Montreal Road Course Event Starts Crucial Fortnight For Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose is ready to push for his best NASCAR Busch Series finish at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada this weekend.

The Australian ace has stated that the next two races in the NASCAR Busch Series are crucial as both are run on road course circuits, a discipline familiar to Ambrose, who is a two-time Australian V8 Supercar Champion in his native Australia.

Ambrose, who currently sits tenth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings and second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points, is aiming to use this weekend’s event on the Canadian Formula 1 circuit and next week’s race in Watkins Glen, New York, to vault back up the order in the points.

The 30-year-old scored his first NASCAR Busch Series top ten at his NASCAR road course debut with eighth place in Mexico City in March and now has posted three top ten finishes with a best of sixth place in Dover in June.

With the next two events on road courses Ambrose is looking to have the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion right at the front of the field as he looks to end a run of poor luck last month.

NASCAR BUSCH SERIES NOTES:

The NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at the historic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course is the inaugural event for the NASCAR Busch Series in Canada and the second points race for the series on international soil. The series has competed in Mexico City since 2005 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The purse for the race is $2,075,651, the third in excess of $2 million in the series this year and the eighth-richest race purse in series history.

There are seven double-duty drivers scheduled to compete this weekend in Montreal and also at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Nextel Cup. Reigning series champion Kevin Harvick and current standings leader Carl Edwards will be joined by David Ragan, Jeff Burton, 2002 series champion Greg Biffle, Robby Gordon and David Reutimann.

Drivers representing eight countries are entered in the event, led by a 27-man contingent from the United States. Eight Canadians, including Montreal’s own Patrick Carpentier – who will make his NASCAR debut – and veteran NASCAR road ace Ron Fellows lead that group. NASCAR Busch Series regular Marcos Ambrose is from Australia. Michel Jourdain Jr who won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Champ Car competition in 2003, and Jorge Goeters, winner of the first Busch Pole at Mexico City, are from Mexico. Additionally, Italy will be represented by Max Papis; Sweden by Nic Johnssen; England by Andy Pilgrim and Venezuela by Alex Garcia.

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

“I’m excited to go to Montreal and have a race in Canada,” said Ambrose.

“It will be my first race in Canada, so that will be another one for the album. We’re getting back to road course races where we should have an opportunity to pick-up some points in the next few weeks.

“We’re relying on Montreal and Watkins Glen, the two road courses, to gain some points and get us back on track. We’re happy go be going road racing, but I’m in NASCAR to race the ovals.

“I feel like it’s an important two weeks and I’m looking forward to going road racing, but I’m also looking forward to getting back on the ovals. It should be a good two weeks for me and the team.”

“The drivers and teams at this level, with all the experience and additional outfits, they’ll get their heads around new circuits just as quick as we are, so I don’t think anyone will have an advantage.

“I think we might have an advantage only because I’ve come from a road-racing background and there will probably be 10 or 12 other drivers out there with the same thing.

“We’ve got a good chance to run well and we want to and we expect to.”

2007 NASCAR Busch Series Points Standings – After Race 22
1. Carl Edwards 3394
2. David Reutimann 2542
3. Jason Leffler 2447
4. David Ragan 2380
5. Kevin Harvick 2358
6. Bobby Hamilton Jr 2307
7. Dave Blaney 2252
8. Stephen Leicht 2185
9. Mike Wallace 2158
10. Marcos Ambrose 2115

2007 NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings – After Race 22
1. David Ragan 197
2. Marcos Ambrose 172
3. Juan Pablo Montoya 162
4. Kyle Krisiloff 154
5. Brad Keselowski 118
6. Brad Coleman 102
7. Robert Richardson Jr 84
8. Justin Diercks 51
9. Sam Hornish Jr 35
10. Bobby Santos 21

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