All week the talk has been about how Juan Montoya and his crew chief, Brian Pattie, aren’t getting along. “Trouble in Paradise” they said. “Hasn’t won since 2007″ they said.
Well, they’re saying something different now. Montoya broke a winless streak that goes back over 100 races to claim victory at Watkins Glen on Sunday. After two weeks of bickering, sniping, and public speculation all seems to be well – at least for now. The win vaulted Montoya two spots in the Sprint Cup standings, increasing his chances of making the Cup Chase from None to Virtually None.
Watkins Glen is among my favorite NASCAR venues. The twists and turns, the hills, the crazy “bus stop” loop. Lap times are down and passing is at a premium, but it is always fun to watch.
There was a lot of movement in the Cup Chase this week. As of now, Mark Martin is in and Clint Bowyer is out. Kurt Bush, by virtue of a strong second place finish, leaped three places to fourth. Ninth place was good enough to keep Jeff Burton ahead of Busch by a scant 3 points and move him up two spots third in the Cup standings. Their combined five spot gain was a loss for Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch, who were also-rans at Watkins Glen this week.
Things are definitely getting hot in the Cup Chase. There are six drivers, from the 3 through 8 slots, who are within 30 points of each other. There could easily be a lot of movement in there in the few remaining weeks.
