Montoya loses championship lead

It is the first time the 23-year-old Columbian has not led the championship since Round Four in Nazareth.

Scot Dario Franchitti, who went into the race trailing Montoya 130-116, now leads the 1998 Formula 3000 champion by five points 136-131.

Montoya led the race comfortably until Lap 43, when he either missed or wasn't given a pit signal by his team, Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Franchitti and Team Green team-mate Paul Tracy both pitted that lap, just as the safety car joined the track, which left Montoya stuck on the circuit a pitstop down.

He eventually finished 17th after a battle to get back with the leaders, which culminated in him colliding with Brazilian Roberto Moreno on Lap 63, and later being hit from behind by Helio Castro-Neves during a full-yellow caution.

It is thought a change of pace car during the caution period caused confusion down the field, with many drivers [including Montoya] believing the departing pace car meant a return to green.

Afterwards, Montoya was more upset with CART officials than Castro-Neves. He believed the race was returning to green, and say he didn't see any signals to indicate otherwise.

'I don't [want] to say anything, because I [will] get in trouble again,' the Columbian explained.