The only disappointing aspect of Juan Pablo Montoya's victory yesterday in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International was when he emerged from the car in Victory Lane, wearing an all-red fire suit. It ought to be red and khaki. Ah well.

It became evident at an early part of the race -- about five minutes before the opening invocation, by most accounts -- that Montoya and Marcos Ambrose were easily the class of the field. They provided some terrific lead battles throughout, with Montoya eventually prevailing over Ambrose due to the latter's difficulties during late restarts and ultimately a softening tire. It's odd to have a race that's action-plus until the end when it turns into a snoozer, but that's how Watkins Glen shook out.

With the win, Montoya delivered something no one who has previously carried the Target colors in Cup action, be it Jimmy Spencer or Casey Mears or Reed Sorenson, had accomplished. Namely, win. Maybe now Target will start carrying NASCAR diecast again. Or at least Bullseye in a racing suit.

Other items of note from the race were how roughhousing it has become the accepted norm during road course races done stock car style. Once upon a time, NASCAR on a road course meant one and all tiptoeing through the tulips. Or vineyards when the race was at Infineon. No more. Now, with the ever-growing number of drivers who embrace road courses, it's chrome horn o'plenty time. With the gravel traps gone from Watkins Glen, instead it's drivers with rocks in their head wreaking the most damage. As Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson can testify, when Kyle Busch's decision to make a two-wide turn three-wide turned him into the third car in a two-car accident. Heluva job, Shrub.

Also of note was the individual and collective misery of Hendrick's Fab Four. When a Jeff Gordon, even with the distraction of his son's pending birth which took place this morning, can muster no better than a tenth on a road course, something is not right both back at the shop and on top of the pit box. Johnson's woes have already been mentioned. Mark Martin's sole appearance at the top came courtesy of not having yet pitted when a caution came out. As to Dale Earnhardt Jr., ol' Rocket 88 was a sputtering mess all weekend. Only his personally roaring to life as the day progressed salvaged a twenty-sixth place finish.

That said, in the end the day belonged to Montoya. And Chip Ganassi, who managed to not only talk Target into expanding its Indy car sponsorship into NASCAR several years ago, but keeping it on board during all the times when the red and white car ran like a dog, until it finally achieved the success in stock cars it had long enjoyed in open wheel competition.

Bullseye's tail must be wagging in delight.

(Cross-posted at Examiner.com)