The fearless Columbian

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Juan Pablo Montoya is an aggressive, fearless driver -- always has been, always will be.

If that wasn't clear before he came to NASCAR late last season, it certainly is now.

Montoya lived up to his reputation in Mexico City, making a risky pass and spinning teammate Scott Pruett to take the lead with eight laps to go Sunday before pulling away for his first NASCAR victory.

The dive bomb on Pruett through the S-turn of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez course clinched the Busch Series victory for Montoya, but tainted a win he likely would have earned without the daring pass. It also overshadowed the impressive drive through the field that Montoya used to get to the front.

"That was just lowdown, nasty, dirty driving," said Pruett, who dropped from first to 18th when Montoya spun him, and had to do some spectacular driving to rally to his fifth-place finish.

Was Montoya too bold or too impatient to reclaim the lead after a fueling error dropped him from first to 19th?

Maybe. But everyone should have seen this coming. It's why Chip Ganassi hired Montoya, who has made his living being aggressive -- with little consideration for the consequences.

Before the second race of his rookie CART season, Montoya took exception to champion Michael Andretti using all of the track during practice. So he pinched Andretti into the wall, destroying both their cars. As legend has it, when Andretti angrily confronted him, Montoya simply smiled.

He carried that attitude into Formula One.

His fearlessness created one of the greatest maneuvers in F1 history, when Montoya passed the great Michael Schumacher on the outside at Spa in 2004. But his boldness also cost him many times, including an eight-car accident he ignited before the first turn at Indianapolis last season.

It's easy to paint Sunday's tangle with Pruett as "same old Montoya," but it may not be accurate in this case.

A thrilling victory

Eventually, Montoya was getting past Pruett.

Montoya's car was better and his tires fresher. As he sliced his way through the field, Montoya thrilled fans with a riveting ride through the Mexico City road course.

Could he have waited to pass? Probably.

With eight laps to go, there was plenty of time to make a move. But he had worked his way onto Pruett's bumper. As they headed into the first turn, he dipped inside his teammate to make the pass.

It was the exact same move in the exact same place where Montoya passed Pruett for the lead earlier. That time, the two cars touched with no consequences. The second time wasn't nearly as smooth.

Montoya nudged Pruett's quarterpanel, turning Pruett's car and forcing Montoya and others to drive off course to get around him.

NASCAR etiquette calls for teammates to race each other cleanly. Moments before the accident, Ganassi even told ESPN "the only team orders we have is 'Don't wreck each other."'

But Montoya may need a refresher course in working well with others because in Formula One, it's win at all costs, and teammates are often bitter rivals. Montoya and former Williams teammate Ralf Schumacher never even pretended to get along.

To his credit, Montoya has come into NASCAR intent on trying to show some patience and shed the reputation his brilliance and blunders have earned him. Just four months ago, he was lauded for his restraint during a handful of Busch races. When Ganassi tried to scold him for being too nice on the track, Montoya was the voice of reason.

"What's the hurry?" he asked his boss. "This is a long process. We've got plenty of time."

The time came Sunday, and Montoya didn't disappoint.

He won.

That's why Ganassi brought him to NASCAR. How Montoya got to Victory Lane -- with a brilliant drive and a controversial move -- is what everyone has been waiting to see.

"That was vintage Montoya," Ganassi said.