MIAMI — The media and fans couldn’t get enough of Juan Pablo Montoya on Thursday night as he and his wife made their way up the red carpet for their annual fundraiser gala. It was the same way earlier in the day at a news conference in nearby Coral Gables. The circus around him was just as big Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the scene of Sunday’s Sprint Cup finale. The weekend might belong to Jimmie Johnson, who’s on the verge of an unprecedented fourth straight championship. The city belongs to Montoya. “Well, it’s actually a nightmare,” the driver of the No. 42 for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing said with a smile. “It is. It’s so many people. Everybody wants tickets. Everybody needs this. Everybody is your best friend. “But in the same token, it’s good to have that support and people paying attention.” NASCAR’s first Colombian star has an iconic following here like nowhere outside of his native country. That he makes this his home, living on three floors of a luxurious high-rise near the Viceroy Icon at Brickell Miami where he held the gala, is a factor.

Screen capture off ESPN of the starting, middle laps, finish and the winner’s interview of the NASCAR Sprint Cup PepBoys Auto 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. on Sunday, September 6, 2009 Kasey Kahne was the winner. This NASCAR event was captured off the ESPN network. It was made and is presented for entertainment purposes only. No profit or monetary gain is being made from this video and it should not be used for any financial gain. All names, logos, slogans & video are the sole property of NASCAR and the ESPN network and each retains all rights to them. Nascar features at: www.nascar.com ESPN features at espn.go.com PepBoys features at: www.pepboys.com This video was captured using an Aiptek GO-HD (720p) camcorder in DV1 mode connected to a Directv receiver then edited & rendered to a 1280 x 720 High Resolution WM9 .wmv file using Camtasia Studio 6. Although this can be viewed as a HD video, it is NOT true HD.

Screen capture off ESPN of the starting, middle laps, finish and the winner’s interview of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Sharpie 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway (Worlds Fastest Half Mile) in Bristol, Tenn. on Saturday, August 22, 2009 Kyle Busch was the winner. This NASCAR event was captured off the ESPN Channel. It was made and is presented for entertainment purposes only. No profit or monetary gain is being made from this video and it should not be used for any financial gain. All names, logos, slogans & video are the sole property of NASCAR and the ESPN network and each retains all rights to them. Nascar features at: www.nascar.com ESPN features at espn.go.com Sharpie features at: www.sharpie.com This video was captured using an Aiptek GO-HD (720p) camcorder in DV1 mode connected to a Directv receiver then edited & rendered to a 1280 x 720 High Resolution WM9 .wmv file using Camtasia Studio 6. Although this can be viewed as a HD video, it is NOT true HD.

By JENNA FRYER (AP) INDIANAPOLIS — Jimmie Johnson grabbed an improbable third victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when a speeding penalty to Juan Pablo Montoya blew Sunday’s race wide open. Montoya led 116 laps and had a 5-second lead when he headed to pit road for a routine stop with 35 laps remaining. NASCAR flagged him for speeding on his way in, and the penalty knocked him out of contention. “I swear on my children and my wife that I was not speeding!” he shouted over his radio …