xsiveone

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Juan Pablo Montoya got the easy part out of the way, qualifying second Thursday for his stock-car debut in the ARCA Food World 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Now, the former Formula One star finds out how he fares in heavy stock-car traffic.

"Qualifying here makes your life easy," the former Indianapolis 500 champion said. "It makes you look really good, because you were flat (out) the whole time. They told me come out of the pits and just floor it and run as high as you can. And when you've got to start the second lap, just aim at the apron and stay low.

"That's all you've got to do."

Bobby Gerhart won the pole with a fast lap of 189.485 in the No. 5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet on the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Montoya clocked a lap of 189.451 in the No. 4 Texaco-Havoline Dodge ahead of Friday's race.

The 31-year-old Montoya, set to become the first F1 driver to join NASCAR fulltime next year, is driving for NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi.

"When I came here and tested, I had a really good car and the guys back in the shop did an amazing job," Montoya said. "I think I've got a good, competitive car for tomorrow. The main goal is to prepare myself for next year.

"I'm probably going to get caught out a couple of times making the wrong moves, but that's part of the learning curve."

And learning, he stresses, is what he's here for, though "it would be great if I win."

Montoya, who drove for McLaren in F1, will replace Casey Mears in the No. 42 Dodge next season on the Nextel Cup circuit.

"I don't know why but I'm really comfortable in the Cup cars," he said. "The shifting is not a problem. Yes, it takes a lot longer to slow down. That's the hardest thing so far.

"Here, you come out of turn 4 you've got to brake, and it's like, 'Ew, stop.' And you don't think you're going to stop. That's pretty hard."

The hardest part of Montoya's afternoon was waiting about 30 minutes while the crew tweaked his car to pass inspection, wearing dark shades and chatting with crew chief Brad Parrott while father Pablo looked on.

He even posed for a souvenir photo as they finished.

Montoya said he won't be nervous about starting out at a track noted for thrilling finishes -- and scary wrecks.

"It's racing. If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to worry about it," he said. "I got my first crash out of the way. I did that in Kentucky a couple of days ago. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, so I'm pleased with that."

Gerhart, meanwhile, won the pole for the eighth time in his career. Mostly he was asked about Montoya at his post-qualifying news conference.

"What it shows is there's a class of competitors in this series that take what they do very seriously," he said. "There's no doubt of the caliber driver he is. He's going to win his share of races. There's going to be no gifts whatsoever, especially in showcase places like this."

http://cbs.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/9707713/rss

Slalom4me

The cocky tone attributed here to JPM will not sit well with his
fellow competitors.

I'm not sure whether these are his words or those of the author.
Montoya came across as appropriately respectful back in the
Trading Paint show.

Wonder whether he will make it unscathed to the end of the event.

.

xsiveone

It sounds like a sarcastic remark to me. Of course, that doesn't translate well to the written word.

John Shiels

The Food World 250 airs Friday night on SPEED beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

16Again

On now, and I have the results from earlier today.

Sidney004

He finished third, though I didn't see the race. He looks like the real deal. He wasn't too shabby in CART either.

John Shiels

I saw some but slept through some. It will be a fairly easy adjustment for him he is used to ovals anyway.

Bink

I saw a good part of it.

He took a hard shot, to the right door, from an ARCA car that was pinched down towards Montoya (#4 car). Montoya's car barely wiggled (off line) and then pinched car rubbed down the right side of the "4" car then sailed towards the infield...nasty wreck involving several cars.

Can't wait till he's in Cup!!
I hope Tony Stewart takes a shot at him......like he did Kenseth.

ghoffman

Naw, it is not worth wasting the beautiful workmanship that they do on the #20 car for any Ganassi car. They are in different leagues.

Bink

After Montoya's probable response maybe Tony will see the "light". Less damage to the 20 car from then..... on.

xsiveone

I think that JPM did a great job maintaining control of the car. If you watched the replays, the back end got loose and he controlled it. He may have finished third, but I wonder how he would've finished if he didn't have to make the extra extended pit stop to straighten out the bodywork because of the car running into him.

I can't believe that they called this race because they ran out of daylight. Why didn't they just start the race earlier? I thought it was pathetic! I hope that Cup isn't run this way.

JPM has plenty of experience on ovals with CART. That's not really the issue that he has to adjust to.

People want to say that OW drivers fail at NASCAR, but who can you recall has had the proper support or made the committment to the series? The closest I can see is Tony Stewart and look at his record. I think that JPM will do fine once he becomes acclimated to this type of racing.

16Again

Wow I never heard that before. I think you have your statement reversed. Nascar and the drivers love the open wheel guy's. Might want to look at Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kane, Robby Gordon, etc. All come from open wheel racing.

xsiveone

I read about it all the time. People are always talking about prominant OW drivers that have failed at NASCAR. Drivers such as Scott Pruett, Paul Tracy, Christian Fittipaldi, Adrian Fernandez, Max Papis and Jimmy Vasser. There are going to be other OW drivers that are going to "dabble" in NASCAR such as Sam Hornish Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger. I don't think that these drivers fail because they were never really given a decent opportunity in the first place. I'm sure that more of these drivers would do well if they made a commitment to NASCAR and if they were given a decent chance.

xsiveone

Read this story here.. They make mention of OW drivers failing at NASCAR.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2489273

xsiveone

How successful would Dale Jr. be in F1 if he was with Super Aguri? That's about the chance that these OW drivers were given in NASCAR.

16Again

No driver however great they are, will succeed without a great team behind them. Montoya is with Ganassi one of the great names in racing. He has a ligitimate shot at winning. Now put him with a crappy team, and he does not have a snowballs chance in hell of winning anything. Looking at what info is available, (basicly(sp) none) I think 50% of the open wheel guy's that come to Nascar are in fact successful. Either way (win or lose), i'll be rooting him on, just as I did last night.

xsiveone

I agree. I don't think that any driver has a good shot in any other series if they don't have a good car and the right personnel backing them up. That's why the comments about OW drivers failing in NASCAR pisses me off.