Where the Raybestos Rookies finished at Talladega:
Montoya 15th
Reutimann 22nd
Ragan 34th
Menard 38th
DAVID RAGAN, No. 6 AAA TRAVEL FORD: “I got into the 17 just a little bit when everybody was checking-up. I don’t know what happened in front of those guys. I felt like we had just a little bit of damage right there and then I guess that was Reutimann that came across the track and I hit him. I wish we could have got slowed up a little quicker but things happen like that when you’re running in a pack that close together. It was pretty uneventful. You know, you had to have a lot of help to do anything, basically normal Talladega racing. You just had to ride around and wait for some help. I felt like we had a good enough car where we could move up a little bit, just needed some time.” IT SEEMED LIKE YOUR PLAN WAS TO PLAY IT COOL IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE RACE AND TRY TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. “Yeah, I guess we should have waited a few more laps, huh? [smiles].”
PAUL MENARD, No. 15 MENARDS/PEAK CHEVROLET: YOU RAN IN THE TOP-15 ALL DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? “Just plate racing, you know. We had a good car, just riding around. It’s pretty silly when you’re running 15th and you’re half-throttle all the way around the track. That’s not really racing. We had a strong car and we were just kind of riding around and just got caught up in something. I just saw the 43 turned dead sideways. I don’t know if he lost a tire or if he got turned, but he just went dead sideways. I stayed in the throttle. I knew if I lifted I was going to get run over so I stayed in the throttle and tried to beat ‘em before he came back up. And it was close but we were on the losing end.” HOW WAS THE COT HERE TODAY? “The cars are real awesome. They drafted really good. Can’t see anything out of ‘em but they have a ton of grip. There’s no ill-handling cars out there.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA IN THE No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE WAS THE TOP RAYBESTOS ROOKIE AT TALLADEGA.
Notes:
Montoya finished 15th in today’s race at Talladega. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 13th time this season and for the second time in the last three races.
David Reutimann was the only Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in today’s race, holding the top spot once for two laps. Reutimann has led twice in two races this season for a total of three laps. He led once for one lap at California Speedway (race No. 25).
The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in four restrictor plate races this season was fifth by David Ragan in the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (race No. 1).
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE: “I got a little bit shuffled out and my teammates, they were coming behind and closed the door. They didn’t help me. That was very helpful. We finished. What else can you ask for at a place like this?” DID YOU HAVE ANY SURPRISES TODAY WITH THESE CARS? “No. It was probably easier than with the old ones.” WERE YOU CLOSE TO ANY OF THE ACCIDENTS TODAY? “I was always up front so it was fine. For us it was pretty smooth.”
DONNIE WINGO, CREW CHIEF, No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE: YOU GOT SHUFFLED OUT THERE AT THE END BUT YOU HAD A GOOD, CLEAN RACE TODAY. “Yeah, but you’re supposed to have people out there that’s supposed to help you once in a while, not always be on the other side of it and that’s just the way we always are here at these plate races. I don’t know why they can’t work together. You’ve got these other guys that stick together to the end, no matter what, and our guys spread out like a bunch of bees. I don’t know what they do.” IS THAT JUST A CHARACTERISTIC OF RESTRICTOR PLATE RACING? “I don’t know. It’s just
hard to tell. This is the first time for one of these COT races at these places and you kind of live and learn. There at the end we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were kind of stuck by ourself so that’s just one of those deals.”
