Montoya believes results don't reflect his progress

NASCAR Juan Pablo Montoya says he's finally "comfortable" behind the wheel of the Car of Tomorrow. With all the emphasis on the Chase the past nine weeks, it's easy to overlook strong performances by drivers outside the top 12 in points, including Juan Pablo Montoya.

In recent weeks, Montoya has shown speed that has been missing for much of his Sprint Cup career. He said on a teleconference last week that part of the reason is that he finally has figured out the cars he has been driving, which are far different than the ones he raced as an openwheeler.

"I'm driving the car better than ever," he said. "I can push the car further than I ever have before and I think that goes a long way. I'm comfortable in the car now."

He said the frustrating part is that his results don't reflect the improved performance.

"If we would have run in the middle of the season like we are now, we probably could have made the Chase," he said.

— Rick Minter, Cox News Service