Montoya Wins as Johnson Spins at the Glen

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Filed under: Juan Montoya, Uncategorized 
Juan Montoya wins at the Glen

Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media

Juan Montoya took NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series drivers to school Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen, showing everyone how road course racing was done. It didn’t hurt that Montoya’s No. 42 Chevrolet had an Earnhardt Childress Racing power plant under the hood. Those engines have been bullets all season long.

Montoya led 74 of 90 laps in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. The fastest car doesn’t always win, but today it did.

“Yeah, I think it’s nice,” an exalted Montoya said about the dominating win.” We executed right. I think we did what we had to all day. We ran really smart. I think yesterday we had a good talk with Chip. Last few weeks have been really frustrating for the whole team because we’ve been so close to victory. Seemed to keep slipping away.”

“To come out here today and get the job done the way we did today, it was big. I feel more relieved than happy right now. It’s been a really hard road in a way. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been frustrating. To finally get that first win for Brian, I think it’s good. I think we can really focus on just getting the job done.”

The win was Montoya’s 2nd career Sprint Cup victory. His first coming at Sonoma in 2007 at NASCAR’s other Sprint Cup road course.

Winning crew chief Brian Pattie was nearly speechless following the win. “It’s huge,” said Pattie, who blamed himself for a recent near miss at Indy when a decision to take 4 tires on a late race pit stop likely cost Montoya a win at the Brickyard.

Johnson and Hamlin Crash

2 championship contenders were involved in a crash on lap 72. Jimmie Johnson was on the outside of the No. 31 of Jeff Burton when the 2 made contact sending Johnson’s No. 48 into the outside retaining wall before being collected by Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin and Johnson are 6th and 5th respectively in the point standings following today’s race.

“It’s so stupid. We’re not even racing for the win, we’re racing for 8th or 10th,” said a frustrated Denny Hamlin.

Tony Stewart Delivers a Message

Tony Stewart sent Boris Said a message that he wasn’t going to be pushed around when Said drove his No. 83 Toyota to the outside and nearly put Stewart’s No. 14 Chevy in the grass on lap 67. Stewart was shoved nearly off the racetrack by Said and when Stewart finally refused to give the final inch Said’s car was sent spinning into the steel guardrail.

“The 14 dumped us,” said Said’s spotter over the teams 2 way radio following the crash. But Stewart had no other choice. He was simply out of asphalt and had nowhere to go.

“Some idiot tries to run us straight off the racetrack. I’m gonna hold my line,” said Stewart immediately following the crash. Stewart did exactly what he was supposed to do.

Dale Earnhardt Jr scored another 26th place finish in today’s race. How much longer does this have to go on before Mr. Hendrick decides to do something about it? Or does he even care?

Marcos Ambrose looked to be the only driver with a shot at chasing down Montoya as the final laps ticked off. That is until Montoya radioed in that he felt he had a tire going down.

“Some idiot tries to run us straight off the racetrack. I’m gonna hold my line.” ~ Tony Stewart

It looked for a while that there might be a late race caution to give everyone one last shot at Montoya. The No. – car had a flat tire and was putting chunks of rubber in the racetrack. At the same time Robby Gordon’s engine let go sending a cloud of smoke into the air – but apparently no fluid could be spotted on the racing surface. I’ve seen a lot of cautions thrown for a lot less.

Montoya has been on the verge of victory several times recently. Now that he has sealed the deal look for him to repeat.

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31 Comments on Montoya Wins as Johnson Spins at the Glen

  1. Tom McDonnell on

    2. I don’t even understand why Boris Said has to race with them.
    He just come and goes. Is he only racing on road courses?
    Glad to see Tony did well.

    [Reply]

  2. Tom McDonnell on

    3. I really wish Rick Hendrick would help Jr. Something not right when Jr. is not
    running well. I like to see Jr. go back to DEI. He belongs there.

    [Reply]

  3. superpoof on

    4. It is sad,that Jr.can’t compete.Something has got to change.He is becoming just another feild filler.

    [Reply]

  4. James Wheeler on

    5. To Mr. Tom McDonnell, Boris Said has just as much right racing on ANY NASCAR WEEKEND as any of the other drivers!! Tony Stewart was also the guilty party for that particular wreck, because he (Tony) just decided to drive right through him instead of trying to let him (Boris) get his car straightened out and continue!!

    [Reply]

  5. mamadew88 on

    6. After qualifing Jr. made the remark that this was the worse car he has ever driven. So we know it’s not his driving as we all know that he is a great driver. After all he had the best teacher, that no other driver ever had.I do believe that Rick Hendrick knows that his cars are not up to par, but that is why he pays the crew chief, car chief, engineers, etc;etc; the big bucks.The team in the 24/48 garage get the cream of the crop equipment, whereas the 5/88 garage are the step children. Jr. is the cash cow with the best of sponsers and gets the leftovers when it comes to his team managers.
    Something has to done to correct the problems at hand before contract time comes around as there are other teams out there who would love to have Jr. drive their cars and have the entire JR Nation that will go with him.
    JR. has one of the largest fan bases and followers than any drivers in NASCAR.

    P.S. Tom, there is no more DEI …..but i’m sure RCR would take him on in a heartbeat if he ever decides to leave HMS.

    [Reply]

  6. Barb F. on

    7. Junior should branch out on his own he would do much better look how Tony & Ryan are doing.Well I will put it this way he couldn!t do any worse finishing the way he has been lately is sure a crime.

    [Reply]

  7. James Wheeler on

    8. Earnhardt, Jr. had said he wanted to start a Cup team out of his own operation (JR Motorsports) prior to when the economy started going South, thanks to our Democratic doo-doo heads up there!!

    [Reply]

  8. Doughbelly12 on

    9. Jr needs to leave HMS.They only have him there so they can control him.He is a GREAT driver.

    [Reply]

  9. James Wheeler on

    10. DO YOU PEOPLE REALIZE HOW MUCH HENDRICK WOULD HAVE TO PAY EARNHARDT, JR. TO BUY HIM OUT OF THE REMAINDER OF HIS CONTRACT?? What Mr. Hendrick really needs to do, is to get rid of that “Mickey Mouse” idiot he has for a Crew Chief, replace him with a decent one, and I believe that at least 90% of his problems would be taken care of!!

    [Reply]

  10. Lady Red on

    11. Too bad Pops can’t come back for Jr., he knew how to put a car together. McGrew evidently doesn’t have a clue or gets subpar equipment to start with. JJ sure wouldn’t be winning if he had to drive Jr’s stuff. It has to be embarrasing for Jr. to have to run every race back there with all the has-beens. Jr. nation is still strong because they know he is a great racer, just has junk to try to drive.
    Be sure to vote everyday for Jr. for most popular driver, show everyone he is still the favorite even tho he isn’t winning right now.

    [Reply]

  11. Terry Koenecke on

    12. Boris got exactly what he deserved as he was just a field filler, a so-called great road course racer. Tony is a regular & racing for a championship.
    As far as Junior & Mr. Hendrick is concerned, I see Junior driving the #88 car as long as he likes. Junior sells the most merchandise of any other driver, why would Mr. H get rid of him. He made more money last year then the 4-time champion made so he does not need to win.

    [Reply]

  12. Mavis on

    13. I really think there is something fishy in the Hendrick camp that Jr almost never gets a good car. Remember back in 2008 when he was doing better than Johnson and Gordon and then all of a sudden he wasn’t getting good finishes anymore. I don’t think he was supposed to be beating Jimmy & Jeff. Since then he has seldom had a good car. Even Hendrick remarked that he was the best of his drivers in the first half of 2008 so what happened? Jr hasn’t forgotten how to drive so what is the problem? I agree he needs a new crew chief, but who? As for RCR they are apparently hiring Paul Menard so would have no room for Jr. His only solution would be to start his own team but that is very expensive especially if you can’t get sponsors.

    [Reply]

  13. Terry Koenecke on

    14. Boris got what he deserved as he is just a field filler or a so-called road course driver. Tony is racing for a championship & don’t need ding bats like Boris out there in the way.
    As far as Junior goes he will be at Hendrick’s as long as he wants. Mr. “H” is not gonna get rid of somebody that sells 30 million dollars worth of merchandise, which he gets a cut out of. Mr. “H” is like a father figure to Junior beings he lost Dale,Sr. & Junior is like a son to Rick since he lost his son, Ricky.

    [Reply]

  14. Jim Chalmers on

    15. Jr’s. crew chief has got to go ! ! ! ! !

    [Reply]

  15. James Wheeler on

    16. Lady Red, the problem is, Tony “Pops” Eury, Sr. is now working for JR Motorsports, and I don’t think that he could work for Hendrick without starting some sort of ruckus with Earnhardt, Jr. over how his operation is being run. Also, I believe you are right about the fact that Lance McGrew doesn’t have a clue about what he is doing!! All anyone would have to do is listen to the weekly arguments over the radio between him and Earnhardt, Jr,. every weekend!! Not to mention that I don’t know why Rick Hendrick placed him (McGrew) in as his Crew Chief this time around!!

    [Reply]

  16. James Wheeler on

    17. Another problem is, the cars that Earnhardt, Jr. are driving as the #88′s formerly were the old #25 team cars. And hardly anyone (no matter who drove for that team) won in those things back at that time, either!!

    [Reply]

  17. goldie on

    18. After every race, I wonder how Jr. puts up with what he has to “put up” with. We have all heard him on the radio with some of his remarks and we know how frustrating he gets so I just can’t understand why he doesn’t do something. I know he can’t just leave Hendrick, but I do think he could at least demand the same amount of attention that JJ and JG get when his car is set up, that he is given everything the others are given and if need be, whatever setup they are using, if that is the problem. If the crew chief is the problem, get another. DO SOMETHING!! We just want you to have what is rightfully yours, Jr. and we still believe in you and know what kind of driver you are, so don’t back down….

    [Reply]

  18. Bev.Estabrooks on

    19. Wow, imagine that, Montoya won another road course. If they had all road courses maybe he could win more , but he has yet to figure how to complete a round or oval circuit . So I guess this means he is done until next year’s road courses .Tony did what he had to do. If you watched the race you would understand that if he gave in he would have wrecked himself, so naturally he held his own.As for Junior I am really beginning to wonder,I am sorry to say, as I am a huge Junior fan as well.For the most part Mark Martin is running well and in the top 15 most races so I don’t think it is inferior equipment, and remember he is not a young man anymore, but has a ton of natural talentand a super personality I really believe that Junior does not get along with his crew chiefs. It will take a really special one so that both can understand where each other is coming from.It is one of the biggest necessities in racing.

    [Reply]

  19. James Wheeler on

    20. It is not that Earnhardt, Jr. does not get along with his Crew Chiefs. The problem is, “King Hendrick” has been teaming the poor young man up with total dillweeds ever since he started driving for him that think they know what they are doing, when in fact they do not know what they are doing at all!! I think even Earnhardt, Jr. would agree with me about that part of it!!

    [Reply]

  20. mick on

    21. It’s been obvious to me since day one .. Rick only hired Dale for what he was worth at the concession stand. Dale Jr. brings in millions in sales without a fast car…so why invest in him any further? It’s BS – but that’s the way I see it. Smart as Jr. is – this was a bad decision if he wanted to be a winner. He will never win with this team. He made the right decision at the time, but it’s time for another one if he wants to compete. Hurry, too, Junior, before Hendrick sucks the blood outa you…and we all miss watching your talent on display.

    [Reply]

  21. Patch on

    22. If all the cars were white with no markings and you just put the drivers in them randomly each race, I am not yet convinced that by the end of the year that you would not have the same people in the top 20. I am beginning to believe that it is the driver more than the car, throwing out the weather shorten races and pit stop calamities. It would also be interesting to trade off crew chiefs to see if that changed anything. Is one crew chief really better at setting up a car than another one? Back in the early 1960’s our basketball team beat the number one team in the county even though they had more talent. The key was the game plan that our coach put together. It makes me ponder which is more important, the car, the driver or the crew chief.

    [Reply]

  22. James Wheeler on

    23. Another reason why Earnhardt, Jr. switched to Hendrick was because his “wicked-witch stepmother” (Teresa) no longer wanted him around at the company that had been named for his father, and was later merged with Chip Ganassi (which in my belief was another very stupid move). I never really had a liking for Chip Ganassi, and frankly wish that he would have stayed in IZOD IndyCars, and the Grand-Am Road Racing Series!!

    [Reply]

  23. superpoof on

    24. I quit watching the races.I just log on here and let Wheeler tell me all the facts.

    [Reply]

  24. Go Slick on

    25. Superpoof – You are a riot. Who knew? I like the cut of your jib.

    [Reply]

  25. Deborah on

    26. If you vote for Dale Go to http://www.helpersmostpopulardriver.com

    lets put him back to #1 where he belongs Right now he is #2

    [Reply]

  26. Lady Red on

    27. Jr. is not #2, they list them in alphabetical order, no way Kyle Busch is #1, don’t know how he got in the top 10 anyway.

    [Reply]

  27. James Wheeler on

    28. I don’t know how anyone in their right mind could even put Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch in the same sentence or driver ranking, anyway. I have not been able to stand Kyle Busch ever since he broke the guitar in the Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway!!

    [Reply]

  28. Tom McDonnell on

    29. Thanks for correcting me on DEI. I forgot that it is no longer that name anymore.
    As for Jr. I know he has to stay with Rick Hendrick’s Motorsport and hope that when he contract expired, that he will run his own race team and select people who will get him to the top. Jeff, Jimmy, and Mark are doing good, but sometime
    when you are not doing well, it’s bet to move on, make a change. Mr. Rick Hendrick, if I were you and want Jr. to stay with you, I would try to put more money out for Jr. to help him. Get the best people, the best engine people, the best crewchief, the best team and the best spotter.

    [Reply]

  29. mamadonia on

    30. AMEN, AMEN, Mama Dew 88!!!!! I agree with you 100%. Jr. had the best teacher that anyone could have. As long as Jimmie and Jeff are at Hendrick, anyone else will only get the left over equipment, they will get the best at anything and everything. It is really sad to see Jr. so depressed and upset, we know it’s not him, I thought Rick Hendrick was gonna put Jr. under his wing and look after him, but I’m beginning to believe that all he wanted from Jr. was the monies that will be brought in by his popularity and endorsements. Jimmie always has Lowe’s on his car, but Jeff has repeatedly had National Guard and Amp on his cars and we know who brought in those sponsors, Junebug, I think Jr. should have his own Cup team and “Pops Eury” his crew chief. That is the only way Pops would do it, he will not go to Hendrick and be a crew chief. I remember, back when Jr. started racing in the now “Nationwide” series, Dale Sr. gave Jr. to Pops and told him to look after Jr. and that’s what he’s done and will continue to do but not go to Hendrick, If Jr. is ever gonna win something different has got to happen and it being his own team may be the answer. Regardless of what he does I’m with him 1000%, I’ll always support and love Jr.!!!!!

    [Reply]

  30. AZomah on

    31. Jr. said not to long ago that JRM is not ready to go cup. So I got to thinking that if he buried some of last years earnings and some of what he is currently earning out in the field with Laverne and Shirely that by the time his contract is up JRM could go cup. It is eveident to me that the cc is not going anywhere. Some of you keep saying Tony Sr., Tony Jr. was his cc when he went to HMS. Tony Jr. was his cc on the #3 earlier this year. Pops was his cc when Big E got him started at DEI. I heard somewhere that there is supposed to be some kind of a press conference or announcements made tomorrow. I don’t know if that is true, the statement was made by another HMS employee so don’t hold me to it. Of course, you all know that I agree with you. I don’t know about you folks, but I feel so darn helpless because as a fan there is nothing I can do to help him. Please Jr. hang in there, we are all with you. And right now it is time to go to the libation fridge and get out a brown bottle with a cool red crown on the cap.

    [Reply]

  31. James Wheeler on

    32. Since when has Jeff Gordon had Amp Energy Drink on one of his cars?? Did I miss it in a race earlier this year somewhere?? I know that he has had National Guard on his car several times this year.

    [Reply]

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