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DOVER, Del. -- Juan Pablo Montoya's pit road speeding penalty nearly two months ago could impact the title Chase, and it wouldn't be the first time a speeding infraction played a role in the championship.

Every trip down pit road is a game of risk or reward for drivers, who seek to be as fast as possible without breaking NASCAR's speed limit. With the difficulty in passing, drivers can be lured into speeding on pit road to gain a spot or more. Yet go too fast and that mistake can drop a driver several positions and possibly cost him critical points at the finish.

"It'd be great to get that little bit extra going down pit road," Brian Vickers says. "Maybe you get ahead of a car. But if you speed, if you cross that line is that one spot gained worth losing 30?"

Jimmie Johnson understands the perils of pit road. Five years ago at Dover International Speedway -- where the series races today in the second round of the Chase -- NASCAR caught him speeding. He was fourth at the time but went on to finish 10th. The difference between fourth and 10th is 26 points. Johnson lost the title to Kurt Busch by eight points.

Montoya also could feel the sting of his penalty from Indianapolis. He had the dominant car that race and seemed headed for the win until he was caught speeding by .07 mph and .12 mph in separate trap zones. The penalty dropped Montoya to mid-pack. He never recovered, finishing 11th.

The 10 bonus points he would have scored for winning at Indianapolis could play a role if he stays near the top of the standings. He enters today's race fourth in the standings, 55 points behind series leader Mark Martin.

Speeding on pit road likely will impact the Chase in some way. Ten of the 12 Chase drivers have been caught speeding since this race last fall. The only two who haven't been caught in a Cup race are Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne.

In some cases, drivers deliberately sped on pit road to stay on the lead lap after lengthy repairs. Other times, such as Montoya's case, a driver just went too fast. The penalty for speeding under caution is to restart at the tail end of the longest line. The penalty for speeding under green is to pass through the pits again.

Today's speed limit will be 35 mph, among the slowest on the circuit. With NASCAR's 4.99 mph allowance, drivers can go 39.99 mph before they incur NASCAR's wrath.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com