Sept 7 2008
Juan Pablo finishes 30th at  Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Montoya Finishes 30th at RIR
Results from Richmond International Raceway
1. Jimmie Johnson, No.48 Chevrolet
30. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Juicy Fruit® Slim Pack™ Dodge

RICHMOND, Va. (September 7, 2008) – After practicing inside the top five Friday at Richmond International Raceway (RIR), the No.42 Juicy Fruit® Slim Pack™ team and Juan Pablo Montoya waited out the wet weekend in Richmond, Va., planning on a strong run Sunday.  Unfortunately, once the clouds cleared and racing got underway Sunday afternoon, the team and driver found themselves battling a loose-handling race car the majority of their effort that eventually concluded with a 30th-place finish.  

Montoya and his No.42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team unloaded third fastest off the truck Friday at RIR.  Then, it was later that same day the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) teams realized they would not get any more time on the track to prepare for the 26th race of the season as the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna visited the Richmond area late Friday afternoon.  Knowing the wet weather was forecasted to stay in the area through Friday night and the majority of Saturday, NASCAR decided to postpone all on-track activity until Sunday.

Lining up according to owner points, the NSCS teams took the green flag just after 1 p.m. ET Sunday.  As the race got underway, Montoya held his top-25 starting position and turned it into a top-20 run less than 70 laps into the 400-lap show.  That was not an easy task in itself as he continually asked his guys for help with the No.42 car’s handling that was extremely loose getting into the corners of the .75-mile raceway.

Together, Montoya and the Juicy Fruit Slim Pack team stood their ground until the car broke away from Montoya’s grip on lap 164, relegating the team into 35th place, one lap off the lead lap.  Montoya managed to get the car under control and onto pit road so the over-the-wall crew could fit the No.42 Dodge with four fresh tires, fuel and to clean up the right-front tire housing.

The driver and team didn’t let the spin sideline their entire day.  Instead, they continued to make air pressure and chassis adjustments throughout the run to try to find a better balance in the car’s handling.  With a little less than 100 laps left to run, their efforts paid off as they landed back on the lead lap and broke back inside the top 25 by lap 365.  Unfortunately, not too long after that, the mishandling returned just on time to relegate Montoya and team outside the top 25 again.

With the 30th-place finish, Montoya maintained his 21st-place position in the NSCS driver standings and the No.42 CGRFS Cup team maintained its 22nd-place position in the NSCS owner ranks.

The NSCS teams will embark on the final 10 races of the 2008 season, starting with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next Sunday, September 14.  The 300-lap event is scheduled to go green at 2 p.m. ET with live coverage starting at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.