This is the week for him to make the first big move, given that the three drivers immediately ahead of him in the standings haven't exactly demonstrated mastery of the 1.99-mile road course. David Reutimann (13th in the standings) finished 40th at Infineon in his only start (2008). Jeff Burton (12th) has an average finish of 18.9 there, and Matt Kenseth has struggled to an average result of 21.8.

“With the double-file restart, it's going to be a little bit crazier than normal there,” Montoya said. “We've just got to go out there and see what we can do.”

Given that the racing line at Infineon isn't wide enough to accommodate side-by-side racing up the hill through Turns 2 and 3 (the highest elevation on the course), Infineon will be the first real test of NASCAR's new restart policy. In the past, road-course races have restarted single-file.

But if anyone has the skill to negotiate the minefield through the first few corners, it's Montoya.

Don't be surprised if the points report after next Sunday's race shows Montoya among the top twelve.

In fact, you can bet on it.

by Reid Spencer/Sporting News