Juan Dodges The Big One At Talladega
Written by Jonathan Ingram · October 6, 2006
There were no Columbian flags waving in the Talladega infield or grandstands prior to the ARCA race, but Juan Pablo Montoya ran like a good ol’ star before finishing third in his first stock car event.
Those predicting the former F-1 driver will fail without big wings or will grow tired of the stock car environment will have to wait at least another week — when he runs the ARCA finale in the cornfields of Iowa — for disaster to strike.
“I must have passed more cars than in my entire open-wheel career,” said an ebullient Montoya, whose appearance at the Iowa Speedway is the next step on his way to his NASCAR debut in the Daytona 500.
“I think it was a good idea for Chip to bring me here,” said Montoya of the learning curve. “The Cup guys can see what you do and you have to play it smart. If you don’t bring the car home it doesn’t matter.”
Finishing behind winner Frank Kimmel and Steven Wallace, Montoya got a classic introduction to racing at Talladega, where it always pays to be lucky and good. After starting on the outside front row and leading the first 12 laps, his Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge was hit in the door in the first multi-car incident before he drafted from 31st back to second, including some bump-drafting with Wallace. Any bid for victory after Kimmel drafted past those two in the high groove was nullified when the race was ended 35 miles early when the inevitable “big one” in the middle of the pack created too much wreckage to clean up before dark.
Montoya dropped from the lead with a four-tire change on his first stop — and his drafting education began while running three and four abreast in the pack. ‘Do I go to the middle (lane)?’ he asked over the radio. The response from his spotter: “It’s pretty wild out there.” Montoya’s reply: ‘What the heck, I’ll try it.”
In one of those three-wides, a chain reaction crash sent Bryan Silas into the door of Montoya, riding in the lower groove. “I felt the car go one way and I felt it go the other way,” said Montoya, who made a classic save. “I was pretty lucky.”
Montoya said the two-day ARCA event confirmed his decision to leave McLaren-Mercedes and F-1 is working well for him. “I haven’t had this much fun at a race in a long time,” said Montoya, whose parents and wife Connie greeted him as soon as he climbed from his Charger. “I’m enjoying racing personally.”
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