AVONDALE, Louisiana – Combine a weekend of heavy rain as INDYCAR officials were fortunate to get in the race along with an outbreak of “Yellow Fever” on the race course and Team Verizon’s Juan Pablo Montoya is more than happy to take the Verizon IndyCar Series points lead as he heads to Long Beach.
Montoya started on the pole of Sunday’s Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana after qualifications were washed out on Saturday when entrant points set the 24-car field. He led the first 13 laps of the race under wet conditions and was in front twice for 31 laps.
The “Yellow Fever” outbreak began on Lap 16 when rookie Gabby Chaves spun out in Turn 4 and from that point until the checkered flag on Lap 47 there were just six laps contested under the green flag – no more than two laps at a time of actual high-speed racing.
In the end, James Hinchcliffe was able to conserve fuel to win the race after making just one pit stop. Montoya finished fifth and continues to lead the Verizon IndyCar Series points with the focus shifting from the Louisiana Swamps to the California Coast for Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“I had the pace and I wasn’t even killing myself at that pace,” Montoya said of his time up front on rain tires. “If I pushed a little they told me to start saving fuel and as I started saving fuel I got a little closer. I thought I could push really hard on Firestone Reds (alternate tires) and make laps times and that was nice. I don’t know if it was me or the car but I am able to make good track time when the track is tricky.
“We got the race in. I got a top-five out of this. I lucked in Saturday with the qualifying. We got a win and a pole after two races and two top-fives, leading the points, it’s good.”
Montoya said the backstraight had a river flowing across it during the race and that was a hazard after if formed a puddle.
“It was the same for everybody,” he said. “Getting to the start/finish line was a little tricky, especially when they said to run quicker.”
Montoya has competed in three races at Long Beach including two in CART in 1999 and 2000. He won it as a rookie in 1999 and finished 19th in 2000 after his engine overheated.
He returned to IndyCar racing in 2014 and fourth at Long Beach in just his second race at Team Penske after a lengthy absence from IndyCar racing.
“I don’t believe in confidence; I believe if we go there and do the job we’ll do well and if not then we won’t,” Montoya said. “Every time you go there thinking you will kick their butt then they will kick your butt 20 times over. I’ll just drive the car and see what happens.”
Montoya, every the pragmatist, will take the points lead but at this stage of the season he keeps it in perspective.
“There are 15 races to go and the points lead doesn’t mean anything other than we are going in the right direction,” he said.