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Cut Tires Relegate Montoya's Late-Race Comeback at Kansas to 28th-Place Finish
KANSAS CITY, KS. (September 30, 2007)—Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team worked their way through a trying day at Kansas Speedway on Sunday due to a combination of a wayward-handling race car and rain delays during the running of the LifeLock 400. Although the rain-delayed run seemed to be other teams' downfall, it was turning out to be a good thing for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team as they picked up almost 20 positions after racing returned to green on lap 156. Unfortunately, two cut tires on lap 205 halted their rebound run and left them 28th at the conclusion of the shortened 267-lap competition, which ended on lap 210 due to darkness.
Montoya and the team lined up 21st to take the initial green flag and couldn't gain much ground throughout the first half of the race. They battled loose in and tight through the center conditions that couldn't seem to be resolved even after multiple pit stops for adjustments.
Just as the field was embarking on the second half of the originally scheduled 267-lap competition, the rain returned to the Kansas City area in buckets as water drenched the track and forced NASCAR to red flag the race for the second time on lap 146. Montoya and team were scored in 38th place at the time.
Although many thought NASCAR would call the race, it didn't happen and just before 6 p.m. CT the teams were back to racing. As the clouds cleared from the track so did the black cloud that seemed to be lingering over the No. 42 team. They managed to escape a very close call on lap 156 as cars wrecked directly in Montoya's path. Thanks to the quick guidance of team spotter Tab Boyd and Montoya's fast reflexes the No. 42 Dodge squeezed through the wreckage. Racing returned to green on lap 166 with the No. 42 CGRFS Dodge in 32nd place. From there, the Texaco/Havoline team capitalized on another yellow flag to get the free pass from NASCAR to return to the lead lap.
Montoya and team proceeded to race up to as high as 21st place by lap 196, and were thinking they had managed to turn their day around. Then, on lap 205, Montoya radioed his guys to tell them he had a flat tire, which turned out to be two flat tires. NASCAR waved the yellow flag for debris on lap 207 and then ended the race under yellow on lap 210 with the No. 42 scored in 28th place.
With a current tally of 2,786 points, Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team dropped to 21st in the overall NEXTEL Cup owner standings. Montoya also lost one spot in the driver standings, where he is now 20th overall.
Up next, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams will head to Talladega Superspeedway to run the UAW-Ford 500 on Sunday, October 7. The race will broadcast on ABC (LIVE, 1:30 p.m. ET).
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