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Texaco/Havoline Team Finishes 23rd
in Montoya's First Run at Darlington
DARLINGTON, SC (May 13, 2007)—Juan Pablo Montoya's first experience at Darlington Raceway, the track dubbed "too tough to tame," was a promising one. Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline team overcame a rain postponement, a run-in on the track and one on pit road to finish 23rd.
Montoya started the 367-lap race from deep within the field after his 41st-place qualifying effort. NASCAR threw a mandatory caution on lap 40 to check tire wear since the race was rained out on Saturday and the track conditions changed. Montoya brought his No. 42 Dodge Avenger down pit road. The team made an adjustment to try and fix the loose condition off the corners. When racing restarted on lap 44, Montoya and the team were sitting 34th.
Montoya fell a lap down to the leader on lap 81 while running 31st. By lap 200, there were just 25 cars on the lead lap and Montoya was the second car a lap down. He was chasing down the No. 19 car to get in position to earn NASCAR's free pass if the caution waved when he began to race side-by-side with the No. 84 car. As the two continued to battled, the No. 84 car appeared to check up in front of Montoya and he ran into the back of the car. Montoya told Crew Chief Donnie Wingo something on the car was damaged as it got really tight after the contact. The No. 42 never handled the same as the Texaco/Havoline team continued to adjust on the car throughout the race.
Montoya was able to maintain his position and battle to get his lap back. Unfortunately, he fell another lap down on lap 300 just three laps before the caution waved. Montoya pitted for tires and fuel and was the first car off pit road and the first car two laps downs, there were no cars one lap down. The team's hope to battle back on the lead lap ended on lap 335 when Montoya's car was hit on pit road and run into the wall. The Dodge Avenger suffered damage on the right side and continued to get tight on Montoya.
Montoya and team survived the event to take the checkered flag in the 23rd position. Montoya once again was the top-finishing rookie. He remains 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, and leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year race by four points over David Ragan.
Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline NASCAR Busch Series team ran in the top 20 for most of the race on Friday night even though the car was "aero tight,"—tight behind other cars. Montoya started the race in the 21st position, worked on tire management and overcame trouble in the pits to battle back from 21st on lap 117 to finish 15th in the 147-lap race. Montoya sits ninth in the driver standings in the Busch Series and second in the rookie race.
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