Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR
Bogota, Columbia's Juan Pablo Montoya entered his fifth full season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series in 2011 expecting to contend for wins and a spot in the Chase. Unfortunately neither goal was met for the Target driver as Montoya spent most of the season as an also-ran.
Montoya started the season with four top 10 finishes in the first eight races of the season. However in the next 28 events, Montoya would only score four other top 10 runs. After the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire, car owner fired crew chief Brian Pattie and installed James Pohlman as Montoya's new head wrench. Still, 2011 had some good moments for the #42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing machine. Montoya notched two poles at Auto Club Speedway and at Richmond International Raceway. In addition, Montoya finished every race on the Sprint Cup schedule and completed 99.5% of all the laps ran, only 48 shore of the perfect mark.
Things were relativly quiet on the penalty side of things. Montoya was caught speeding only four times all year while his Target pit crew only cost him on one occasion for not having all the lug nuts on a wheel during a stop.
2011 Statistics For Juan Pablo Montoya
21st in Sprint Cup standings
2 top 5s
8 top 10s
Best Finish: 3rd in the Kobalt Tools 400
125 laps led
2011 Penalty Report For Juan Pablo Montoya
Race 1 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 4 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 8 - Pitting before pit road is open, Garage
Race 11 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 15 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 18 - Speed-Exiting pits, Tail of Field
Race 27 - Lug nut(s) not installed, Must Come In
Race 32 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 33 - Speed-Exiting pits, Tail of Field; Speed-Exiting pits, Tail of Field
Race 36 - Speed-Exiting pits; tail end