Not only does the race at New Hampshire mark the first race for #42-Juan Pablo Montoya in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, it also marks his 100th career start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Montoya wasted no time making his presence known in the NASCAR world after transitioning from open-wheel cars to the NSCS. Montoya became the first Latino to win in NASCAR’s premier Series and capture the Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year title in his inaugural season. Over the course of three years, Montoya has tallied one pole, one win, seven top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Montoya will also celebrate his 34th birthday on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (EGR) with a chance to become only the THIRD driver ever in Sprint Cup to win on their birthday [Cale Yarborough did it twice and Kyle Busch once, this past May at Richmond].(9-17-2009)
