Montoya is getting the handle on stock car racing

“As a car to drive, from the things I’ve driven, it handles horrible. The old car did as well,’’ said Montoya of the Car of Tomorrow and the previous Cup vehicle.

Before his migration to NASCAR, Montoya commanded the cockpit of the multimillion-dollar BMW Williams rocket ship. When Montoya stepped on the gas, the lightweight Formula One machine sprinted with a fury. When he stomped on the brakes, the car stopped in an instant. When he turned the wheel, the car jerked to the side while its tires kept its clutches on the track.

Just about none of that stuff applies in NASCAR.

The car handles like a dump truck. It requires touch, especially at a flat track such as New Hampshire Motor Speedway, to go fast on the straightaways, slow down in the corners, rotate the car, and power through the turn. But for all those drawbacks, Montoya is having more fun in NASCAR than he ever did in F1 because of the fireworks involved in stock car racing.

“I’ve driven all the great cars,’’ Montoya said. “But the racing has always been terrible. This racing is incredible. I love it. I get a kick out of it. I had more fun in Formula One when we used to go get some rentals and go play with friends. That was more exciting. This is why I love it here. You race close to everybody. You pass cars. Cars pass you. In Formula One, nothing happens. You come in, you go, you come in, you go, and that’s it.’’

Montoya may be having more fun now that he’s in the running for the Chase for the Cup. Montoya is 12th in points, and will start in the 12th position tomorrow for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Montoya will be hustling after his fourth straight top-10 finish.

“I knew it was going to take time,’’ Montoya said of his adjustment to NASCAR. “I knew there were going to be good races. There were going to be weeks where everything clicked and we were going to run great. But there were going to be a lot of weeks where it was going to be trouble. When I came to Ganassi, the team was running OK. But it wasn’t a great team. So we’ve done a lot of work over the last couple of years to get to where we are. It’s been hard. Last year was a tough season changing crew chiefs and everything. I think the ability is there and the momentum is there. We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling.’’

The No. 16 team has won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award three times this season, most by any crew. Their last win came during the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway June 14. The award is given to the team that spends the least time on pit road.

“We’ve done a really, really good job,’’ Biffle said. “Racetracks like this are important for pit stops. Track position here is key to winning. They’ve been very good. Those guys work night and day. They work very hard at it.’’

Biffle will be hunting for sharp stops tomorrow. While Biffle will start eighth, the No. 16 was 38th-fastest in practice yesterday (127.525 miles per hour).

After restarting in first place following a late-race caution in yesterday’s Camping World Series East Heluva Good! Summer 125, Ryan Truex looked like he had enough horsepower remaining in his No. 00 Toyota to win. But on the final lap, Matt DiBenedetto goosed Truex from behind in Turn 3. Truex kept his car aimed straight, but lost just enough momentum for DiBenedetto to squeeze by on the inside lane and steal the checkered flag . . . During practice yesterday, Mark Martin spun the No. 5 Carquest Chevrolet and tagged the right side of the car against the wall. The damage wasn’t bad enough to require crew chief Alan Gustafson to call for the backup car . . . Stewart-Haas Racing, currently a two-car team, is considering expansion. Tony Stewart said he hasn’t spoken to any drivers about a possible opening. “We feel like we’re at a point where we’re open to discussions about it,’’ he said . . . Ryan Newman will compete in today’s Whelen Modified Tour New England 100. “It’s a different kind of race than we have here in the Cup car,’’ he said. “We can bump-draft and draft so much. Here in the Cup cars, you really can’t draft. It’s just about passing and it’s more of a track-position race. With the Modifieds, it seems like you can do a little bit more racing and a little bit more passing.’’

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.