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Ambrose Buoyed By Pace On First Day Of Las Vegas Test |
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Wednesday, 07 February 2007 |
 Team Australia’s Marcos Ambrose has ended an encouraging first day of testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with added confidence after a solid day of running in Nevada today.
The Australian was pleased with how quickly he felt comfortable in the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion on the fast banking at the revamped Las Vegas layout.
Ambrose was one of the fastest non-Cup drivers at the test, but even more importantly, he and the #59 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing crew were very impressed with the progress made over the course of the day and the set-up gained for the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion heading into the second and final day of the Las Vegas test.
Ambrose will test again tomorrow at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where today over 60 cars presented for Jackson Hewitt Pre-Season Thunder Busch Series testing.
Following Tuesday’s activities at Las Vegas, Ambrose will head to
Virginia International Raceway, where the two-time Australian V8
Supercar Champion will have his first drive of a NASCAR on a road
course.
Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“I’m really happy with how things went for the Kingsford Charcoal team today,” said Ambrose
“Today I had to get comfortable in the car and find a good rhythm and everything went to plan.
“It’s really fast around this place in a Busch car – when you are
running at up to 190mph and doing 30-seconds flat around a 1.5-mile
oval you’re really moving.
“I’m really pleased to be feeling the car so well around here. This is
a handling track so you’ve really got to be comfortable in the car and
know what it’s doing. It’s very different to driving the truck around
here but we’ve got things going in the right direction very quickly.
“By the afternoon session I was feeling good and the car was flowing
well. It’s very different to driving at Daytona, where you hang on all
the way round and keep your foot down. You really have to know what the
car is doing and feel on top of it because you are always turning it
in, getting on the brake, you’re on and off the throttle and it’s quite
a busy lap.
“Right towards the end of the day the weather cooled down and we really
turned in some fast times. This is a handling track so I’m quite
encouraged that we are going well here. It’s a big thing to feel
comfortable around here so I’m very pleased with the day’s work.”
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Ambrose will drive the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal
Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the 2007 NASCAR Busch
Series
– The 30-year-old will also aim to qualify for two NASCAR Nextel Cup
races in the #47 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia Ford Fusion for Wood
Brothers/JTG Racing at Sonoma on 24 June 2007 and Watkins Glen on 12
August 2007
– Ambrose was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
– finished 21st in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and third in
the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, earning US$256,368 in 22
starts in the #20 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia Ford F-150 for Wood
Brothers/JTG Racing
– 2006 season highlighted by Budweiser Pole and WIX Lap Leader awards
in Kentucky on 8 July 2006, along with third place finishes at Kansas
on 1 July 2006 and Nashville 12 August 2006. Also won the Mobil 1
Command Performance award in Nashville
– Earned nine top 10 qualifying positions and four top 10 finishes in his first season of oval racing of any description
– Ambrose won two consecutive Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series titles in 2003 and 2004 for Ford
Test Notebook – Day One, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Morning Session
Place No Driver Best Time Speed
35th 59A Marcos Ambrose 30.615 176.384mph
Afternoon Session
Place No Driver Best Time Speed
27th 59A Marcos Ambrose 30.691 175.947mph
44th 59B Marcos Ambrose 30.952 174.464mph
ABOUT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Track Length: 1.5 miles (2.41km)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 20 degrees*
Degree of Banking in Straights: 9 degrees*
Las Vegas Motor Speedway was redeveloped last season, with the banking
increased from 12 to 20 degrees in the turns and back straight banking
increased to 9 degrees to be the same as front straight
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