Risky fuel strategy lifts Montoya to first Cup victory

SONOMA, Calif. -- The way Nextel Cup drivers have been conserving fuel lately, you'd think they were paying outrageous prices at the pump like the rest of us.

Montoya's gamble works out: 'I was just being very patient on the throttle and it paid off.' (Getty Images)

Last month, Casey Mears earned his first career Cup Series victory when he was able to win the fuel-mileage battle at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Two weeks ago, it was Jeff Gordon and crew chief Steve Letarte outsmarting Mother Nature with fuel strategy to pick up the checkered flag in the rain-shortened Pocono 500.

Sunday, it was Juan Pablo Montoya's turn to roll the dice on gas mileage when he was able to coax a few extra laps out of his final fuel stop and score his first Cup win at the Infineon Raceway.

The former open-wheel star -- who joined Mario Andretti as the only two drivers to win a Nextel Cup race, a Formula One race and the Indianapolis 500 -- was known for his hard-charging and aggressive style.

But Montoya has figured out that patience is a virtue in NASCAR-land, and that sometimes slowing down is the best way to make it to Victory Lane. "I was third with 20 laps to go," Montoya said. "I didn't want to finish third, but I was trying to save fuel. ... I was just being very patient on the throttle and it paid off."

Montoya has learned well from team owner Chip Ganassi and crew chief Donnie Wingo, who has become a mentor to the Colombian driver in his rookie NASCAR season.

"He saved enough fuel to make it, because we had it figured to be like a lap short," Wingo said. "He did a great job on saving fuel, everybody did a good job on the stops and the motor shop did a great job. Without the fuel mileage, we'd have never made it."

But while Montoya and Wingo were celebrating in Victory Lane, other drivers were disappointed at the day's turn of events after being bitten by the fuel bug.

Jamie McMurray, who surprised many by winning the pole for Sunday's race, looked like he was headed to his second win and first checkered flag in nearly five years. But after being passed by Montoya for the top spot in the waning laps as he tried to conserve fuel, McMurray's Ford finally sputtered to a stop and a 37th-place finish.

Robby Gordon led the most laps on Sunday, staying in front for 48 of the first 69 laps, but had only a 16th-place finish to show for the effort when he was caught on the wrong side of the fuel-mileage game.

"It's just disappointing that fuel strategy makes a difference of a race win or not," said Gordon, who has three career Nextel Cup wins, two coming on road courses.

"I only stopped two times. The other guys only stopped two. They stopped seven laps before us under that caution. Tony (Stewart) stayed out, Junior stayed out and I stayed out and we couldn't make it.  I don't know how they made it, but they made it."