Juan Pablo Montoya nips Jimmie Johnson early at Darlington
It was as if Fox wanted blood in the water Saturday night, leading the telecast of the Southern 500 with review of the Richmond run in between Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya. Did Newman really punch Montoya Friday? Was there more payback coming?
By Lap 85, Montoya delivered — but Newman was nowhere to be found.
Instead, it was Montoya nudging Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 into a Turn 1 spin-and-save and his crew chief Chad Knaus into the role of accuser.
"Can somebody tell me what I did wrong there?" Johnson asked via his in-car radio after gathering the car from the spin.
"He's a douchebag, just pissed off at the world," Knaus fired back.
Five-time didn't lose a lap in the exchange, but would later lose one after he spun exiting Turn 4 on Lap 222. Johnson rallied back to the lead lap and finished 15th.
For Montoya's part, he apologized for the contact over the radio.
"Tell him I apologize, but I let him go and then he just stopped in the middle of the corner," Montoya said.
Knaus wasn't buying it.
"I can tell you right now he's a way better driver than that. There's no apology there," Knaus said.
Newman and Montoya, if you're still wondering, didn't appear to have an issue throughout Darlington's treacherous 500 miles. Montoya finished 23rd, two laps down and likely pretty thankful for Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch's post-race shenanigans.
