Montoya

[JohnMickish]

Anybody think he can run as good in the 500 as he did in the 150?

I think so.

[Meaney]

Im going to say no, I think that maybe next year he will come around, but this year he will be average/below average.

[VMS]

I disagree. He was in the middle of 3 wide and did just fine, moved up to the front, held the lead, and did very well in the draft.

By season's end, he will have a win under his belt. He's adjusted VERY well already...and he is only going to get better..

Steve

[harvey lee]

Its one thing to run good in a 150, but in the 500 with many pit stops and more things to happen around him, I believe he will have some issues. I say he wont finish in the top 25.

[eyepatrol]

My guess - if he finishes the race, he finishes in the top 10.

[Sifty]

I'm with HL there is a big differenct between the two races.

We have all seen what can happen if you have a ill handling car. Plus being a rookie he will have a hard time finding and staying with a drafting partner.

Sifty

[lawdog]

The lack of drafting help MAY be an issue, but if you've got a fast car, people will need to ride with you at some point.

The pit stops may be a bigger issue as these will be his first in a stock car at a plate track with tiny brakes and tall tall gears.

The guy is a world class wheel man though, he WILL adjust to these cars and they will finish the season higher than where Mears did last year in that car...

[HOF#13]

Good question...I think if he can avoid the inevitable accident, he could finish in the top 15. He is still going to have to earn some respect among the driver's out there. I think he is off to a pretty good start though.

[harvey lee]

One big issue he has is the other drivers will not feel safe around him and will probably not race with him. It takes a few races before many will draft and race with you on a plate track. One needs to prove thier skills in NASCAR.

[Harmonica Bear]

The 500 is pretty much a dump shoot. It's a plate race, and for the most part, pit stops, team mates, drafting help etc. don't mean squat until the last 20 - 10 laps. Then everybody, but the top 2-5-7 cars, starts to mix it up and anything, and I mean anything can happen. Montoya, who I have been somewhat surprised by, could follow the right guy right up to a top 5, or just as easily get hung out to dry and end up 25th on the last lap. There are certain guys that just got the knack for plate racing (20,24,8), but other than that it's dump shoot where you finish unless you're leading and even then you're darn near a sitting duck on the white flag lap... I think Montoya will do pretty darn good this year, but you can’t judge too much on a plate track. Remember when the 88 (Jarret) (and I think the 20 did once or twice) used to just ride around in the back of the pack until there was like 20 to go. They move up once or twice during the race just to check handling and then just fade back and ride around until the end?

[harvey lee]

Thats all true but one has to remember about speeding in the pits, and going past pit box and all the other things that can happen to place a driver down a lap or more. In cup,he is a riookie even though he may have done very well in another series. He will probably do better than a rookie with no expierence but he hasnt many laps and races under his belt in a CUP car.

[Harmonica Bear]

Good points HL, and the plate race-lap down scenario, except for lucky dogs, once you're a lap down, you can only hope for the big one, engine malfunction, or lack of talent attrition to improve position.

[JohnMickish]

Pits stops will definitly be his downfall. You guys have to remember, he is not a rookie, he is only new to full bodied cars. He's not some 19 year old kid that has been put on an accelerated schedule to get to cup racing. I'd even go so far as to say he is going down the ladder to race in cup. Plus, he has a few things that Tony and Jeff don't have, an Indy 500 win and a few F1 wins.

I think you doubters will be surprized as he is probably one of the top 5 drivers in the world. To bad he isn't in a Roush Ford.

[eyehead]

Gotta agree with mnfishinguy, this guy's going to be the real deal. It might take a little while to adjust to the car but this guy can drive no matter what he's in.

[Meaney]

well for one, i would hate it if montoya were a roush driver!

and secondly, how can you not say he is a rookie? that would be like me playing in the NFL for 10 years then switching to MLB and not being called a rookie, just because i had 'sports experience'. nascar and indy, yea both car racing, but 2 different sports.

[harvey lee]

I'll agree he is more than likely going to do very well in NASCAR, but the learning curve is still there, just maybe a little less than others.

[anyfishwilldo]

The one thing I would be concerned with him is tire wear. He is used to a light car with huge tires, and now he is in a heavier car with small tires. Totally different way of driving. If he can figure out how not to burn off his tires, he should fare OK. Probably top 15.

[Meaney]

my prediction for today is, montoya 27th