Texas: Montoya post race interview

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger) Top Rookie

"Two weeks ago I was happy with a 19th-place finish, and I finished eighth today and I'm a little disappointed. We made a mistake in the pits, and we really didn't lose too much. We just couldn't get going in the beginning, and that cost us a lot. We couldn't keep up with the guys in front and always had four or five backmarkers between the guys and myself. It was hard, but from there on the car was good. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge car was amazing today. Racing is racing.

"I don't know. He (Tony Stewart) just got really close to me. He got me loose. I went into him and he spun. I tried to pass him three or four times and he never gave me room. I went in a little different and got really loose, and I don't know what happened. We touched a little bit and the next I see he's spinning.

"I don't think Chip hired me to run 20th every weekend, and I didn't come here to run 20th every weekend. Is it going to happen? Yeah, it's going to happen a lot of weekends, but our aim is to run up front.

"The car got better today, and it was really good when I was in clean air in front of the leaders. Then when we were in traffic it was just way too tight. I think anybody's that's seen me race knows that (I'm not going to back down). I respect everybody. Anybody who has a run at me I'll give them enough room to race, but that's just racing."

-credit: dodge motorsports