Montoya was a 'hit' at Loudon

BY ROGER DIEZ

Appeal Motorsports Columnist

NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Juan Pablo Montoya lost two laps to a penalty call after last Sunday's race at Loudon, N.H., but he gained millions of fans. If you didn't see it, Montoya admitted on national television that he deliberately hit bad boy Kyle Busch under caution, because he just got tired of Busch's antics on the track. I'm sure that not only millions of fans, but a good portion of the NASCAR garage area applauded the move, even though NASCAR officials were duty-bound to penalize it.

I recall being at Las Vegas Speedway about 10 years ago and hearing a chorus of boos for Jeff Gordon during driver introductions, just like they are heard for Kyle Busch this season. The difference is that fans were upset with Gordon because he was winning too much, at the expense of Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Busch is also winning a lot of races and leading the point standings, but it's more his driving tactics than his winning that has fans and fellow competitors upset. Will Montoya's attempt at discipline make any difference in Busch's driving style? I seriously doubt it. But if such incidents start becoming more commonplace and involve more drivers, maybe the message will sink in.

- A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that race teams were beginning to feel the pinch of the current poor economy. I was expecting some of the smaller, less-financed teams to go by the wayside, but I was as surprised as anyone by the news that Chip Ganassi has shut down Dario Franchitti's No. 40 Sprint Cup team. "Lack of sponsorship funding" was the reason cited, with Ganassi elaborating that he wasn't prepared to finance the team by himself. The fact that Franchitti was out of the top 35 in points and has been failing to qualify on a regular basis was probably a factor as well.

The move will idle approximately 75 mechanics, fabricators, engineers, managers, etc., and will very likely not be the last team to be shut down this year. It was not entirely clear at press time whether Franchitti would continue in the No. 40 Nationwide Dodge, currently sponsored by Fastenal. Franchitti is the second of the open-wheel invaders to drop out of Cup this year. Jacques Villeneuve barely got started in his NASCAR career when his sponsorship fell through early in the season.

- Speaking of open-wheel drivers, the "old man" of Formula 1, David Coulthard, announced that he is retiring at the end of the season. Although he will no longer actively compete in F1, Coulthard left the door open as far as other series.

"I will remain actively involved in the sport as a consultant to Red Bull Racing focusing on testing and development of the cars," the Scot said. "I have an open mind as to whether or not I will compete again in the future, in some other form of motorsport, so I am definitely not hanging up my helmet."

Hmmmm, maybe we'll see David and Scott Speed in Red Bull Sprint Cup cars in 2009?

- If you missed the Rolex Sports Car race from Daytona on Thursday night, you missed a barnburner. In the closest finish in series history, Scott Pruett passed Alex Gurney for the win coming off the last corner in a one-lap shootout. The margin of victory was .08 seconds.

But for me, there was a pleasant surprise after the race, when SPEEDTV switched to the "American Muscle Car" show. I was instantly transported back in time, as the 1969 Trans-Am race from Laguna Seca flashed up on the screen. I was on my honeymoon for that race, flagging at Turn 3 while my new bride watched the race from the infield. Thirty-nine years later I'm still involved with racecars, and still have the same bride.

- If you want to avoid the heat this weekend, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside with the air conditioning and the TV both cranked up to high. Tonight is the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona for the Sprint Cup cars; Sunday at 5 a.m. is the British Grand Prix from Silverstone runs; and at 12:30 p.m. Sunday is the Indy Car race from Watkins Glen. Enjoy!