Juan Montoya news and notes

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	Montoya season ends with a thump When people ask, “What is wrong with NASCAR,” everyone’s should answer should be the penalty NASCAR gave Juan Montoya for handling his business on the track.
	Montoya and crew head to Homestead for Sprint Cup finale Regardless of what happens Sunday, regardless of where Juan Montoya and the #42 team finish in the race, and regardless of where they finish in the points 2009 this without doubt has been a successful Sprint Cup campaign.
	Another top ten run for Montoya and crew Juan Montoya brought his #42 Target Chevy home 8th yesterday in Phoenix. For the 2009 Chase it was his sixth top ten finish. While that is a tremendous accomplishment, this team will have to take one more step to be worthy of a Cup series title.
	It is not about points anymore for #42 team Minus 236 points to leader Jimmie Johnson, Juan Montoya is not mathematically eliminated from winning the 2009 Sprint Cup title, however in all likelihood his points chase his now over. After a disappointing finish at Texas the focus for the team is now 2010.
	NASCAR Chase: everyone-is-human edition On lap three of yesterday’s race, Jimmie Johnson proved that even he is a human being (and many of us NASCAR writers had begun to question that fact). Later, on lap 176, Juan Montoya proved that he too was human after Carl Edwards got beside him and Juan wrecked and wound up finishing 37th.
	Juan Montoya heads to Texas for Chase race #8 For Juan Montoya, his #42 team, and really 11 other Sprint Cup driers the 2009 Chase for the Championship is over. Jimmie Johnson had dominated this chase, and it all likely hood will win his fourth consecutive championship, however for Montoya and team there are still a few goals to achieve in 2009.
	Montoya has an average day at Talladega Juan Montoya did everything the way he should have at Talladega. Thanks to the rain that washed out qualifying, he was able to start up front. In ran in the lead pack pretty much all day. He led a lap and was up front ready to make a move, when he got caught up in a last lap accident that relegated him to a 19th place finish.
	Montoya comes home third at Martinsville What a rough weekend for Juan Montoya this turned out to be. He qualified 21st raced his heart out and came home third, in the process lost 5 points to point leader Jimmie Johnson. On top of that had Bob Griese call him out on an ESPN College Football game where Griese said Montoya, was out having a taco.
	Is Juan Montoya’s Chase bid over? After last week’s debacle in Charlotte, does Juan Montoya have a chance at a Cup title? Well of course there is always a chance, but here that chance isn’t very good.
	Montoya’s Cup bid comes to an end at Lowe’s In less than 10 seconds, the 2009 Cup title bid of Juan Montoya came to a stunning end. On a restart Montoya checked up and Mark Martin crumpled up the passenger side quarter panel of the #42 car, and Montoya’s race came to a terrible end.
	Montoya to face his toughest challenge As we see the maturation of Juan Montoya’s stock car career, with a fin run through the first four chase races, he will now face his toughest challenge Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
	Montoya ends up third in California Juan Montoya finished third, turning in his best performance at the Auto Club Speedway, but still finds himself 58 points behind point’s leader Jimmie Johnson. Right now it seems that Juan could finish the chase with a top five finishing average and lose the title to either Johnson or Mark Martin.
	Montoya’s run near amazing Every week I sit down to write my Juan Montoya chase coverage while qualifying is on. Every week I sit here waiting for this amazing run to come to an end, and each and every week I am completely amazed that Juan and his #42 team can continue to run this well.
	When will Montoya go from dark horse to legitimate contender? With his third top five finish in the first three 2009 Chase races, Juan Montoya has served notice to the entire NASCAR world that he is for real. No longer can we call this a fluke, no longer is it a great run, now it is a notice that he and his team are here to make a serious run at the Sprint Cup title. However his performance still feels a little short of serious contender.
	Can Montoya continue miracle run? No team has been more impressive through the first two chase race than Juan Montoya and the #42 Target team. So far they have defied the odds, working past his poor average finish at both New Hampshire, and Dover to finish in the top five at both. Now the struggle for Montoya continues, while he is hot at the right time, many fans wonder how long can his team keep that up?
	Montoya continues hot streak at Dover Juan Montoya had an uphill battle in this year’s chase. It is his first chase, and he had a poor average finish on many of the 10 Chase tracks. On top of that he has yet to win on an oval, and he isn’t exactly driving for one of the Elite NASCAR Cup operations. With all that being said, no one should count out Montoya in this battle.
	Montoya must take the next step at Dover In the 2009 Chase for the Cup Juan Montoya got himself started on the right foot with an impressive run last week at New Hampshire. Now Montoya must continue his uphill battle towards a potential first championship. Montoya’s average finish at the week’s track, Dover, is a less than impressive 24th. For him to have a real shot at a cup title, he will have to duplicate his New Hampshire race each week of this chase season.
	Montoya blows off interview, may face NASCAR sanction In a story reported by Jayski, it seems that Juan Montoya blew off a scheduled interview with a Sacramento Fox affiliate Saturday. Montoya doesn’t seem to understand that Chase drivers have a responsibility to help to sell this sport to the masses, and they are required to do interviews every week.
	Montoya dominates New Hampshire The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for Juan Montoya and his #42 Target team. Sure he could have won the race, and he had a shot too had he bumped, race winner Mark Martin out of the way. However he did win the pole, lead the most laps, and raised himself seven places in points in the first week of the NASCAR playoffs. Not a bad way to start his first ever chase for the Championship.
	Juan Montoya is the first foreign born chase driver This should be a bigger story then it is for several very good reasons. First and foremost having a popular driver, born in another country, in the chase brings in a whole new group of fans to the world of NASCAR. While there are a few Hispanic men making in roads into the world of NASCAR, having Juan Montoya in the chase should bring in more fans that may not have paid attention to NASCAR.