Sonoma, CA (Best E Casino) - Juan Montoya captured Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 Nextel Cup race on the Infineon Raceway road course. The No.42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge driver crossed the finish line 4.097 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick.
The victory was the first of Montoya's 17-race "Cup" career and the first win in a Car of Tomorrow for any make other than Chevrolet.
"It's been an incredible day...to get the first win in Nextel Cup and for Chip Ganassi is unbelievable," said Montoya.
Pole winner Jamie McMurray brought the star-studded field to the green flag for 110 laps of racing. Meanwhile, the series' best road-course racer, Jeff Gordon, started 41st because his car failed pre-race inspection and he was not allowed to qualify along with his teammate Jimmie Johnson. Also starting near the rear of the field was Columbian Montoya, the former F1 star, who won the Busch Series road course opener in Mexico City earlier this year.
By the time they reached the second turn, Robby Gordon had the top spot. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in second as McMurray fell all the way to third.
A caution flag involving Matt Kenseth, Marc Goossens and Kyle Petty came on lap four. Jeff Gordon was up to 37th and topped of his fuel tank so he could go up to seven laps further than the leaders before his next stop.
Robby Gordon continued to lead as they went back to green, but "Junior" was pressuring him all the way around the track.
On lap 10 Stewart pitted and by the time he got going again he was 40th. Montoya was on the move, up to 20th, and Jeff Gordon had moved up to 29th.
When Sterling Marlin slowed on lap 14, Gordon ducked into the pits before anyone else, got four tires and fuel and was gone. So did most of the other backmarkers while the leaders stayed on the track.
By lap 20, Johnson was up to 15th place, Montoya 16th and Jeff Gordon 30th. Meanwhile, Robby Gordon continued to show the way while McMurray got around Earnhardt Jr. for second. Gordon built the lead to 1.425 seconds.
The first round of pit stops for the leader started on lap 34 with Junior making a stop. Harvick and Jeff Burton came in on the next lap and leader Robby Gordon on lap 36.
Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Stewart and Jeff Gordon, because they were alternate strategies, took over the race lead. They all pitted by lap 44 leaving road- course specialist Ron Fellows with the lead. He pitted and Carl Edwards was the leader.
Meanwhile, it appeared that Gordon, Johnson and Stewart were planning on going to about lap 70 before making a final stop and trying to stretch the final tank of fuel to the finish line.
Robby Gordon had a less than stellar first pit stop and he had to work his way from seventh back through the field. He was third by lap 50 and the fastest car on the track. He passed Kyle Busch on lap 52 and had just Edwards between himself and the lead.
After another debris caution the green flag dropped and Robby Gordon went after Edwards. He caught him before the lap was halfway done and it was a good think because David Ragan spun to bring out another flag before the field even got to turn 11.
The top-10 included Boris Said, Stewart and Montoya. Jeff Gordon was 12th as they restarted on lap 59. McMurray got around Edwards, but he was already two seconds behind Robby Gordon.
When Montoya knocked Kurt Busch off line in turn 11 for lap 62, Jeff Gordon passed both of then to get back into the top-10.
The field was approaching lap 70 and their final stops. The important question for every crew chief...how many caution flag laps would there be over the final part of the race and when to make the last stop.
Reed Sorenson brought out the caution flag on lap 67, surely someone would take a gamble and pit. Pit lane opened on lap 68 with McMurray, Harvick, Montoya and Edwards leading a group for fuel and tires.
The race restarted with 41 laps to go. Stewart got around Robby Gordon on the first lap. Junior also got around Robby as they came to turn 11. Junior pitted on lap 72 from second place.
Stewart was flying, up by 3.603 seconds on lap 73. Robby Gordon made his final stop on lap 74. Stewart's lead was 4.795 seconds when he pitted on the next lap. Jeff Gordon pitted on lap 78 and took fuel only - no tires.
McMurray was leading Harvick and Montoya with 30 laps remaining. McMurray's pit crew was saying they were two laps short and would need some caution flag laps to reach the finish.
McMurray, Harvick and Montoya were still one-two-three with 20 laps to go.
McMurray slowly began to open up a gap between himself and Montoya, who got around Harvick. The margin was 1.441 seconds on lap 92.
Ten laps to go and it was still McMurray, Montoya and Harvick. It appeared that of the trio, only Harvick could go the distance. Harvick let the two leader get about four seconds ahead, he too was conserving fuel. Jeff Gordon was 15th, Stewart 16th and Robby Gordon was 25th.
Montoya tried to pass McMurray in turn 11 with nine laps to go, but he couldn't hold on. He got ahead, but locked up the tires and McMurray re-took the lead. On the next lap, however, Montoya made the pass in turn two and the lead was his for the first time today.
Was Montoya going to try an stretch it to the checkered flag?
Edwards ran out of fuel with three laps to go, so did McMurray. Harvick moved into second place, two seconds behind Montoya.
One lap to go and Montoya was still in charge, the engine still running. Montoya flew down the hill, through turn 11 and he took the checkered flag four seconds ahead of Harvick.
Montoya ran out of fuel while making his celebratory burnout.
Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle completed the top-five. Jeff Gordon finished seventh. Gordon will bring a 271-point lead over Hamlin (barring any penalties) into the next race.
The next race is set for Sunday July 1st at the New Hampshire International Speedway.
