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Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline Team Finish 19th at Loudon
LOUDON, N.H. (July 1, 2007)—Juan Pablo Montoya had never competed at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS), but that didn't stop him and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team from starting in the top five and bringing home at top-20 finish. Montoya gained two spots in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver standings and now sits 19th.
Montoya took the green flag from the fifth spot for the 300-lap race. He immediately told Crew Chief Donnie Wingo the car would not roll through the center, and it was too tight. He had dropped back to 11th on lap 60 before green-flag pit stops began. Montoya brought the No. 42 Dodge Avenger down pit road for an air pressure adjustment, a trackbar adjustment, four tires and fuel. When pit stops were completed, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was sitting 13th.
Montoya continued to battle the tight-handling race car. The caution flag waved on lap 95 and he told Wingo the last adjustment didn't help at all. So the crew put the trackbar back down, but made two significant air pressure adjustments in the rear tires. The green flag waved on lap 101 with the black and red Dodge in 18th. There were moments after the restart, where Montoya was racing three wide. He was up to 16th on lap 106 and commented "the changes were better," but he needed more.
The yellow flag waved again on lap 121, and Wingo called for a two-tire stop to gain track position. Montoya took the green flag in the ninth position on lap 122. It seemed no matter what the team threw at the Texaco/Havoline Dodge, it could not make the car turn in the center. Montoya was still in the top 10 with 100 laps to go, but fell back battling the handling of the car. When the caution flag waved again on lap 253, he came in for final adjustments, including the removal of a spring rubber from the left rear in addition to fresh tires. The additional time needed to complete the stop dropped Montoya back to 21st with 45 laps to go. He was able to avoid a last-lap wreck and bring the car home in the 19th spot.
Montoya moved to 19th in the driver standings, 87 points out of 15th and 323 points out of 12th—the final transfer position for the Chase to the NEXTEL Cup.
On Saturday, Montoya was spun by the No. 2 car of Clint Bowyer on lap 164 of the NASCAR Busch Series race while running in the sixth spot. The damage to the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge was too extensive so Montoya and new crew chief Brian Pattie called it a day. The team was scored in the 34th position when the checkered flag waved.
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