Where's Juan? Daytona

Juan Montoya has a new car, a year of experience with crew chief Donnie Wingo and a better take on what Cup Series racing is all about this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

Compared to last year, that's a full house. In 2007, Montoya came to Daytona in an old-style Dodge, with Wingo as his crew chief for the first time. He started the race 36th and finished 19th, which isn't half bad considering he'd never raced the oval there before.

High expectations

Juan Montoya gradually came of age last season as a Cup Series rookie, and now he has his sights set on the Chase.

• Complete story, click here
• Montoya helps Franchitti

This year, the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year has high hopes of challenging for race victories on ovals as well as road courses and for the Sprint Cup title.

Following his second consecutive triumph with Chip Ganassi Racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Montoya went testing at Las Vegas, shaking down the No. 42 Texaco/Wrigley's Dodge for the 1.5-mile tracks that pop up on the schedule. The results were spectacular, as Montoya practiced faster than the track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Colombian eclipsed the previous benchmark set by Kasey Kahne last season in qualifying for the Cup event at the venue. Montoya was the only driver to lap the 1.5-mile oval in less than 29 seconds with a lap of 28.914 seconds at an average speed of 186.761 mph, at the wheel of the No. 42 Dodge Charger.

"We've had good tests," Montoya said. "We've had a good start of the year and everyone in the team is really motivated to keep winning, but have to wait and see where we are when the season starts. For us what matters is moving forwards from where we ended last season."

Qualifying at Daytona

Montoya timed in 42nd of 53 cars this past Sunday and will start the second Gatorade Duel 150 in 21st place. Though he's already locked into the field by virtue of his 20th-place point standing at the end of the 2007 season, he was hoping for much better.

"We were a lot better than this in practice," he said. "We thought we could be in the top 15 in qualifying ... I don't know what happened."

As for the 500, Montoya is hoping for a solid run the first time out with the new car, but understands that it's not always up to him.

"It's really hard to say that we're going to have a great Daytona 500 or we're going to struggle at it in the Texaco/Havoline Dodge," he said. "Hopefully we have a really good one and everything goes really smooth and well. At the same time some things in these races are completely out of your hands. That is part of the excitement of it; you just don't know what will happen."

Having won the Indianapolis 500, seven Formula One Grand Prix and major events all over the world, how does the Daytona 500 fit in Montoya's view?

"The Daytona 500 is way up there on the list. It's always a big race. There are maybe three or four races in the world and you always want to be in them. I've always run pretty well in those pressure-filled, high-profile races and I think I can make something happen here.

"I think it's a really cool race. I think the fans make it what it is more than we make it what it is and that is what's so great about this sport."

Where's Juan? Tidbits

• Texaco/Havoline, sponsor for Montoya and the No. 42 race team, is provided race fans the opportunity to meet its driver and crew at a local Orlando area Texaco station. Montoya and the team pumped fuel and checked tire pressures for patrons at the Texaco fuel stop on 4115 Town Center Blvd., in Orlando, Fla.

• Fans also have the opportunity to win various prizes including: gift cards, autographed Montoya photographs, hats, T-shirts and numerous other Texaco/Havoline No. 42 race team merchandise.

• Wingo celebrates his birthday Wednesday at Daytona. Wingo and several of his team members spent two days with Montoya and his family at Universal Studios on Monday and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on Tuesday.

• Tag Team: Montoya and teammate Reed Sorenson each managed a tag team pair for a Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling match on Monday, Feb. 11. Montoya and Sorenson, along with Hermie Sadler and Jimmie Spencer, headed to Universal Studios for the television taping for TNA iMPACT! which will air Thursday, Feb. 14, on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET). Montoya teamed with LAX (the Latin America Exchange) and had a surprise impact on the outcome of the match.

• Wingo and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team brought chassis 750 to Daytona for the first race at the 2.5-mile track in the new car. Montoya piloted this chassis last season at Talladega Superspeedway where he finished the 188-lap contest in the 15th position. Montoya and the team also tested this chassis in February, and while it wasn't the quicker of the two cars they brought to Florida, it was the most stable and drafted the best.