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Montoya Returns to the Site of his First NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

June 18, 2010

Montoya Returns to the Site of his First NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win

The 2007 NASCAR race at Infineon Raceway was all about the strategy- pit and fuel strategy. Fuel mileage always plays a key factor in road courses and it did again that Sunday afternoon in 2007.  It was an afternoon of unknowns until the final round of pit stops where some teams opted to stay out on track hoping for enough fuel to cross the finish line and others played it safe and came down pit road for a splash of fuel. The running order was shuffled but there was no way to know who made the right call until the final lap of the race.  

It was Juan Pablo Montoya’s first race at Infineon Raceway and just his 17th start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Montoya knew how to win on road courses having 11 road course victories in open wheel (IndyCar, Formula One) before moving to the elite Sprint Cup Series.  Also, Montoya had won earlier in 2007 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Mexico City event in just his seventh start.  That victory was his first road-course start in the Nationwide Series.

Fast forward three months to the next road course event for Montoya at Infineon Raceway.  Known for his driving skills on the twists and turns of a road course the team had high hopes going into the weekend.  Montoya was told to save fuel as others were running out to make it to the finish.  Ironically Jamie McMurray, now teammates with Juan Pablo Montoya, was the last driver to run out of fuel with just two laps to go. 

Being a rookie to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Montoya was still in the learning stages of how exactly one saves fuel in a stock car on a track where you have to brake, shift, turn left then right. With the win in sight, Montoya led the field to the white flag hoping to make it around just one more time.  He eased his race car around the track while Kevin Harvick was quickly approaching from behind. The gamble in fuel paid off as rookie Montoya crossed the finish line to win the race and capture his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

After the victory Montoya commented, “They kept telling me to be patient and I’d be fine.  They said don’t overdo it and try to save fuel.  I tell you. This is as big as any victory.  You could say it’s as big as winning the Indy 500 or winning Long Beach.  Winning here is my first ever big race in stock cars. They’re all right up there. I kind of think this is my favorite.”

Montoya’s win was a milestone in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing being the first foreign-born driver since 1974 to win in the series.  In addition, he became only the third driver to win in the top-three elite racing series of NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One.

The victory also marked a milestone at Infineon with the lowest starting position for a winner- 32nd.  Montoya also started 32nd in Mexico City when he won.

As Montoya makes his 147th start in Sonoma a trend seems to be forming- ending in “seven.”  He won in his seventh and 17th career start, this being his 147th start may be a sign that career starts ending in “seven” are his lucky number.

The No. 42 Target Chevrolet is knocking on the door for a victory each week, road courses and ovals, but winning again where he captured his first trophy would be special to the Colombian native.

“Looking back I still have to say the win at Infineon Raceway ranks right up there for me as one of the highlights of my career,” Montoya remarked. “The track is physically and mentally demanding but is one of my favorites and I look forward to returning their every season. I’d love to be able to give Target their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Infineon.”