Montoya's Day Cut Short at MIS
Results from Michigan
1. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford
23. Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Target Dodge
40. David Stremme, No. 40 Coors Light Dodge
43. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge
BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 17, 2007)-After qualifying 33rd for the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Juan Pablo Montoya battled a tight race car in the opening circuits of the 200-lap event. Trying to resolve the tight condition, the team made some adjustments during the first round of green-flag stops but then the Texaco/Havoline Dodge became “too loose.” On lap 64, Montoya made slight contact with the outside retaining wall and five laps later the right-front tire went down, sending the Texaco/Havoline Dodge hard into the wall. After accessing the damage, crew chief Donnie Wingo determined the car was damaged beyond repair, forcing Montoya and crew to call it a day in 43rd.
The Texaco/Havoline fell to 23rd in the overall NEXTEL Cup Series ranks. The team sits 95 points out of the 20th position and 325 out of 12th – the final transfer position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
There were four cautions for a total of 19 laps. The time of race was 2 hrs, 42 mins, 05 secs, and the average speed was 148.072 mph.
Montoya and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team head to Infineon Raceway next for the Save Mart 350 on June 24. The race is set to go green at 2 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on TNT, MRN radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 128.
CGRFS Driver Quoteboard
Juan Pablo Montoya: “My right-front tire went flat and I just hit the heck out of the wall. The car was very loose. I’d got in the wall a couple of laps before. I didn’t think it was anything major. My spotter said it looked good. It was wrinkled, but it looked good, and five or six laps later the tire went flat and it went straight into the wall.”