ParcFerme.Com

The Pepsi 300 is expected to field a line-up with fewer Cup drivers than is usually the case as most of NASCAR top-level stars enjoy a rare weekend off, meaning drivers like Ambrose will be the ones to watch.

The Australian driver is one who relishes the challenge of racing NASCAR's best teams and drivers from the Cup Series, but nevertheless the 31-year-old heads into Nashville with the belief that this weekend could present him with a big chance of a strong result in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion.

Ambrose qualified in the top five in both starts at Nashville last season, finishing 17th in the spring race and qualifying in second in June only to bow out with a spectacular engine fire mid-race.

In 2006 Nashville was also kind to Ambrose, when he piloted his Ford F-150 to third place at the 1.33-mile speedway.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“I really like the track at Nashville and I’ve always been able to get the race car working well around there,” said Ambrose.

“I love running wheel-to-wheel with all the Cup drivers and teams week in, week out, but there is no doubting that Nationwide Series teams like ours look at standalone races like this weekend in Nashville as a chance to get a top result on the board.

“It really shouldn’t make any difference – if you’re good enough you should win whoever is there.

“In reality, it’s going to be nice to have a race with only a few Cup guys, and we expect a really strong run there.

“We’ve got some really strong races coming up for this #59 Kingsford team and we’ve shown that we are coming along nicely.

“We had our strongest run at Bristol last week and if it hadn’t been for the race being rained out we really could have had a shot at a top 10.

“Other good finishes have been there for the taking but luck and some other things have gone against us, so now we are really determined to string some results together and push for some even stronger momentum.”

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Standings – After Race 5 of 35
1. Kevin Harvick 751
2. Clint Bowyer 702
3. Carl Edwards 701
4. David Ragan 671
5. David Reutimann 668
6. Mike Bliss 627
7. Mike Wallace 603
8. Brad Keselowski 591
9. Jason Leffler 579
10. Kyle Busch 568
20. Marcos Ambrose 458

2008 NNS Prizemoney after 5 races:
Marcos Ambrose: US$161,965 (A$172,582)

RACE SCHEDULE
Local Nashville (US Central) Times
Practice 1
Friday 21 March 2008
1:30pm – 3:00pm

Final Practice
Friday 21 March 2008
4:30pm – 5:30pm

Qualifying
Saturday 22 March 2008
10:15am

Race – 225 laps
Saturday 22 March 2008
2:00pm US Central
3:00pm US Eastern

UNITED STATES TV SCHEDULE
Saturday 22 March 2008
ESPN2
2:30pm US Eastern

AUSTRALIAN TIMESAustralian Eastern Daylight Savings Times
Practice 1
Saturday 22 March 2008
5:30am – 7:00am

Final Practice
Saturday 22 March 2008
8:30am – 9:30am

Qualifying
Sunday 23 March 2008
2:15am

Race – 225 laps
Sunday 23 March 2008
6:00am AEDST

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE
Sunday 23 March 2008
Ten HD
10:00am – 1:30pm AEDST

AUSTRALIAN TV REPLAY
Saturday 29 March 2008
Ten HD
12:00pm – 1:00pm AEDST

ABOUT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
Location: Lebanon, Tennessee
Track Length: 1.333 miles (2.145km)
Race Distance: 225 laps – 300 miles (482.8km)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 14 degrees
Degree of Banking in Front Straight: 9 degrees
Degree of Banking in Back Straight: 6 degrees

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES RECORD BOOK
Defending Nationwide Race Champion: Carl Edwards Defen ding Nationwide Polesitter: David Stremme
Marcos Ambrose 2007 Race Finish: 17th
Marcos Ambrose 2007 Qualifying: 2nd