Watkins Glen to be final Busch race for Montoya

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Juan Montoya has started 16 of the first 23 Busch Series races this season, with a spectacular victory in Mexico City, in only his third start of the season. But Saturday's Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen will be his final start.

The 42 car's season ends while its team car, the No. 41, will finish the season with Montoya's Cup teammate Reed Sorenson sharing it with some Chip Ganassi Racing development drivers, as the owner said Montoya's development in stock cars has proceeded at an acceptable pace.

Montoya, who has three top-10 finishes in his 16 Busch races, with three top-fives and four top-10s in Cup, also won his first Nextel Cup event in the road race at Infineon Raceway in June.

"What we've done is we've been transitioning to the Car of Tomorrow and just jumping back and forth between different cars and different mindsets and setups," Ganassi said. "We've been to all the tracks now and we know what we need to do with the Cup program.

"So maybe the Busch, in terms of the remaining races with the No. 42 Busch programs, were not so paramount to his success, if you dare say he needs a learning curve."

Montoya said he's learned a lot in his transition to stock cars thanks to his time in the Busch Series.

"This is my last Busch race and I think this Busch race is going to really help me out with the Cup race," said Montoya, who practiced fourth-best in his Busch car and seventh in his Cup Dodge on Friday at Watkins Glen. "It's going to give me more track time."

And more track time gives him more chances to win, particularly this weekend.

"Is it possible [to win]? Yeah," Montoya said. "Do we have a chance to win? I would say 'yes.' The problem in NASCAR when you have a chance to win there are at least five other guys who can do that as well.

"I just see it as an opportunity to win a race. You just have to have a smooth race, have good pit stops and everything go your way and then you can win."