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Montoya Earns First NASCAR Victory
in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (March 4, 2007)—It took just three races into the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series season before Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 team returned Texaco/Havoline to victory lane. It was the team's first victory of the season, and the first NASCAR victory for Montoya. Montoya earned his first win in just his seventh Busch Series start on the road course in Mexico City backed by the Texaco/Havoline crew and Crew Chief Brad Parrott.
Montoya took the green flag from the third position, but overtook the second-place driver after the first turn. He told Parrott the car was tight, but he was still able to pass teammate Scott Pruett on lap four to take the lead. The team made its first stop on lap 10 under green-flag conditions and made an air pressure adjustment to fix the tight handling car. The caution flag waved on lap 23 with just one car left to pit. Montoya regained the lead on lap 25 after the car pitted.
Trouble befell the Texaco/Havoline team on its scheduled pit stop on lap 45. Following a routine stop, the team realized the overflow tube from the fuel cell had fallen off into the trunk of the car. As a result, the car did not take on the needed amount of gasoline. The caution flag waved on lap 52, and the team pitted to fill the car up. The over-the-wall crew had to lift up the trunk in order to properly fill the car.
Racing resumed on lap 55 of 80 with the Texaco/Havoline Dodge in 19th. Just five laps later when the caution waved, the road ace had maneuvered his way back into the top 10. The green flag dropped again on lap 63 and Montoya passed three cars in one lap to sit sixth. Several cautions waved over the final 15 laps, and Montoya was able to gain spots and time on the leaders. With 10 laps to go, Montoya had worked his way up to third and was soon sitting second. On lap 72, he and teammate Pruett were racing for the same piece of pavement. The two tangled, resulting in Pruett spinning. Montoya inherited the lead with seven laps remaining.
Montoya was able to hold off the hard charging, defending race winner Denny Hamlin in the closing laps to take the checkered flag in the Telcel-Motorola 200. He moved up to 14th in the driver's standings, and the team sits 19th in owner's points. Montoya heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend where he will pull double duty in the Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series races.
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