Montoya penalized for Busch run-in

During the seventh and final caution, Kyle Busch (top, No. 18) and Juan Pablo Montoya (bottom, No. 42) were involved in an incident that cost Montoya two laps for rough driving

Chris McGrath / Getty Images for NASCAR

Juan Pablo Montoya was hit with a two-lap penalty Sunday after he intentionally ran into NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Kyle Busch during a late caution period at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Montoya spun out Busch, but the move backfired when Busch's car came back across the track and hit Montoya's.

The former open-wheel star, in his second full season in NASCAR, was called to the NASCAR hauler after the race for a talking to, although officials said there would be no further penalties. The penalty dropped Montoya to 32nd place, while Busch finished 25th.

Montoya said after leaving the NASCAR hauler that he was just trying to defend himself.

"On the restart, I got around on the outside of him in turn two and he just went wide like I wasn't even there," he explained. "Then we touched each other and (I) got beside him to the next corner and he starts banging on me like he was trying to wreck me.

"I said, `OK.' I went into the corner and the wreck happened. … I thought we had a decent car today and I don't appreciate when people race me like that."

Busch said he had no idea what happened.

"I didn't turn down into him and just barely touched his quarterpanel," he said. "Then I got by him in (turns) three and four and he run me up the racetrack in the left rear. Then we came to that caution flag and he thought he beat me to the caution flag and I was just trying to get around the car in front of us there and touched him on the door. He just turned left and spun me down the front straightaway.

"I don't know what his beef is but, obviously, NASCAR should probably fix it." SI.com