Sonoma, Calif. ? Juan Pablo Montoya demonstrated his road-racing prowess again Sunday, stretching his final fuel load to the limit and grabbing his first NASCAR Nextel Cup win at Infineon Raceway.

Montoya, who qualified a disappointing 32nd in the 43-car field, was the first driver to win on the Northern California road circuit starting further back than 13th.

The Colombian driver, who jumped from Formula One to the American stock car circuit late last season, got his first Cup win in his 17th start and gave team owner Chip Ganassi his first win in NASCAR’s top series since Jamie McMurray won in October 2002.

Montoya, whose only other NASCAR victory came earlier this year in a Busch Series race on the road course in Mexico City, passed McMurray, who now drives for Roush Fenway Racing, eight laps from the end and stayed out front of the 110-lap event on the 1.99-mile, 12-turn course.

The winner got past McMurray for a moment two laps earlier, driving his Dodge past McMurray’s Ford in the slow hairpin near the end of the circuit, but Montoya got too wide, and McMurray was able to squeeze back by.

The pass that counted came in turn two, with Montoya getting under McMurray’s car and passing easily.

“I saw he was always hugging that corner, and I thought, ‘This is it.’ I knew I could pass him there,” Montoya said.