Ambrose Tests Cup Car Ahead Of Monster Mile Challenge

Team Australia driver Marcos Ambrose has completed his first full test day in a NASCAR Nextel Cup ‘Car of Tomorrow’ ahead of competing at one of the most challenging venues in NASCAR in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway this weekend.

Ambrose completed a day of testing at Virginia International Raceway today (May 29) in preparation for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24, where Ambrose will attempt to qualify for his first NASCAR Nextel Cup event in an Aussie Vineyards-backed Ford Fusion.

It was Ambrose’s first full-on test of a Cup car, having conducted a shakedown of a Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford Fusion ‘COT’ on May 9 at Carolina Motorsports Park.

This weekend Ambrose will make his second start at Dover International Speedway, a tough, concrete-surfaced one-mile oval known as ‘The Monster Mile’. The Australian was 27th in his fifth race in last year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Dover.

Ambrose currently sits 13th in the NASCAR Busch Series standings and will be looking for his fourth Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award this weekend as he seeks to improve on his third place in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion

On Dover this weekend …

“Dover is a high speed, high banked concrete oval and one that I’m really looking forward to,” said Ambrose.

“Normally this style of race track isn’t my favourite but we’ve got a good combination going on at the moment. Everyone in the team is really working well together and we’ve got a very competitive package right now.

“Over the last part of the race on Saturday night I was setting times comparable to those inside the top ten. Hopefully we can translate that into a finish near the front this weekend.

“The Dover track is a big challenge and always puts on great racing for the fans. It’s going to be a tough race but one where I think we are capable of another strong result.”

On today’s Cup test …

“There were about 18 cars out here today at VIR so it was my first chance to run among other cars and get some solid time in a ‘Car of Tomorrow’ spec Cup car,” said Ambrose.

“Having the other cars here as well gave us a good reference point and gave us some idea of where we’re at with this car.

“We had a really good day and worked towards getting a good package. We still have some work to do but we achieved a few things that unlocked some speed and we’ve got the road course package moving in the right direction.

“There is still plenty of work for us to do and we will more than likely schedule another test for the road course program, but today was a really good day and we got a lot of work done.

“VIR is a great track and a real challenge. It’s a good place to come test these cars.

“You are very limited in terms of the tyres you are able to use in testing, so you aren’t really running around on the best rubber.

“But overall it’s great that we had the opportunity to do a full day of testing and really get to work on getting things ready for the Nextel Cup event at Sonoma on June 24.”

2007 NASCAR Busch Series Points Standings – After Race 13
1. Carl Edwards 2075
2. Kevin Harvick 1652
3. Dave Blaney 1483
4. Matt Kenseth 1431
5. David Reutimann 1393
6. Regan Smith 1393
7. David Ragan 1358
8. Clint Bowyer 1349
9. Jeff Burton 1340
10. Greg Biffle 1320
11. Kyle Busch 1318
12. Bobby Hamilton Jr 1316
13. Marcos Ambrose 1303
14. Casey Mears 1302
15. Juan Pablo Montoya 1302

2007 NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings – After Race 13
1. David Ragan 132
2. Juan Pablo Montoya 127
3. Marcos Ambrose 123
4. Kyle Krisiloff 111
5. Brad Keselowski 73
6. Brad Coleman 50
7. Justin Diercks 39
8. Sam Hornish Jr 35
9. Robert Richardson Jr 23
10. Alex Garcia 7

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$361,585 (A$581,914) in prizemoney in 13 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
– 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
– 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

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