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Marcos Ambrose has shown impressive short track form before a crunching impact ended his day in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee today.
Ambrose qualified in 12th position in the 43-car field in the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion and ran strongly in the early stages.
The high-banked Bristol half-mile is regarded as one of the toughest in NASCAR, but Ambrose displayed his constant development as a NASCAR racer by occupying a top 10 position for 21 laps and running in the front half of the field.
Ambrose then dropped back and suffered damage to his car when he clipped Danny O’Quinn as he tried to pass O’Quinn’s car. The contact spun Ambrose, resulting in contact with the outside wall.
The Australian battled on despite losing a lap in the fracas and was on course to gain his lap back as one of the first cars a lap down through NASCAR’s ‘Lucky Dog’ rule, which allows the first car a lap down to rejoin the lead lap at a caution period.
But Ambrose never got that chance, running wide as he battled with an ill-handling car as a result of the damage from the early contact. As his car got high into Turn 2 and onto the marbles Ambrose spun and was collected hard by Robert Richardson as his car sat idle on the Turn 2 banking.
The impact on the left front corner of the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion was enough to send Ambrose’s car into a 360-degree spin. Both drivers emerged uninjured from the impact and were cleared by NASCAR’s infield care centre before returning to their respective pits.
The failure to finish meant that Ambrose dropped one spot to ninth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings. The 30-year-old remains second to David Ragan in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.
Kasey Kahne won today’s Food City 250 ahead of polesitter Jason Leffler and David Reutimann.
Next week Ambrose will be back in action at California Speedway in Fontana, California for the Camping World 300, which is race 27 in the 35-race NASCAR Busch Series.
Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“It was a big hit but no dramas really,” said Ambrose.
“I just feel bad for everybody in my team and Kingsford Charcoal and all our sponsors because we had the potential there for a good night.
“We got some damage early on with contact with another car. After that it was really about holding on and waiting to try and get the Lucky Dog to climb back on the lead lap and have another go.
“I got a little high up into the marbles and couldn’t save it when the rear broke loose then copped a big hit there.
“It’s just Bristol, I guess. We had some damage underneath the car and the car wasn’t handling that great. We got up in the marbles and just lost it. It’s too bad.
“We had a pretty good car early on and to qualify 12th was a good performance and showed what we can do.
“This place is as tough as they come so to qualify well, run strongly and have a good car and good pace is pleasing. We lost our way a bit in the end there but we can have some confidence when we race here next.”
RESULTS: Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 26 of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series
1. #9 Kasey Kahne 250 laps
2. #38 Jason Leffler
3. #99 David Reutimann
4. #5 Kyle Busch
5. #21 Scott Wimmer
6. #6 David Ragan
7. #88 Brad Keselowski
8. #2 Clint Bowyer
9. #26 Jamie McMurray
10. #20 Aric Almirola
37. #59 Marcos Ambrose 169 laps
RESULTS: Qualifying
1. #38 Jason Leffler 15:947
2. #18 Brad Coleman 16.051
3. #29 Jeff Burton 16.071
4. #22 Mike Bliss 16.076
5. #66 Steve Wallace 16.078
6. #33 Kevin Harvick 16.090
7. #70 Mark Green 16.092
8. #41 Reed Sorenson 16.120
9. #42 David Stremme 16.123
10. #99 David Reutimann 16.128
12. #59 Marc! os Ambrose 16.132
2007 NASCAR Busch Series Points Standings – After Race 25
1. Carl Edwards 3743
3. David Reutimann 3053
2. Kevin Harvick 3028
4. Jason Leffler 2921
5. David Ragan 2841
6. Bobby Hamilton Jr 2704
7. Stephen Leicht 2615
8 Greg Biffle 2585
9 Marcos Ambrose 2553
10. Mike Wallace 2477
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Marcos Ambrose and the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion team at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing have earned US$717,619 (A$871,214) in prizemoney in 25 NASCAR Busch Series races this season
– Ambrose will drive the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series
– Ambrose finished 16th in his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Daytona International Speedway on 17 February 2007, winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award in what was his first race on the 2.5-mile Daytona superspeedway
– The Australian scored his debut NASCAR Busch Series top 10 finish at his first NASCAR road course event with eighth place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on 4 March 2007
– Ambrose picked up his second Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award and second-consecutive top 10 with 10th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 10 March 2007, also winning the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award and the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge Award for the fastest Busch Series pit crew
– Ambrose achieved his best NASCAR Busch Series result to date with sixth place at Dover International Speedway on 2 June 2007, also winning him his fourth Raybestos Rookie of the Race award for the season
– 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
– 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
ABOUT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Track Length: 0.533 miles (0.858km)
Race Distance: 250 laps – 133.24 miles (214.43km)
Race Purse: US$1,399,759
(A$1,740,993)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 36 degrees
Degree of Banking in Straights: 16 degrees
NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RECORD BOOK
Busch Series Race Record: Harry Gant, 4 April 1992 (1hr, 26min, 2secs)
Busch Qualifying Record: Greg Biffle, 26 March 2004 (15.093 seconds)
Defending Busch Race Champion: Matt Kenseth
Defending Busch Polesitter: Ryan Newman
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