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McMurray wins Brickyard 400 after Montoya falters
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By Jenna Fryer
July 25, 2010
Indianapolis, IN — Juan Pablo Montoya once again had victory within reach at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Then questionable strategy cost him first the lead, and ultimately the race.
The benefactor of Sunday’s gaffe was Jamie McMurray, Montoya’s teammate at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, who earned a spot in the history books with his surprise victory.
McMurray joined Jimmie Johnson (2006) and Dale Jarrett (1996) as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and The Brickyard 400 in the same season by capitalizing on Montoya’s collapse.
The victory also gave team owner Chip Ganassi a rare trifecta: He’s the only car owner to win the Daytona 500, The Brickyard and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season.
“I need oxygen!” the jubilant car owner said from pit road.
Montoya led 86 of the 160 laps, but gave up the lead when a debris caution with 23 laps remaining sent the field to pit road. Crew chief Brian Pattie called for four tires, but the first six drivers off pit road only took two.
The strategy put McMurray out front on the restart with 18 laps left, while Montoya was mired back in seventh. Trying hard to force his Chevrolet through traffic and back to the front, he lost control and crashed hard into the wall with 15 laps left.
Kevin Harvick slid past McMurray at about the same moment to take over the lead, but caution was called for Montoya’s wreck, and McMurray moved back out front on the restart with 11 laps remaining.
While Montoya, who drove his battered car directly to the garage and declined comment, was fuming in the motorhome lot, McMurray was sailing to victory in his second crown jewel race of the season. Montoya, who started from the pole Sunday, led 116 laps last year until a late speeding penalty cost him the victory.
He wound up 32nd after Sunday’s crash.
Harvick finished second for Richard Childress Racing, Greg Biffle was third in a Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing and was followed by RCR’s Clint Bowyer and two-time Brickyard winner Tony Stewart.
Jeff Burton, the third RCR entry, was sixth. Carl Edwards in a Ford was seventh and was followed by Kyle Busch in the highest-finishing Toyota, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano and Kurt Busch, who in 10th was the highest-finishing Dodge.
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