Montoya and Kimball disagree, both critical of race control
After a frantic IndyCar race at Barber, multiple drivers were left with something to say when the checkered flag flew.
Juan Pablo Montoya, Penske Racing Chevrolet
Covy Moore
It was a day full of fast and furious racing for the Verizon IndyCar Series and it wasn’t a race without controversy at Barber Motorsports Park.
Kimball didn’t give me a freaking inch, then why am I going to give him an inch after he turns into me and hits the hell out of me?
Juan Pablo Montoya
Power gets into Sato
Coming off of the first round of pitstops. Will Power exited the pits and drove straight to the racing line. Unfortunately for Power, Takuma Sato was occupying the line that Power was attempting to reach and the two collided.
Power was assessed a drive-through penalty down pit lane, for which he didn’t know why he received one.
“I didn’t even see what happened in that penalty. I just felt a hit from behind. I thought I was clear, I looked in my mirror, it’s hard to see but that’s racing,” Power explained to Motorsport.com.
Sato’s front wing was damaged and ultimately finished 17th while Power rebounded to place fourth.
Duel spin
Later on in the race, Stefano Coletti and James Jakes had a coming together in turn five when Coletti attempted to overtake Jakes. He got his left front wheel on the grass and hit Jakes, sending both spinning.
Coletti was given also handed a drive-through penalty and finished 19th, with Jakes 22nd after the fuel hose wouldn’t work on one of his stops.
Montoya and Kimball not seeing eye-to-eye
Another incident of note took place around turns 8 and 9 where Juan Pablo Montoya muscled Charlie Kimball out of the way. Both drivers took opposing views of the incident when Motorsport.com spoke with them.
“Well, he hit me I think earlier in five, maybe and then hit me in 8, and then I gave him room at the apex and then at the exit he just hit me again and drove me off. It was a little frustrating, […] going into 8 is always a tough place to pass,” said Kimball.
Montoya saw things a bit differently.
“I got inside of Kimball clean, and kimball didn’t give me a freaking inch, then why am I going to give him an inch after he turns into me and hits the hell out of me?”
“Well, he [Kimball] tried to stay around the outside of somebody, I have no idea why you’d try that on 8, got in all the dirt, I got inside of him and he turned like I wasn’t there. Honestly I don’t think he even saw me, but then after he hit me, he tried to stay around the outside and I wasn’t in a willing, giving mood,” Montoya said.
Critical of race control
“You try to pass people, and IndyCar says that you’re not supposed to react to their movement and everybody does, everybody breaks your wing and IndyCar doesn’t say anything,” Montoya said.
Kimball was more focused on inconsistency of those in control of the race.
“I’ve got to talk to the race director because there was a piece of debris on the front straight at Long Beach and they didn’t call a yellow. There’s a piece of debris on the back straight at St. Pete and they didn’t call a yellow. There’s a piece of debris here, and they call a yellow!"
"I don’t understand. I’ve got to go figure out what they’re thinking, because it’s obviously not what we’ve been told or what we’re thinking so we’ll make that better, and the 41 car passed me before the green coming into 17 and he got a warning for being out of line. Where, in the drivers meetings they say you’ve got to be in line, nose to tail until the green comes out, and he wasn’t, and that’s a warning?”
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