Three Reasons Juan Montoya's Making The Chase - NASCAR
Juan Pablo Montoya is arguably the most admired driver among his NASCAR peers because his resume is so thick. He won a CART championship, an Indy 500 and seven Formula One races before starting to race cars with fenders. His first two years in NASCAR were a struggle as he adjusted to stock cars, which are heavier and more plodding than what he was used to.
He’s not struggling now. His cars are fast week in and week out (or at least fast enough), and he has largely avoided creating his own problems. Based on preseason predictions, he will be the biggest surprise to make the Chase—and his presence in the postseason is a virtual lock. Heading into Sunday’s race at Atlanta, he is 9th in points, 64 head of the 13th place driver, Kyle Busch.
Here are three reasons Montoya broke through in 2009 and will be one of the top 12 when the checkered flag falls after the Richmond race:
1. His cars are better. In his first two seasons, he drove for Chip Ganassi Racing, and the cars were probably not fast enough to make the Chase even if he performed flawlessly, which he didn’t. Last winter, Ganassi formed a partnership with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and the “new” company has provided him with much more horsepower. “They switched cars, and they got their stuff working right now,” says Elliott Sadler, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports. “They’re fast everywhere they go.”
2. He’s doing a better job points racing. He almost blew his CART championship late in the season by being too aggressive. (He finished the season tied in points and won on a tie-breaker.) This season, he has raced cautiously to ensure he makes the Chase. Montoya has tempered his temper, and that will serve him well when the pressure hits in the next two races.
3. The team is more stable. “We changed crew chiefs twice—that didn’t help,” Montoya says. “But now that everything is settled and everything is running, everybody is on the same page, and that is what is making us run this good.”
Three Reasons Juan Montoya's Making The Chase - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports
He’s not struggling now. His cars are fast week in and week out (or at least fast enough), and he has largely avoided creating his own problems. Based on preseason predictions, he will be the biggest surprise to make the Chase—and his presence in the postseason is a virtual lock. Heading into Sunday’s race at Atlanta, he is 9th in points, 64 head of the 13th place driver, Kyle Busch.
Here are three reasons Montoya broke through in 2009 and will be one of the top 12 when the checkered flag falls after the Richmond race:
1. His cars are better. In his first two seasons, he drove for Chip Ganassi Racing, and the cars were probably not fast enough to make the Chase even if he performed flawlessly, which he didn’t. Last winter, Ganassi formed a partnership with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and the “new” company has provided him with much more horsepower. “They switched cars, and they got their stuff working right now,” says Elliott Sadler, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports. “They’re fast everywhere they go.”
2. He’s doing a better job points racing. He almost blew his CART championship late in the season by being too aggressive. (He finished the season tied in points and won on a tie-breaker.) This season, he has raced cautiously to ensure he makes the Chase. Montoya has tempered his temper, and that will serve him well when the pressure hits in the next two races.
3. The team is more stable. “We changed crew chiefs twice—that didn’t help,” Montoya says. “But now that everything is settled and everything is running, everybody is on the same page, and that is what is making us run this good.”
Three Reasons Juan Montoya's Making The Chase - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports
