Daytona 500 Official press release

Results from Daytona International Speedway

1.    Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet

2.    Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet

3.    Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford

10.  Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet

Montoya Kicks Off the 2010 Season with a Top-10 Finish

Daytona Beach, FL. (February 15, 2010) – The “Great American Race” marked the official kick off of the 2010 season for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. After a strong performance in the Gatorade Dual, Montoya placed the No. 42 Target machine in the eighth position for the start of the Daytona 500. He would go on to lead two laps and run up in the top-10 for the majority of the 200 lap race. In a wild green/white/checker finish the Target Chevrolet would finish the day in the 10th position.

43 drivers took to the high banks of Daytona Sunday afternoon in pursuit of the Harley J. Earl trophy. Montoya, looking for his first oval track win, was poised to be a top contender for the victory. The No. 42 lined up in the fourth row and was displayed as the lap leader by lap 13. As cars began to shuffle in and out of the draft, Montoya stayed in the mix throughout the race. The No. 42 Target Chevrolet visited pit road a total of four times for minor adjustments, four tires and fuel.

The closing laps of the Daytona 500 would result in three caution flags, three green/white/checker opportunities, and a wild shootout in the final lap. The final caution waved on lap 204 and Montoya sat in the 12th position on the restart. The No. 42 Target Chevrolet was able to gain two spots and give the team a top-10 finish in the first point’s race of the season. Montoya’s teammate, Jamie McMurray, would go on to win the race and give co-owner Chip Ganassi his first Daytona 500 win.

"It was a great day for the team with Jamie (McMurray) winning; that was huge,” Montoya remarked. “We both had good cars and good opportunities. I just got stuck on the bottom when I was running up front and lost a lot of ground. But overall, this is big. Starting the season like this is what we need."

NASCAR heads out west next week to compete at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. The Auto Club 500 will take place Sunday, February 21st at 3:00 pm (ET). The race will air live on FOX and radio stations affiliated with MRN.