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Mears switches to No. 30 Dodge, must qualify on time for Ford 400
Chip Ganassi Racing has moved Juan Montoya to the No. 42 Dodge for the Nextel Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
Montoya, who will be making his Cup debut, is now guaranteed a spot in the field based on owner points.
Casey Mears will try to qualify Ganassi's No. 30 Dodge. Mears is leaving the team after the race to join Hendrick Motorsports as driver of the No. 25 Chevrolet.
Last week at Phoenix, Ganassi said the team was considering the move. "A lot of it has to do with how many other cars that are entered and who has a better shot at qualifying,'' Ganassi said. "Obviously Casey [Mears] is a great qualifier, but we haven't even broached that subject."
Montoya has run in the last three Busch Series races at Memphis, Texas and Phoenix, finishing 11th, 28th and 20th, respectively. Ganassi said one of the biggest issues has been getting Montoya in and out of the pits in a "competitive manner.''
"You can have the fastest car there and if we can't get out of the pits you might as well not even be there,'' he said. "We've got to get the rest of the team organized around it. This has all come on pretty quick about putting him in a Cup race and everything."
Chip Ganassi Racing has moved Juan Montoya to the No. 42 Dodge for the Nextel Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
Montoya, who will be making his Cup debut, is now guaranteed a spot in the field based on owner points.
Casey Mears will try to qualify Ganassi's No. 30 Dodge. Mears is leaving the team after the race to join Hendrick Motorsports as driver of the No. 25 Chevrolet.
Last week at Phoenix, Ganassi said the team was considering the move. "A lot of it has to do with how many other cars that are entered and who has a better shot at qualifying,'' Ganassi said. "Obviously Casey [Mears] is a great qualifier, but we haven't even broached that subject."
Montoya has run in the last three Busch Series races at Memphis, Texas and Phoenix, finishing 11th, 28th and 20th, respectively. Ganassi said one of the biggest issues has been getting Montoya in and out of the pits in a "competitive manner.''
"You can have the fastest car there and if we can't get out of the pits you might as well not even be there,'' he said. "We've got to get the rest of the team organized around it. This has all come on pretty quick about putting him in a Cup race and everything."
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