Marcos Ambrose has jumped back into the top 10 in the NASCAR Busch Series standings after a strong day earned him 11th place in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky on Saturday. The solid finish lifts Ambrose up to eighth place in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series standings and the Australian continues to sit in second place in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings behind fellow Ford driver David Ragan. Ambrose will next compete in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion in the A####mp;T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 23.
“This was a great day for our team. Wood Brothers/JTG Racing had two cars running inside the top 10 for most of the race today and everyone put in an excellent performance. It definitely feels like I have got a handle on these 1.5-mile ovals now. The next step is to get a little better on the short tracks, so we will see how we go next weekend on the flat, one mile oval in Milwaukee.”
Ambrose is second in the points among Busch regulars and is becoming a candidate for the 21 Wood Brothers/JTG Ford in Cup next year in light of Jon Wood's recent health issues.
Marcos Ambrose currently sits 13th in the NASCAR Busch Series standings and is third among Busch regulars. This weekend Ambrose will make his second start at Dover International Speedway, a tough, portland cement concrete surfaced one-mile oval known as ‘The Monster Mile’. The Australian was 27th in his fifth race in last year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Dover. Ambrose will be looking for his fourth Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award this weekend as he seeks to improve on his third place in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.
2007 NASCAR Busch Series Points Standings – After Race 13 1. Carl Edwards 2075 2. Kevin Harvick 1652 3. Dave Blaney 1483 4. Matt Kenseth 1431 5. David Reutimann 1393 6. Regan Smith 1393 7. David Ragan 1358 8. Clint Bowyer 1349 9. Jeff Burton 1340 10. Greg Biffle 1320 11. Kyle Busch 1318 12. Bobby Hamilton Jr 1316 13. Marcos Ambrose 1303 14. Casey Mears 1302 15. Juan Pablo Montoya 1302
Australian Marcos Ambrose is struggling as he starts his campaign in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 with his performance during practice at the Carquest Auto Parts 300in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ambrose, who currently sits 11th in the NASCAR Busch Series points standings, posted top 10 times at the venue aboard the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion as a part of the final NASCAR Busch Series open test of the season last week but was not able to post a speed in the top 20 during yesterday's two full-field practice sessions.
“We didn’t do a qualifying run today but rather focused towards ensuring we will have a competitive, and consistent, race set up. Overall I’m pretty happy with the day and our times,” said Ambrose.
Marcos Ambrose will enter his first race at Richmond International Raceway looking for a change of luck at the Circuit City 250 presented by FUNAI in Virginia this weekend. Ambrose will make his first start at the fast 0.75-mile speedway in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion, but the Australian has prior experience at Richmond after completing two days of NASCAR Busch Series open testing at the venue in March.
“We had a test at Richmond back in March so although I’ve never raced there we know what is ahead,” said Ambrose. We’ve made some changes since that test and I’m looking forward to getting out there trying our package out there."
Marcos Ambrose has again shown his class by earning a second-consecutive top 10 finish in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada. Ambrose was 10th in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion, finishing as the top rookie and the second-highest non-Nextel Cup driver. The next best rookie was Juan Pablo Montoya in 20th position, four laps down. The Australian maintains his fifth position in the NASCAR Busch Series points and his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Ambrose also maintained an incredible feat for a rookie, having completed every lap of each of the four races held so far this season, the only rookie to do so.
Ambrose earned US$35,875 (A$45,964) for finishing 10th in today’s race, which carried a total prize pool of US$1,626,139 (A$2,068,090). The #59 Kingsford Charcoal crew also earned an accolade today, winning the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge Award for the best Busch Series pit crew. Ambrose also picked up his second Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award and the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award. Nextel Cup drivers in the Top 35 in Cup points are ineligible for Busch Series awards. Ambrose was one of 12 drivers to lead a lap in today’s race, making him the first Australian to lead a lap in NASCAR Busch Series competition and earning him five bonus points as a result of leading lap 159 during the pit stop sequence.
Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“It was a really long day out there and I couldn’t have asked for a better finish.
“This is a big day for me."
“It was a really tough race. The tyres were hard and the track was greasy. If you could run well in any groove you just had to run with it."
“I really have to thank Kingsford Charcoal and all of the team’s sponsors for this day. For them to put a rookie in their car and to support an Australian driver is a massive thing and I appreciate everything they have done for me so much."
“My team, friends and family have made a lot of sacrifices for me to get to this stage and it’s days like this one that make you appreciate everything and make it all worthwhile. It’s not just me out there – I have a lot of people to thank for this."
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