HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Juan Pablo Montoya has made a habit at winning rookie of the year titles in whatever series he competes in and continued that trend by winning the Raybestos rookie title in NASCAR Nextel Cup in 2007.
He finished 15th in Sunday’s Ford 400.
“I think we learned a lot,” said Montoya, winner of the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and the winningest driver in seven Formula One Grand Prix events. “We can qualify well and have good runs, but it’s hard. Today we had a decent car all day; we just couldn’t make it any better. We tried all kinds of things. That’s all we had.”
Now that the driver from Colombia has successfully made the transition to stock cars, he plans on finishing better than 20th in points in 2008.
“I think we are going to start a lot better,” Montoya said. “I think as a whole team we need to improve a lot of things. The Dodge was a pretty good car all year long. I’m just looking ahead to next season.”
Montoya finished his rookie season with one win, three top-five and six top-10 finishes for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
“I would think we’re really getting the hang of it,” Montoya said. “We’re running pretty competitive.  I think there is still a ways to go. The main thing is I learned to bring the car home every week. Whether it’s 35th or first, bring it home.  That’s very important.”

• Three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish, Jr. finished his second-straight Nextel Cup race but struggled to a 37th-place finish, 13 laps down to the leaders.
“Well, I have twice as much Cup experience as I had last week,” said Hornish, who won the 2006 Indianapolis 500. “Every time I go out that is that much more.
“I’m really happy that the team gave me the opportunity to do this this year and get started. It’s going to be a long uphill process, but we’ve got a goal in mind and hopefully we get there.”

• Robert Yates, owner of the No. 38 and No. 88 Ford Fusions driven by David Gilliland and Ricky Rudd, officially retired at the end of Sunday’s Ford 400. 
“I’m very mixed,” Yates said. “I probably cry about 50 percent of the time and get excited about the things I could possibly do and get excited about. I still have to get through tomorrow.
“In my life, I’ve never quit a job at the end of the year. When my heart goes away, my tail sort of leaves.  It’s hard to keep your tail in this deal when your heart is gone, and I think that my heart is going to miss it.  I’ve watched this my entire life. There are times when you can run over that old guy in front of you or he’s stopping to move over. When it’s all said and done, I’ve had 40 wonderful years working on cars and I’ve enjoyed every day.”

• Dale Earnhardt, Jr. announced Brad Keselowski will be his driver at JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. The United States Navy will be the team’s sponsor.
“We are excited to announce that we’re signing a two-year deal with Brad Keselowski as our driver,” Earnhardt said. “We are hoping to give this guy all the equipment and success he needs to find himself wherever he wishes to be and reach the goals that he wishes to obtain in his driving career.”
Keselowski, 23, was recruited to join the Navy team midway through the 2007 season. In 13 starts in the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet, he has accumulated five top-10s and eight top-15 finishes.

• Tony Stewart sounds like most drivers when he was asked if he is ready for NASCAR’s long season to come to an end.
“I think everybody is,” said the two-time Cup champion. “It has been a long year for everybody. We’re obviously not in the position we want to be in this time of year. The only way to get to the next chapter is to start the next chapter.  You do that by ending this year and starting next year.
“It has just been weird to me. The bad luck we have had, that is the thing. I have never seen us have some of the stupid things that have happened this year. Some of them have been self-inflicted. I have been busted for speeding on pit lane twice this year, that is something, I mean, I have sped twice in eight years. I made the mistake. It was just little things here and they’re things that just weren’t things this team is accustomed to.”
It will also be Stewart’s final race in a Chevrolet as Joe Gibbs Racing switches to Toyota next season.
“Yes, that is bittersweet,” he said. “I have had a great relationship with them obviously. Last week, we won the national sprint car championship with them. It is exciting on that side, and then a week later we are running our last Cup race with them.”

• Roush Fenway Racing announced Colin Braun will drive the No. 6 Ford F-150 in the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The 18-year-old driver, who will be sponsored by Con-way Freight, will be making the transition from sports cars to stock cars.