" said Gordon after his 15th-place finish. "So everybody was still going, and I saw the caution out of the corner of my eye. I said, 'I never heard the caution' and he said, 'That's because it didn't come out until just now' and I was surprised by that."

Interestingly enough, a very similar situation at New Hampshire in 2003 was the last domino to fall in NASCAR's former policy to allow all-out racing back to the start/finish line when the caution waves. In that instance, Dale Jarrett spun in a very similar fashion on the frontstretch and barely avoided a broadside impact as the field raced for position back to the line.

Just weeks later, NASCAR adopted the current policy that freezes scoring at the point of caution and penalizes drivers who didn't slow to a cautious pace.

The idea of letting drivers race back to the checkered flag is certainly one that needs to take precedence in this discussion. And with that in mind, making the decision from the control tower on when to throw a caution flagis a tough one to make.

Most folks would have guessed Allmendinger would have gotten his car at least cranked and rolling down the frontstretch by the time the leaders were crossing the finish line. But sometimes, a hot race car doesn't start immediately after going for a spin -- something that isn't the fault of a driver.

Knowing that, and seeing that the field was bearing down on turn 3 while Allmendinger, NASCAR probably should have thrown the caution a few seconds earlier. Armchair race director decisions are much easier, though, after seeing how the original played out.

Racing to checkered flag makes the headlines, but Sunday's finish was probably a bit too close for comfort for everyone -- especially Allmendinger.

NASCAR Makes Risky Late Caution Call originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Martin Holds Off Montoya, Takes First Step Toward Title in Chase Opener

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- When a young driver isn't sure how to approach an on-track situation, they often ask themselves "What would Mark Martin do?''

With a championship on the line, Martin fooled the competition and won.

The 50-year-old driver held off Juan Pablo Montoya on a three-lap sprint to the finish Sunday to win the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After, Montoya accused Martin of holding him up at the start of the second lap.

"What he did, not cool at all,'' Montoya radioed his crew. "I could have wrecked him.''

Sylvania 300 Results | Standings | Engine Problem Sidelines Kahne

But Martin insisted the move, which clearly surprised Montoya, was within bounds.

"I fought for that race,'' Martin said. "But I wouldn't do anything. I still won't.''

Whether Martin did anything wrong at all will be debated by many, but it won't change the record books: Martin won his Sprint Cup Series-best fifth race of the season and extended his lead in the standings to 35 points over runner-up Denny Hamlin and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson.

"Pinch me. I am sure I'm sleeping. I am sure I am dreaming,'' Martin said.

Martin crew chief Alan Gustafson used mid-race pit strategy to get the No. 5 into contention. He didn't bring Martin in for a pit stop under yellow that was outside their fuel window, knowing they'd get a chance to stop later in the race.

It put Martin out front at the end, in position to spoil what was shaping up to be a blockbuster day for Montoya.

"Pinch me. I am sure I'm sleeping. I am sure I am dreaming."
-- Mark Martin Making his 100th career start on his 34th birthday, Montoya won the pole in record-breaking speed and led every practice session while setting the stage for just his second career Sprint Cup Series victory.

Instead, he found himself slicing through the field at the end of the race. He went from fifth to second on a restart with 13 laps to go, and was on the inside of Martin on the restart with three laps to go.

They battled door-to-door for the first lap, and Martin finally slid in front of Montoya as they crossed the start-finish line. They ran bumper-to-bumper through the first turn, and Martin appeared to slow just a bit as they headed for Turn 2.

It caused Montoya to roll out of the gas - and lose considerable momentum - as Martin pulled away to a sizable lead.

"I didn't expect that,'' Montoya said. "I was expecting him to run pretty hard. He just ran very defensively, and I just got caught by surprise. I think if I would have would have been prepared I probably would have jumped to the outside.

"You've got to learn from it. I haven't fought for enough wins.''

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Latest NASCAR Photos

NASCAR driver Mark Martin relaxes before the Sylvania 300 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

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Latest NASCAR Images

NASCAR driver Mark Martin relaxes before the Sylvania 300 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

Mark Martin (5) crosses the finish line ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya (42), of Colombia, to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Sylvania 300 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Sandy Macys)

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, comes in for a pit stop during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Mark Martin (C), driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, and Juan Pablo Montoya (R), driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, lead the field late in the race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, leads the field late in the race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

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Mark Martin takes a victory lab after winning the NASCAR Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 US Army Chevrolet, comes in for a pit stop during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Newman

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, crosses the finish line in front of Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, on his way to victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin;Denny Hamlin

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 20: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, comes in for a pit stop during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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Although Montoya said Martin "stopped,'' in front of him, Martin didn't think he had done anything wrong.

"My first instinct to answer that question would be, 'Yeah, I stopped - compared to how fast his car was going,' '' Martin said. "I don't think I stopped, stopped. Maybe it looked to him like I stopped based on how fast he had been.

The race ended under caution when AJ Allmendinger spun on the frontstretch as the leaders began their final lap. NASCAR waited for Allmendinger to get his car off the track and was slow to throw the yellow flag because officials were hoping to let the finish play out.

Instead, Martin, Montoya and Hamlin closed quickly on Allmendinger's disabled vehicle, making for a chaotic final moment that could have led to wrecked race cars.

Hamlin slipped past Montoya for second-place as the three cars split Allmendinger on the way to the finish line.

"I think they should have waited until they did to throw the yellow because it could have cleared itself, and then they wouldn't have spoiled the finish,'' Martin said, defending NASAR's delay in calling caution. "They do the best they can, and they're really strong and pro fan.''

Johnson finished fourth and was followed by Kyle Busch, who missed making the Chase by just eight points. Afterward, NASCAR said the left front of his car was too low in post-race inspection, and he could be penalized this week.

Kurt Busch was sixth and followed by Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, defending race winner Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

It was a decent day for almost all the Chase drivers, who need a strong race in the 10-race title hunt to set the pace for the championship battle. Since its 2004 inception, only one driver, Johnson in 2006, finished lower than sixth at New Hampshire and still won the title.

That's bad news for Kasey Kahne, who lost his motor early and finished 39th. He was posting to his Twitter account about his crummy day from his airplane as he prepared to head home before the halfway point of the race.

After just one race, Kahne is last in the 12-driver field and 161 points behind Martin, the leader.

Considered the best driver in NASCAR without a championship, the 50-year-old is poised to finally grab one.

Martin, who announced a contract extension Friday that keeps him with Hendrick Motorsports through 2011, started the Chase as the points leader because of his four "regular season'' victories. Now he's got another win and a 35-point cushion over the competition.

Although he's consistently said that Montoya, the former Formula One driver, is the dark horse of this championship hunt, Montoya believes Martin is the man to beat.

"I think he's the most dangerous guy,'' Montoya said. "He's the guy with the most experience. He hasn't won a championship, and he wants one, pretty bad.''

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Martin Holds Off Montoya, Takes First Step Toward Title in Chase Opener originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Opens Chase by Winning Pole

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Juan Pablo Montoya will have a hard time playing the role of darkhorse if he keeps driving like this.

The former Formula One star will make his debut in NASCAR's Chase for the championship from the pole after setting a track record at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday.

Montoya turned a lap at 133.431 mph on the 1.058-mile oval, breaking the mark of 133.357 set by Ryan Newman in 2003. It's a good way to start the 10-race Chase, but Montoya cautioned it's just a start.

"If it was a 10-lap shootout, I'd say 'Hey, we're pretty good,'" Montoya said.

The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver will have plenty of company from his fellow Chase drivers on Sunday. Tony Stewart, who won the regular season title, will start second. Kurt Busch, who started his run to the 2004 title with a win at New Hampshire in the inaugural Chase race, is third. Denny Hamlin qualified fourth, with Carl Edwards fifth.

Busch is only too happy to be surrounded by fellow Chase competitors when the green flag drops for Sunday's 300-lap race. His bid for a repeat title in 2005 ended three laps into the fall event here when a non-Chase driver knocked him out.

"Your Chase can get ruined pretty early," Busch said.

The Chase is already off to a sluggish start for Brian Vickers, who edged Kyle Busch for the final spot last week at Richmond. Vickers qualified 26th, last among the 12 Chase drivers.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon will start 10th, with Kasey Kahne 11th. Three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson qualified 16th, just behind Mark Martin (14th) and slightly ahead of Newman (18th). Greg Biffle qualified 22nd.

Despite grabbing the second pole of his Cup career, Montoya hardly considers himself the favorite. He pointed to Martin as the driver with the circuit's fastest car, but added there's a certain freedom that comes with the start of the Chase.

After sweating out the last few races in hopes of making the 12-driver cutoff, Montoya can get back to focusing on winning races. He's one of four drivers in the Chase who have yet to reach Victory Lane this year.

Montoya said he's not going to take any unnecessary chances Sunday. There are nine races to go and one major mistake would leave him playing out the string. He's worked too hard since making the move to NASCAR two years ago to risk the whole season on just one race.

"You've got to be very smart," he said. "Most of cars in the Chase are going to be there. To gain points is going to be really hard, but to lose points to them is very easy."

Stewart dominated the regular season but was bumped to the second seed when the Chase field was reset. He's in no big hurry to get back to the top.

Not yet anyway.

"If you have a bad week now, you can pretty much ensure that you're going to be out of it," Stewart said. "It's crucial to have 10 good weeks and it starts this weekend."

Dexter Bean and Derrike Cope failed to qualify for the race.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Montoya Opens Chase by Winning Pole originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Richmond

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400

Where: Richmond Int'l Raceway
Time: Saturday night 7:30pm/EDT
TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-60s, Partly Cloudy
Distance: 400 laps (300 miles)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Storylines

25 races and 9,706 miles of racing in 2009 boils down to a 400-lap shootout Saturday night that will make the season for the 12 guys who secure a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And for the guys that don't, well, just consider it to be the wrong end of a make-or-break scenario.

Four drivers have clinched an entry prior to the green flag, while 8 spots and 11 eligible drivers will steal the show Saturday night in Richmond. A scramble it will be.

Pressure? What Pressure? Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon is one of those four drivers that have nothing but a race win to battle for on Saturday night thanks to scoring enough points to earn a stranglehold of a guarantee on a Chase spot.

He's done it rather quietly, though, and he couldn't be happier with how that's worked in favor of his team heading into the 10-race scramble that follows Richmond.

"There's enough pressure from inside your team and on your own shoulders that you don't want anything adding to that," said Gordon on Friday when asked about if the reduced outside pressure to make and win the Chase is a good thing. "I'm just happy going into it. I've been on both sides of it. As close and as tight and competitive as this series is right now with these cars, I'd prefer to have that. If we had the dominate car that was just going to go wax everybody then I'm fine having the bulls-eye on my back, but that's not the case these days."

The newest expecting father in the Sprint Cup garage wasn't exactly having a good day on Friday while trying to get his No. 19 Dodge tuned up for practice and qualifying.

"We just have a demon in the car right now with our brakes," said Elliott Sadler. "We're not sure what's going to tell you the truth. We've been fighting them all day long and can't get it resolved. It's frustrating. At a track where brakes are most important, we're having brake issues."

Sadler will start 34th on Saturday night, and announced earlier in the week that he and his wife were expecting their first child in March. Kudos, sir.

If Kevin Harvick's confidence means anything for Saturday night, the Bakersfield, Calif., driver just might be stringing together two of his best weekends of 2009 together after Saturday night's race.

Harvick took second place last week at Atlanta for his best finish of what has been a struggle of a 2009 season for the No. 29 group, and from all accounts in both his quotes and Twitter posts, Richmond should be decent as well.

"We're breaking in a brand new car this weekend, and we were pretty good in race trim in practice today," said Harvick after qualifying 19th.

Earlier, he posted to his Twitter account that both his Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series cars were good (he finished 2nd in Nationwide on Friday) and it "should be a fun weekend."

Just two weeks ago, Harvick and team owner Richard Childress confirmed they'd still be working together in 2010 and perhaps that bode of confidence to the team has lit a fire for an end-of-season positive swing.

Carl Edwards, broken foot and all, won the Nationwide Series race at Richmond on Friday.

Strangely, it's not the foot that's been hurting him the most.

"My foot is good," said Edwards. "It's better than my arm pits from these crutches."

Juan Pablo Montoya, currently 8th in points and looking to earn his first ever entry in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, led the pack Friday afternoon in the second and final practice for Saturday night's race. He'll line up 14th on the grid, though.

Montoya's qualifying run put him sixth on the grid of the 11 drivers in contention for a Chase spot. Knowing that, here's how each of those drivers can make a run into the Chase at the end of the 400-lapper -- courtesy of NASCAR statistical services:

#99-Carl Edwards is currently 105 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 24th or better
-- 25th and leads at least one lap or
-- 27th and leads most laps.

#9-Kasey Kahne is currently 96 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 21st or better
-- 23rd and leads at least one lap or
-- 24th and leads most laps.

#2-Kurt Busch is currently 95 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 20th or better
-- 22nd and leads at least one lap or
-- 24th and leads most laps.

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya is currently 88 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 18th or better
-- 20th and leads at least one lap or
-- 21st and leads the most laps.

#39-Ryan Newman is currently 81 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 16th or better
-- 17th and leads at least one lap or
-- 19th and leads the most laps.

#5-Mark Martin is currently 69 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 12th or better
-- 14th and leads at least one lap or
-- 15th and leads the most laps.

#16-Greg Biffle is currently 68 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 11th or better
-- 13th and leads at least one lap or
-- 15th and leads the most laps.

#17-Matt Kenseth is currently 20 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- Second and leads at least one lap.
-- Third and leads the most laps.

#83-Brian Vickers currently sits 13th, 17 points ahead of #18-Kyle Busch. He would need to gain 21 points on Kenseth and stay ahead of Busch to clinch a Chase spot. Busch, 37 points behind 12th, needs to gain 17 points on Vickers and 37 points on Kenseth to clinch.

#00-David Reutimann, 132 points behind Kenseth, has an outside shot at clinching. He would have to gain 133 points on Kenseth. A maximum of 161 points can be made up in a given race.

The Storylines

Geoffrey Miller: Kyle Busch

FanHouse Warmup: Richmond originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chase the New Focus for Montoya

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya

Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Scott Pruett and plenty of others in the NASCAR world have got to be wondering: Is the driver of No. 42 really Juan Pablo Montoya?

It's a good question thanks to the new tune that crew chief Brian Pattie has managed to get Montoya to sing during his 2009 run to earn a spot in his first Chase for the Sprint Cup. That tune, of course, showed its face on Friday at Michigan International Speedway ahead of Sunday's 400-miler at the 2-mile venue.

"We know what average we have to run to be in the Chase. It doesn't matter who beats you that one day or another," said Montoya. "Play it smart, don't take any big risks and hopefully it pays off."

For background, this is the same Montoya who jumped into NASCAR in 2007 with a few on-track incidents that centered a lot around patience (or a lack thereof). He got loose and took out Stewart at Texas, got into a chest-thumping match with Kevin Harvick following a wreck at Watkins Glen and famously wrecked his own teammate for the Nationwide win in Mexico.

The 2008 incidents of note included a bumping match with Stewart in the Coca-Cola 600 and a you-spin-me-I-spin-you go around with Kyle Busch at New Hampshire.

Now, though, Montoya seems to have discovered the big picture in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing doesn't involve victory lane, but rather hoisting that championship trophy.

"At the end of the day, it matters who wins the championship, it is not who wins the races," said Montoya.

It's a principle Montoya felt he learned very well back in 2000 during his days with CART.

"I nearly threw it (the CART championship) away in Australia," said Montoya. "I was running second, I would have finished second, I had a 25-point lead going in, I needed to finish like 20th in the last race and trying to beat Dario (Franchitti), I stuffed it in the wall."

That left the last race of the season a nail biter for Montoya as he only won the championship thanks to having more wins that Franchitti after they finished in a dead tie for first.

Certainly Montoya and Co. weren't a pick on anyone's radar to win the title at the start of the season, nor was it in the mind of the team. Making the Chase field consisting of the series' 12 best drivers, however, was the main goal. A goal, even, that they had calculated how to reach.

"You can't start being start being focused on one [driver]," said Montoya. "This week, you might be ahead of them or behind them, you just have to keep doing what you are doing. I think overall, we have been doing that."

The average Montoya talks about is a 14th-place finish. In 2009, the team has averaged a finish of 13.3 -- putting them 7th currently in standings, some 154 points ahead of 13th-place.

Just four races remain before the Chase field is set after Richmond in September, but the second-to-last event comes at Atlanta, a track where Montoya has been successful. Will that change his approach?

"If I can secure a place in the Chase in Atlanta, I am definitely not going to take any risks. For me, if finishing 10th in Atlanta would mean I make the Chase, we'll do everything in our power to finish 10th or eighth," said Montoya. "We have to be smart about what we are doing."

Which, for the new Montoya, isn't too big of a surprise.

Chase the New Focus for Montoya originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pennsylvania 500

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:53:00 EST

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, David Reutimann, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson

After a rain-soaked weekend at Pocono Raceway, here's some ramblings from the race that was the Pennsylvania 500.

David Reutimann took a big hit in his chances of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Pocono and Wednesday he was still "mad as heck" at Denny Hamlin for spinning the No. 00 late in the race.

"Everybody's capable of making mistakes," said Reutimann. "I'm a forgiving guy if he sincerely apologizes or says he was in the wrong. [...] In the end I'm still confused at why it happened. It wasn't just one shot. It was multiple shots."

At the time, Reutimann was running in the top-10, but finished 29th due to significant damaged he suffered after spinning into semi-teammate Marcos Ambrose thanks to the contact Hamlin provided coming off of turn 3.

The wreck resulted in Reutimann dropping three spots to 16th in the standings, and from 68 points from the Chase cut to 121 points out with five races until the cutoff.

Excessive levels of carbon monoxide nearly sidelined Richard Petty Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson from this weekend's road course event at Watkins Glen, but the team said today he'll be good to go.

Sorenson's car apparently allowed a good bit of the dangerous gas to enter his cockpit during the 500-miler at Pocono.

Prior to that announcement, though, former Formula 1 driver, Indianapolis 500 champ and part-time stock car driver Jacques Villeneuve was being eyed by RPM to fill his seat for the weekend.

Juan Pablo Montoya might be the scariest underdog we'll see in this year's Chase -- pending that he holds on over five races to his 169-point advantage over 13th place -- thanks to the way his team has been racing as of late.

They haven't been exactly aggressive in their setups, and instead, have been trying to find some consistency before "having fun", as Juan says, in the Chase.

If you didn't think Juan Pablo Montoya was going to be good in stock cars, just wait until 2010.

Bobby Labonte took a huge hit after getting hit by fellow Ford driver David Ragan in the later stages of Monday's 200-lap event. The No. 96 spun rear-first into the outside turn one wall at Pocono after Ragan's brown No. 6 nudged Labonte at the end of the frontstretch -- the longest on the NASCAR circuit.

It was quite similar to Jeff Gordon's crash at the same track a few years ago when he lost his brakes, but fortunately for Labonte, much of the impact was taken away from him thanks to the rear of the car crushing like a tin can. Gordon, on the other hand, slapped the outside wall with the driver's door.

Labonte was obviously frustrated with Ragan, but his sense of class and professionalism soon carried over when he was interviewed after leaving the infield care center as he never once trashed Ragan for the move or dropped a snarky, back-handed comment. Refreshing, if I must say.

Speaking of professionalism, Kyle Busch deserves a measured level of "atta-boy" for at least answering questions about his mediocre race on Monday.

I've criticized Busch before for leaving the talking about his team and his race up to crew chief Steve Addington when Busch is one of the focal points of every NASCAR weekend, so I certainly can't let it slide that he's talked two weeks in a row including last weekend's miserable finish at Indianapolis.

Granted, Busch didn't have a big part of the story on Monday at Pocono with his 16th-place finish, but he did offer a brief analysis of his day:

"We ended up on a little bit of a different strategy than some of the other guys and the cautions didn't fall right for us," said Busch. "We fought tight for most of the day, but it got loose on me trying to gain some spots after a restart. We just never really got the handling exactly where we wanted it. There at the end, we managed to salvage something out of a day that could have ended up much worse."

There's certainly a few Kyle Busch fans out there who care about that. Thanks, Shrub.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pennsylvania 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Pennslyvania 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart

The Essentials

Race: Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

Where: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.
Time: Sunday 2:19pm/EDT (Update: Monday: 12:15 pm/EDT)
TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 71 degrees, Rain
Distance: 200 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Tony Stewart
2008 Winner: Carl Edwards

The Storylines

Tony Stewart may have been completely ticked at himself for crashing in practice at Pocono Raceway Saturday, but if the past is any guide, he's going to be just fine for Sunday's race.

Obviously, Stewart is just over a month removed from the last time he started at the back in Pocono and, needless to say, it didn't really hurt him too bad. Stewart went from worst to first in just 77 laps before setting sail towards his first-career points race win in June.

Juan Pablo Montoya wasn't letting last weekend's severe disappointment in Indianapolis keep from looking forward to the weekend, though you can bet the speeding penalty that kept him from winning the Allstate 400 was still on his mind.

He didn't show that Friday during his media visit, however.

"Do I gain anything by wondering or saying or thinking was the speedometer right or the tach right, was NASCAR right, was I wrong?" said Montoya. "Who cares? I moved on, can't change it. Even if they came to me today and said you know what we made a mistake it wouldn't change anything. It is what it is."

Obviously, the loss was a crushing blow, but for Montoya to be ready to look ahead to Sunday's race and not back should mean good things for the rest of his season.

The No. 42 team brought the same car they used at Indianapolis, though Montoya didn't feel it'd behave the same because Pocono is a much rougher track.

Carl Edwards has one big request for NASCAR with the Nationwide Series Car of Tomorrow scheduled for its first races in 2010.

"I hope they take advantage of the opportunity to minimize our dependence on downforce," said Edwards. "I don't know if there's time for that left, but, man, it would the best thing they could do."

Edwards made note that the lack of passing in the race last week in Indianapolis showed what happens when you have too much downforce.

"It's my opinion that the reason for that is our dependence on downforce, and I think that if we were to work on getting rid of that, you'd see races more like races you see at USAC Silver Crown cars and cars like that where it just doesn't matter how close you get to someone."

FanHouse Warmup: Pennslyvania 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Brickyard 400

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:23:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

Rewinding from a successful tire test Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway could only mean one thing: it's time again for Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes.

If this were any other track, I'd have a huge problem with how the racing turned out Sunday. It's obvious that track position and clean air were the trump cards in a deck otherwise full of jokers -- but don't forget that Indianapolis has nearly always been like that.

Some may term it boring, and it definitely lacked excitement for much of the day thanks to the good work of so many drivers to not make mistakes and hit each other or the wall, but come on, that's what your going to get at this flat track.

And before you say this track only puts on a good show for IndyCars, think back to the Indianapolis 500 in May. Not a single pass for the lead came during green flag conditions and dominant cars like Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti couldn't make up a lick of ground after pit troubles during the last stop.

As much as fans don't get to see it, Indianapolis is a track that truly takes a complete team effort throughout the weekend to win because otherwise you just simply won't be in position at the end to make a run at the checkers.

The pit road luck that Chip Ganassi has had at Indianapolis in 2009 has literally cost the owner two wins at the 2.5-mile track.

As I mentioned, in May, Dixon and Franchitti were dominating the 500 until the last pit stop saw a myriad of problems for both cars and dropped them in the field. Together, they led 123 laps of the 200-lap event before falling to sixth and seventh, respectively, in the final finishing order.

Sunday, of course, Montoya paced the field for some 116 laps before a speeding penalty knocked him out of contention.

Mark Martin may have not caught and passed Jimmie Johnson for the win in Sunday's race, but the No. 5 in the mirror of the No. 48 left the defending champion a little uneasy about not screwing up and giving the race away to the 50-year-old Martin.

"An old guy has never made me so [expletive deleted] nervous in my life," said Johnson shortly after crossing the finish line over the team radio.

Speaking of Johnson, his fan support is perplexing -- even to Chris, a friend of mine who saw his first NASCAR race Sunday after being a closet television fan for years.

"How does Jimmie not have more fans?" he asked me of the three-time Brickyard champ. "All he does is be nice to everyone, bleed class and beat the [daylights] out of everyone."

I literally had no answer. How does the most dominating driver NASCAR might ever see in such a prolonged span not have a bigger fan base?

IMS announced Monday that Allstate Insurance Co. would no longer be the flagship brand of the NASCAR event at the track after it opted not to continue sponsorship of the 400-mile race.

According to the press release, it's obviously got something to do with the faltering economy, but the most interesting note about the split after five years is that the track isn't going to actively search for another race sponsor.

In what appears to be an early indicator of the dropped sponsorship, Allstate didn't purchase broadcast rights to the race from ABC/ESPN meaning the presenting network termed the race the "Brickyard 400 presented by Golden Corral".

I, for one, am plenty happy to hear that news because I felt that adding a sponsorship title did two things to NASCAR's visit to Indianapolis: 1) It cheapened the value of the race to competitors and fans because the corporate name aligned it with nearly every other race on the Sprint Cup schedule not named the Daytona 500 and 2) It added money to the coffers of IMS that has likely paid for some nice track and facility improvements.

So was Allstate's run all bad? Certainly not.

But it's nice knowing that we can simply call it the Brickyard 400 once again -- as it should have stayed all along -- because let's be real, Indy needs to be on par with the Daytona 500 and not with an insert-corporate-name-here 500.

It's not a big difference, but it sure feels like it.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Brickyard 400 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite Changes, Johnson Still On Top

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:32:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two different years, two different races, two different tire compounds and two different styles of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have yielded one thing for NASCAR: a No. 48 car driven by Jimmie Johnson in victory lane at the Brickyard.

"We made the best decisions we could [Saturday night], put the best setup in the car that we knew of, just deal with the circumstances and go out and race," said Johnson. "It's what the 48 is known for."

Indeed it is.

More Coverage: Montoya Melts | Johnson Repeats | Kyle Busch Struggles

Just a year ago the show put on by the Sprint Cup Series at the most heralded race track in the country was left to be coined everything from an abomination to a train wreck thanks to tires that lasted just over two handfuls of laps. The excessive tire wear left NASCAR throwing scheduled cautions every 10th lap or so to keep cars from trying their best at knocking down the outside retaining wall and, in turn, left drivers scrambling to find the winning strategy.

And just as has been the case with incredible normalcy over the past 3 1/2 seasons, Johnson and Co. figured out how to take the checkers in the most abnormal race the series saw in 2008.

It should have been no surprise, then, that when the tire problems finally were corrected for this 2009 edition, Johnson was again rising to the top.

That doesn't mean it came easy all weekend for the Hendrick Motorsports team.

"[Saturday] was tough," said Johnson of qualifying and practice at the 2 1/2-mile track. "It challenged my thoughts as a driver and if I was doing the right things because we could post a quick lap, but then there's a ton of falloff [in practice speed]."

The changes made that evening in the IMS garage, as he mentioned earlier, turned out to make the critical difference in Sunday's race.

"I knew within about two turns that we were going to be very competitive [Sunday]," said Johnson.

And just like he's done for the past three seasons in winning the Sprint Cup title, Johnson turned up the wick when it mattered most at IMS.

Juan Pablo Montoya's speeding penalty on lap 124 opened the door wide for both Johnson and his Hendrick teammate Mark Martin, but as the odds have shown in the past, Martin (or any driver for that matter) really didn't have a shot at beating his friendly on-track nemesis.

But that's just how it's been in the past few seasons for Johnson. When the odds are stacked against him, or when the wins just seem like they can't possibly continue to add up at the rate they do, the No. 48 pulls in front again.

"I certainly hope that it makes people think and wonder and worry, especially the guys in the garage," said Johnson of his seemingly endless success when it really matters. "We'll see what happens and hopefully guys in the fenced off areas, in the garage area, are worried about it."

Latest NASCAR Images

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates by kissing the bricks with his team after Johnson wins the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Crew chief Chad Knaus, team owner Rick Hendrick and driver Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick;Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, poses with wife Chandra Johnson after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

Despite Changes, Johnson Still On Top originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya's Indy Domination Melts Away

Holly Cain — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup

INDIANAPOLIS -- It wasn't the one that got away. It was the one that was taken away.

That's how Juan Pablo Montoya felt after having one of the most dominating performances of the NASCAR season derailed by a speeding penalty on pit road late in Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

"I swear on my children and my wife, I wasn't speeding,'' Montoya radioed to his crew after being called back on pit road to serve a "drive through" penalty after having raced out to a nearly five-second advantage on the field and led 116 of the first 125 laps.

"Thanks NASCAR for screwing my day," he continued on the team radio.

"Frustrated? The word isn't frustrated. I've been robbed before and I've been screwed before and they outdid themselves this time.''

Montoya pleaded with his crew chief Brian Pattie to double-check with NASCAR officials, fully convinced that he didn't speed, even wondering if NASCAR might end up apologizing for an error.

A penalty is only assessed if a driver exceeds the 55 mph pit road speed by more than 5 mph on the electronic timing device. NASCAR officials said after the race that Montoya was caught fractions over 60 mph at two of the eight sensors on pit road.

With 35 laps remaining in the race after Montoya's penalty, Pattie calmed down the stunned 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner by telling him "it's really time for you to put on a show now, don't worry about it.''

Montoya ended up finishing 11th, and despite missing out on the historic win -- which would have made him the only driver in history to win the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's 400-miler -- he dropped only one point position in the Sprint Cup Series standings to 10th place.

Latest NASCAR Images

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (2nd L-R) Chandra Johnson, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chandra Johnson;Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with wife Chandra Johnson after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Rick Hendrick

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Chandra Johnson, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chandra Johnson;Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with crew chief Chad Knaus after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus

Getty Images for NASCAR

He holds a 100-point edge over 13th place David Reutimann with six races remaining to set the 12-driver Chase for the Championship playoff field.

Pattie said after the race he wasn't going to contest the situation.

"It's electronic, there's not much to discuss,'' Pattie said. "This isn't like the old days where everybody's using the hand-held devices. It's black and white. It is what it is.''

And certainly the effort from the Earnhardt-Ganassi team wasn't overlooked.

"He never really was challenged all day,'' third-place finisher Tony Stewart said of Montoya. "He did a great job today and I know what he's feeling. He's got to be sick.''

After the race Montoya pulled up to his team's semi-truck and stormed away from the waiting press to speak with his team members on the side. When he returned to speak to reporters, he was calm and collected and said he was glad to have had a good points day.

"It is what it is,'' Montoya said. "I thought I was right on speed. We had a deal like that before and once it happens you can't change it so it's pretty frustrating.''

Most of his competitors sympathized with the Colombian-born, former Formula One driver. At one point Montoya's retro-look No. 42 Target Chevy -- a replica of his winning Indy 500 car -- held a 17-second edge on 10th place.

Seventh-place finisher Kasey Kahne half-jokingly said Montoya was so far out in front, he never saw him.

"I really feel bad for him, if either of my teammates weren't going to win I was absolutely pulling for Juan,'' runner-up Mark Martin said.

"They sure had the car today, but you know what, they'll keep doing that and their day will come. That's happened to every one of us. Their day will come.''

However, the good sympathy only went so far. Race winner Jimmie Johnson was asked about Montoya's dominant day and the now three-time Brickyard winner had a slightly -- and understandably -- different take.

"I don't know about Montoya, but I do know I have the trophy and it's going home with me,'' Johnson said with a smile.

"We're all so selfish. I would have gone to Victory Lane and congratulated him, but I'm really glad we got the trophy.

"Not only is his team getting better, but Juan is really a great talent and if you look at the guys that came over from open-wheel he is by far the best of them. He's become a stock-car driver and I think we'll see a lot more of Juan. I see him being a threat.''

Montoya's Indy Domination Melts Away originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmie Johnson Repeats at Brickyard

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:34:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson grabbed an improbable third victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when a speeding penalty to Juan Pablo Montoya blew Sunday's race wide open.

Montoya led 116 laps and had a 5-second lead when he headed to pit road for a routine stop with 35 laps remaining. NASCAR flagged him for speeding on his way in, and the penalty knocked him out of contention.

"I swear on my children and my wife that I was not speeding!" he shouted over his radio. "There is no way! Thank you NASCAR for screwing my day."

Crew chief Brian Pattie begged his driver to calm down and focus on salvaging a solid points day, to no avail.

"Don't tell me to relax, dude!" Montoya yelled. "We had this in the bag."

Indeed he did, but the 2000 winner of the Indianapolis 500 was relegated to an 11th-place finish. Montoya, who had moved as high as sixth in the Sprint Cup standings as he ran out front, instead lost a spot and is now 10th in the race for the Chase for the championship.

The performance was reminiscent of Montoya's win in the Indy 500, when he led 167 of 200 laps in his first race at the storied track. His team celebrated his return Sunday with a retro paint scheme that duplicated that winning car, and as he clicked off lap after lap, it was deja vu for the Colombian driver.

"Actually reminded me of last time I led here to be honest,'' a calm Montoya said after the race. ``I was cruise(ing). I was super fast.''

Too fast, actually. NASCAR said the electronic timing system caught Montoya twice exceeding the limit as he drove down pit road.

"There's nothing to prove wrong,'' said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "It's about as simple math as you can use.''

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INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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