Is there a feud brewing between Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya? The two drivers were none too pleased with each other after Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the two fought for track position late in the race.
Gordon was a lap down and was trying to work his way into position to get the free pass back on the lead lap, while Montoya was trying to chase down the leaders.
"I wasn't too impressed with that because as soon as he started getting to my [rear] it started getting really loose in and started losing momentum," Montoya said of the four-time Cup champion. "I couldn't believe that he did it, but I don't have anything against him. You've got to understand that he wants to get his lap back, and he did."
And that was the point, Gordon said.
"We were a lap down, and had the caution come out then we would have just gotten our lap back that way, but what happened was the caution wasn't coming," Gordon said. "We had long green-flag runs, so I had to drive to the front. So anybody that was holding me up, then I was going to try to pass him.
"I think that one thing he'll learn over time is that when you have a lapped car that eager, you give it up. If you're catching the guy it's a little bit different, but he was just sitting there in that position. He wasn't making any ground. ... My car was too good, and I had to start trying to get to the front to get that lap back."
Montoya, though, said he was catching Matt Kenseth.
"I was getting to Matt," Montoya said. "I thought we were catching Matt a little bit and a little bit, and Jeff caught me and started running behind me, and it was getting me really loose in.
"I started losing the whole momentum, and he was starting to run beside me every straight. I don't know what he was doing. I don't know if he was racing with [Kyle Busch] to try to get the lucky dog. That kind of screwed us a little bit, but I guess he's trying to do his own race as well."
Gordon was a lap down and was trying to work his way into position to get the free pass back on the lead lap, while Montoya was trying to chase down the leaders.
"I wasn't too impressed with that because as soon as he started getting to my [rear] it started getting really loose in and started losing momentum," Montoya said of the four-time Cup champion. "I couldn't believe that he did it, but I don't have anything against him. You've got to understand that he wants to get his lap back, and he did."
And that was the point, Gordon said.
"We were a lap down, and had the caution come out then we would have just gotten our lap back that way, but what happened was the caution wasn't coming," Gordon said. "We had long green-flag runs, so I had to drive to the front. So anybody that was holding me up, then I was going to try to pass him.
"I think that one thing he'll learn over time is that when you have a lapped car that eager, you give it up. If you're catching the guy it's a little bit different, but he was just sitting there in that position. He wasn't making any ground. ... My car was too good, and I had to start trying to get to the front to get that lap back."
Montoya, though, said he was catching Matt Kenseth.
"I was getting to Matt," Montoya said. "I thought we were catching Matt a little bit and a little bit, and Jeff caught me and started running behind me, and it was getting me really loose in.
"I started losing the whole momentum, and he was starting to run beside me every straight. I don't know what he was doing. I don't know if he was racing with [Kyle Busch] to try to get the lucky dog. That kind of screwed us a little bit, but I guess he's trying to do his own race as well."
as he can't wait around for a free pass at Atlanta.
