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.
At last, some good news. The word of Bobby Hamilton's passing has really put my week on a low. But now I have a silver lining. My favorite IRL driver, Dario Franchitti will be back with AGR for another year. This is good news.
It should mean a competitive race car for Dario. But he will have to overcome last year's poor performance. And he may have to face being the fourth wheel on the crowded team where Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti will get all the good stuff leaving Tony Kanaan and Dario to suck the hind teats. But hey, how bad can it be having to go home to meet Ashlie Judd every night?
Still, "he will continue to provide a lot in the development areas we are working on." = Scary
Dario Franchitti will remain with Andretti Green Racing for a fifth consecutive season in the IndyCar Series this year. The team has confirmed the news that the Scot will complete their four-car line-up, joining Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick on the team. He said: "I haven't been this excited to get back in a race car for quite a long time. We had some very good race cars last year and I expect to be contending for race wins this season." Andretti Green Racing is the winningest team in Indy Racing League history.
Franchitti had a difficult year in 2006, but team boss Michael Andretti believes the experienced Scot can recapture his race-winning form this year. "Dario has proven over and over that he is one of the best drivers in the world," said Andretti, "and we are happy he's going to return to the Indy Car Series. He is a fantastic leader and along with Tony Kanaan, he will continue to provide a lot in the development areas we are working on."
Franchitti, received the first track time of ’07 this week at California Speedway during a Honda manufacturer test along with Dan Wheldon and Vitor Meira. “We had some very good race cars last season and I expect to be contending for race wins when we return to the track in March.” This will mark Franchitti’s 10th season with the Andretti Green team. He spent five seasons with Team Green before joining Andretti Green Racing in 2003.
In announcing it has re-signed Dario Franchitti for 2007, Andretti Green Racing adds another seasoned driver for the 17-race IndyCar Series season. Franchitti has four IndyCar Series victories and three pole starts in 50 starts. Last season, AGR cars visited Victory Lane twice, Kanaan at Milwaukee and Andretti at Infineon, after compiling 19 aggregate victories the previous two years. Franchitti, 33, recorded seven top-10 finishes in 13 races last season, with a high of second to Andretti on the Infineon Raceway road course in August. He’ll drive the No. 27 Canadian Club Dallara/Honda/Firestone.
Michael Andretti is glad to have all of his deals done. I'm encouraged with the changes we've made in the off-season and it should produce better results for us on the track. " It's very important to us that Canadian Club has returned for the 2007 season. We've had a long relationship with Beam Global Spirits & Wine and we appreciate their support and activation. The season-opening race on the IndyCar Series schedule is Saturday, March 24, from Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Canadian Club, in its second season of partnership with AGR, will also be an associate sponsor on AGR's IndyCar Series entries driven by Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick. A member of the Beam Global Spirits & Wine family, Canadian Club is one of the largest and most prominent Canadian whisky brands in the world. The brand features Canadian Club 6-year old, Canadian Club Reserve, Canadian Club Sherry Cask and Canadian Club Classic® 12. Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. is the fourth largest spirits company in the world. With nine of the world s top-100 premium spirits in its portfolio, the company s brands hold global and national leadership positions in key categories, including Jim Beam® bourbon; Canadian Club® Canadian whisky; Courvoisier® cognac; Laphroaig® Scotch; Sauza® tequila; Larios® gin; Whisky DYC®; Teacher s® Scotch; and DeKuyper® cordials.
Franchitti will also team with Bryan Herta and his brother, Marino Franchitti, in the XM Satellite Radio-sponsored Acura-powered Courage as AGR ventures into the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class in 2007. Franchitti will see some time in the #26 XM Satellite Radio ALMS car at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the first event on the 2007 ALMS schedule where Canadian Club will also be an associate sponsor on that car. Dario stated, "On the ALMS front, to be able to drive with Acura power will certainly give us plenty of great opportunities on tracks where I've been successful in the past. I've driven with Marino before and we're both excited about being together in a world-class car."
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