Montoya escapes fiery crash

Homestead, Florida:

Juan Pablo Montoya learned a lot in his first Nextel Cup race: How to run in traffic, communicate with his crew and climb out of a flame-engulfed stock car ready to explode. The former Formula One and Indy Racing League star making the jump to NASCAR finished 34th in the final race of the season on Sunday, ending in a fiery spin 16 laps short of the finish after Ryan Newman nudged him from behind. He was not injured, but the wreck delayed the finish of the Ford 400 for eight minutes. Though irrelevant to the finish, it was one of the more exciting moments in the NASCAR finale that gave Jimmie Johnson his first series title. Montoya, a brash and aggressive figure on the F1 circuit, said after leaving the infield medical center that he wasn't even certain who hit him. "I really don't know what happened," Montoya said. "I think the 12 (Newman) got me in the back, but I'm not sure which car got me." The accident appeared at first to be retaliation by Newman, who was spun out by Montoya several laps earlier, bringing out a caution flag. "When (Newman) spun we didn't even touch. He came up to me and if that's what he wanted to do, I don't care," Montoya said. "I'm not racing for points or anything here. I think it was fine today." (AP)