Where's Juan? Texas

Hopes were high for Juan Montoya and the No. 42 team heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Montoya's first top-five finish in Nextel Cup.

But quickly things turned dark that Halloween weekend. After qualifying 21st and working his way into the top 15 by Lap 30, things went bad quick as he radioed in a vibration on Lap 31. Just two laps later, Montoya's fears were realized as he blew his right-front tire as he was getting ready to come down pit road.

After getting the car fixed and falling a lap down, Montoya was in 41st when the right-front exploded for a second time. Montoya took his car to the garage and spent the next 40 laps there while crew chief Donnie Wingo and the rest of the No. 42 team made repairs.

When everything was said and done in Atlanta, Montoya finished 34th and fell to 20th in the points standings.

"That was a really disappointing day," Montoya said. "The car was really good and I was actually taking it easy at the start of the race to conserve the tires. We definitely had a car capable of running of front. If you look where my teammate [Reed Sorenson] finished, the Texaco/Havoline Dodge was as good as his."

Montoya still leads David Ragan for rookie of the year and as the series shifts to Texas, it's another track where Montoya has found success.

In the spring race, qualifying was washed out by rain so Montoya started 16th, based on his position in the standings. He was able to stay in the top 10 most of the day and finished eighth, his second top-10 on the season.

Crew chief Donnie Wingo and the No. 42 team are bringing chassis #707 to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, the same chassis they finished second with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.