“That’s what we need to do is get good finishes, and days like this when we can finish well are important.”
—South Florida-resident Juan Pablo Montoya, who shaved 28 points off of his Chase “playoff” deficit with a Top 10 finish in today’s Sprint Cup race at Sonoma
South Florida-resident Juan Pablo Montoya registered yet another Top 10 finish in today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma—his eighth Top 10 in the nine races in which in which he has completed all scheduled laps. Today’s race was No. 16 of 36 en route to NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19-21).
“It was fun,” Montoya said post-race. “This Target Chevrolet was so fast today, I had a blast….It was a little more aggressive than normal, but it was fun.”
Having shaved 28 points off his Chase-qualifying deficit today, Montoya is currently 161 points outside the Top 12 overall points cut-off to qualify for the Sprint Cup “playoffs” that culminate in Miami this November. He has 10 races remaining to accomplish the feat. It is worth noting that one year ago, he rattled off nine Top 10s in a span of 14 races to vault from 15th to a Chase spot.
Montoya has started all 16 races of the Sprint Cup season but has fallen victim to an inordinate amount of engine issues and on-track tangling—which makes the following stat all the more remarkable: The driver of the No. 42 has finished in the Top 10 of all but one 2010 race in which he has completed all scheduled laps. Included in that run for South Florida’s hometown’er are four Top 5s.
Montoya’s next opportunity to gain points comes next weekend at New Hampshire—Race 17 of 36 en route to NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 19-21.