Source: Nascar.com
Juan Montoya will tell you he likes the bumpin' and beatin' of restrictor-plate racing, he's just never had the finishes to suggest he was enjoying himself. But that all changed Sunday in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway as the second-year driver hung in the top 20 all day, even led a lap for the first time at Talladega, and brought home his No. 42 Dodge in second, his highest finish of 2008 and his best result at a superspeedway.
"The bumping, it's tough. You can finish 20th in a heartbeat - or 30th. It's pretty exciting because it takes a lot of strategy and you always have to pick the right lane. "I really helped [winner] Kyle [Busch]. I managed to get on his bumper, and when you can get on somebody's bumper you can actually push them all the way around the corner. I made up a bunch of ground and it was good, and I got up to second and then dropped to fifth and got up to second again. It was a pretty cool, interesting race." Montoya earned his second-place finish with a new crew chief for the first time in his Cup Series career. Two weeks ago, Chip Ganassi swapped chiefs for the Nos. 41 and 42 teams, putting Jimmy Elledge with Montoya and moving Donnie Wingo to Sorenson. The swap didn't have much to do with the finish, according to Montoya, who says more time is needed before they can assess the change. The finish moves Montoya into the top 12 in points and puts an end to what some were calling a slump, although Montoya says if you compare this season to last, it shows tremendous improvement and gives the 42 team hope heading into May. Photos: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images fro NASCAR
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