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NASCAR weekly media poll: Montoya vs. Marcos
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Juan Pablo Montoya should have won at the Brickyard two weeks ago. He could have won last week at Pocono. Will he finally win on Sunday?
Perhaps, with Nascar’s Sprint Cup series moving to the road course at Watkins Glen.
Montoya is an expert road-course racer and a heavy favorite here, earning nine votes in the weekly media poll; Marcos Ambrose is second with six votes. Ambrose, the Australian driver in his first full season in the Cup series, won the Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen on Saturday and figures to contend for his first-ever Cup victory and a weekend sweep.
Jimmie Johnson, who has never won on a road course, garnered three votes and starts on the pole.
Mark Beech, Sports Illustrated: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
He's as hot as anybody right now, and he's always a threat to win on a road course. The smart money bet.
Viv Bernstein, Charlotte NASCAR Examiner: MARCOS AMBROSE
If Juan Pablo Montoya is more concerned with points than victories, he won't chase after this checkered flag and risk missing out on the Chase. Ambrose was in the hunt at Infineon and he'll be there again at the Glen.
David Caraviello, NASCAR.com: MARCOS AMBROSE
The former road-course whiz finished third at the Glen last year, and now he's in a better car. Plus, he doesn't have that pesky Chase to worry about, and can go all-out for the victory. Foster's all around!
Liz Clarke, Washington Post: MARK MARTIN
The nicest left- AND right-turner in NASCAR.
Shawn Courchesne, Hartford Courant: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
JP has shown of late that he's ready to be a championship challenger and the victory at Watkins Glen will solidify his spot in the Chase for the Championship.
Jeremy Dunn, Atlanta NASCAR Examiner: MARCOS AMBROSE
Picked him at Infineon, but it didn't pan out, so I am going with Ambrose again at the Glen. He finished third last year.
Greg Engle, National NASCAR Examiner: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
Can Kasey do it again? Was his road course win at Infineon a fluke? That may be the story to watch, however with his current streak of ‘hotness’ look for Juan Pablo Montoya to visit victory lane Sunday.
David Exum, NASCAR Scene: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
This guy and this No. 42 team are long overdue for a victory.
Tony Fabrizio, Tampa Tribune: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
Hate to pick him two weeks in a row, but he's on a roll, and he should always be a factor on a road course.
Jeff Gluck, NASCAR Scene: MARCOS AMBROSE
I picked Marcos Ambrose for Sonoma and he almost pulled it off, so I'll go with the Aussie again. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but an Ambrose victory would be both refreshing and a great change of pace for the sport.
Brant James, St. Petersburg Times: JIMMIE JOHNSON
There's no better place to be than up front starting a road course race and Johnson seems in a good spot to add the last missing line to his resume.
Josh Lobdell, Detroit NASCAR Examiner: TONY STEWART
It seems this is the week where Tony Stewart will declare that he is the man ready to take down Jimmie Johnson as Sprint Cup champion, a good run here and Tony leaves Watkins Glen locked into the chase. Of course, Jimmie Johnson went out and won the pole declaring that he will not give up his title without a fight. Tony or Jimmie -- that is the question that begins Sunday, and will continue through the rest of the season.
Dustin Long, Landmark Newspapers: JIMMIE JOHNSON
He breaks through with his first career Cup road-course victory.
Mike Massaro, ESPN: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
Not only is it a road course, his team's performance has never been better.
Ryan McGee, ESPN The Magazine: MARK MARTIN
He used to own The Glen with three straight wins (all from the pole) in '93-95. His time machine seems to be working pretty well this year.
Joe Menzer, NASCAR.com: MARCOS AMBROSE
I was going to go with Juan Montoya, whom I picked to win at Indy two weeks ago. But then I remembered that the last time Ambrose met up with him on a road course, Ambrose actually went aggressively for the best finish he could get and Montoya backed off because he was worried about messing up a good points day. That was too bad for the fans then, and means Ambrose gets the nod this time as well.
Rick Minter, RacinToday.com: JIMMIE JOHNSON
Track position is always important at road courses, and elsewhere these days too, and he's got it this week thanks to his qualifying run.
Mike Mulhern, MikeMulhern.net: MARCOS AMBROSE
Guess this isn't a good place to pick Dale Jr. again, is it? I'm picking Ambrose. He's a great road racer, won at the Glen last year, could have won Sonoma, ran good in Montreal.
Ralph N. Paulk, Richmond Times-Dispatch: JEFF GORDON
If familiarity breeds success, then Jeff Gordon should have a spendid weekend at the Glen. This road course might stress him physically, but his back will hold up long enough for him to cruise into victory lane.
Bob Pockrass, NASCAR Scene: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
He has one career road-course win, so why not another? Yeah, I know. He has to make the Chase. But he can win this one, too.
Nate Ryan, USA Today: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
The success of Montoya over the past two weeks has felt like a continuous build-up to the type of feel-good story that NASCAR really needs this season. He likes Watkins Glen much better than Sonoma, the site of his lone Sprint Cup win, and he's safely within Chase territory enough to cast aside his newfound (and occasionally bizarre) love affair with points racing for at least one weekend.
Jim Utter, Charlotte Observer: TONY STEWART
He couldn’t get by Kasey Kahne in the final laps at Sonoma, but don’t expect the same problem again.
Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal: JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
If he can finish second at Pocono, he should be able to lap the field at Watkins Glen.
