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Ambrose fastest in cup practise followed by Milwaukee |
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Sunday, 22 June 2008 |
Marcos Ambrose has again topped a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice session at the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California today, in preparation for his debut in the top division of NASCAR. Ambrose set the fastest time in final practice at the 1.99-mile (3.20km) circuit, but then had a minor brush with the tyre wall at the final corner.
The damage to the #21 Wood Brothers Ford was mainly cosmetic and the Australian will still start tomorrow’s race from seventh position with only minor repairs required.
Earlier in the day Ambrose was seventh fastest in the second practice session for the weekend, giving Ambrose a record of first-seventh-first across the three Cup practice sessions held across the weekend.
Ambrose then flew with fellow Ford driver Carl Edwards some 2000 miles east to The Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin for the Camping World RV Rental 250 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Ambrose started from 43rd and last position in the #59 STP Ford Fusion, after back-up driver Robert Pressley drove the car to 31st in first practice, 36th in final practice and 21st position in qualifying. As Ambrose did not participate in qualifying he started from the rear.
Ambrose moved forward quickly in the early stages and continued steady improvement over the course of the race, despite battling a tight race car.
At the 200 lap mark of the 250-lap event Ambrose looked poised to leap into the top 10 but the handling situation deteriorated further, leaving Ambrose to hang on and collect 16th place and collect vital championship points, maintaining 13th in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.
Ambrose’s ‘travel buddy’ Edwards won today’s Camping World RV Rental 250 at The Milwaukee Mile ahead of Joey Logano and Nationwide Series points leader Clint Bowyer.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY …
Marcos Ambrose - #21 Little Debbie Honey Buns Ford Fusion
“It was a frustrating night here in Milwaukee,” said Ambrose.
“We had a tight race car and towards the end it really hurt us. We made some changes and worked on it during the race, but we were always going to be a little behind (arriving before the race from Sonoma). But we’ve got to look big picture. We came all this way to keep the points ticking over and we did that.
“We just couldn’t go. It was tight all night. We were getting close there for a while and we were looking in good shape to get close to the top 10. But we couldn’t get it just right and it started to get worse.
“We hung on at the end at it wasn’t much fun having to work so hard because it was really tight, but while it’s frustrating you’ve got to think that we got a bunch of points so in that regard we achieved what we came here to do.
“We’ve got a big day ahead tomorrow in California. The #21 Ford Fusion continues to go well. We had a brush with the wall but we got away with it without anything serious. The big deal for us was to get into the race, so now that we are there and we have a fast car it’s going to be a very exciting day for everyone at Sonoma tomorrow.”
Len Wood - Co-Owner, #21 Little Debbie Honey Buns Ford Fusion
Q: WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CRASH?
“We had already set the fastest time, and I guess the car was feeling pretty good, and he kind of let it get out from under him in turn 10,” said Len Wood.
“There is quite a bit of left-side damage, particularly in the front. However, it didn’t bend any suspension parts or the frame or anything like that, so we chose to fix it and patch it up best we can.
“It won’t look the greatest, but as far as the suspension and those things are concerned, it’ll be fine. It’ll drive fine.”
Q: DO YOU EXPECT TO GET THE CAR BACK TO 100 PERCENT? OR, CLOSE ENOUGH?
“This is not really what you would term an aero track, so if we had to go through the initial templates again, it would be pretty tough to fit them 100 percent again right now.
“But, I think NASCAR will work with us. We’ll get it as close as we can. We’ve got a new nose module, and we’re fixing it right now.”
Eddie Wood – Co-Owner and Spotter, #21 Little Debbie Honey Buns Ford Fusion
“That can be a pretty bad place over there,” said Eddie Wood
“Generally, when you mess up turn 10, you’re taking out the back-up car, so we were let off easy.”
RESULTS: Final Cup Practice at Infineon Raceway
1. #21 Marcos Ambrose 1:18.101
2. #01 Ron Fellows 1:18.365
3. #38 David Gilliland 1:18.409
4. #11 Denny Hamlin 1:18.501
5. #1 Martin Truex Jr 1:18.503
6. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1:18.531
7. #83 Brian Vickers 1:18.538
8. #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr 1:18.576
9. #29 Kevin Harvick 1:18.607
10. #20 Tony Stewart 1:18.621
RESULTS: Sprint Cup Practice 2 at Infineon Raceway
1. #7 Robby Gordon 1:18.093
2. #26 Jamie McMurray 1:18.232
3. #11 Denny Hamlin 1:18.317
4. #99 Carl Edwards 1:18.353
5. #29 Kevin Harvick 1:18.480
6. #9 Kasey Kahne 1:18.485
7. #21 Marcos Ambrose 1:18.495
8. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1:18.514
9. #10 Patrick Carpentier 1:18.553
10! . #60 Boris Said 1:18.568
RESULTS: Camping World RV Rental 250 at The Milwaukee Mile
Race 17 in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series
1. #60 Carl Edwards 250 laps
2. #20 Joey Logano
3. #2 Clint Bowyer
4. #6 David Ragan
5. #99 David Reutimann
6. #29 Scott Wimmer
7. #1 Mike Bliss
8. #88 Brad Keselowski
9. #11 Jason Keller
10. #38 Jason Leffler
16. #59 Marcos Ambrose
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Standings - After Race 17 of 35
1. Clint Bowyer 2506
2. Brad Keselowski 2318
3. David Reutimann 2316
4. Carl Edwards 2301
5. David Ragan 2201
6. Mike Bliss 2192
7. Kyle Busch 2093
8. Mike Wallace 2053
9. David Stremme 1977
10. Jason Leffler 1968
13. Marcos Ambrose 1824
RACE SCHEDULE – NSCS at Infineon Raceway
Local California (US Pacific) Times
Race – 110 laps
Sunday 22 June 2008
2:00pm US Pacific
5:00pm US Eastern
UNITED STATES TV SCHEDULE - NSCS at Infineon Raceway
Sunday 22 June 2008
TNT
3:30pm US Eastern
AUSTRALIAN TIMES - NSCS at Infineon Raceway
Australian Eastern Standard Times
Race – 110 laps
Monday 23 June 2008
7:00am AEST
AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE - NSCS at Infineon Raceway
Monday 23 June 20! 08
FOX Sports One
6:30am – 10:30am AEST
AUSTRALIAN TV REPLAY - Milwaukee
Saturday 28 May 2008
Ten HD
12:00pm – 1:00pm AEST
AUSTRALIAN TV REPLAY - Sonoma
Saturday 28 May 2008
Ten HD
1:00pm – 2:00pm AEST
ABOUT INFINEON RACEWAY
Location: Sonoma, California
Track Length: 1.99 miles (3.20km)
Race Distance: 110 laps (219 miles/350km)
10 Turn Road Course
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RECORD BOOK
Defending Sprint Cup Race Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya
Defending Sprint Cup Polesitter: Jamie McMurray
Marcos Ambrose – Sprint Cup and Sonoma debut
ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE MILE
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Track Length: 1.0 mile (1.61 km)
Race Distance: 250 laps – 250 miles (321.87km)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 9.25 degrees
Degree of Bankin! g in Straights: 2.5 degrees
NASCAR NATIONW! IDE SERI ES RECORD BOOK
Defending Nationwide Race Winner: Aric Almirola
Defending Nationwide Polesitter: Aric Almirola
Marcos Ambrose 2007 Race Finish: 15th
Marcos Ambrose 2007 Qualifying: 12th
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