Where's Juan? Charlotte

After 11 races Juan Montoya is 21st in the point standings following a 23rd-place finish at Darlington two weeks ago. He is only six points out of 20th -- and 134 points out of 12th position, the final transfer position for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

"I'm pretty satisfied with a 23rd-place finish." Montoya said. " It's what I said to {crew chief Donnie] Wingo, if the car had been in one piece we'd have finished 15th, 18th maybe.

"Starting from the back hurt us, but that's what happens when you put the car in the wall during qualifying. If the car had stayed in good shape, we would have been OK.

"The No. 84 [A.J. Allmendinger] hit us and hit us and hit us again, and then I went in there behind him," Montoya added. "I let him through and he went in really slow so I went for the bottom. As soon as I went for the bottom he checked-up and run into the back of him and damaged the front. The car was never the same."

Now Montoya tackles Charlotte and the series' longest race, the Coca-Cola 500. In 11 points races, Montoya has completed 99.4 percent of the total laps; only six drivers in the top 20 that have completed more laps than Montoya. Out of 3,653 laps this season, Montoya has run 3,631 -- and has no DNFs.

He now leads the rookie of the year standings by four points over David Ragan.