HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The fireworks that filled the night-time sky following the end of the Ford 400 weren't the only ones to go off Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“

It shows you that he wants to be here, and that he's not going to be pushed around. He's fiery, and he's going to stay that way. He didn't start it [with Stewart], I don't think. He just finished it.

”

-- BRIAN PATTIE

The others blasted off much earlier during the 267-lap race at the 1.5-mile track, when drivers Juan Montoya and Tony Stewart bumped and banged and wrecked each other on two different occasions, providing the most entertaining moments of Jimmie Johnson's championship-clinching run.

Those fireworks started on Lap 116 when it appeared Montoya, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet, bumped Stewart's No. 14 Chevy from behind. Stewart almost immediately seemed to retaliate by turning down into Montoya's car, causing the right-front tire of the No. 42 to go flat, sending it into the wall (watch video).

That tore up the right side of Montoya's machine and sent him to the garage to get it fixed. When he returned 30 laps later, it seemed he quickly set his sights on getting even with Stewart.

Chad Knaus, crew chief for Johnson, even told the No. 48 team's spotter, Earl Barban, to find out where Montoya and Johnson were on the track and instructed Johnson to give the frisky pair a wide berth as soon as Montoya emerged from the garage and got back into the fray.

"Earl, keep an eye on the 42 and the 14. The 42 is back on the race track and the 14 is unfortunately ahead of us," Knaus told Barban.

Brian Pattie, Montoya's crew chief, later admitted: "If we had been going for a championship and I saw all that stuff happening, I would have told my driver the same thing."

On Lap 155, Pattie's driver booted Stewart from behind, sending the No. 14, which had been in contention for a strong finish and possibly even the win, spinning off into oblivion. Although Stewart wasn't penalized for the first portion of the incident, Montoya was black-flagged by NASCAR and parked for two laps (watch video).

Race Chatter
• Listen as Stewart, Montoya bump heads at Homestead (Continued)