BAM Media
Team Australia driver Marcos Ambrose continues to strive forward in leaps and bounds as he embarks on his first season in the NASCAR Busch Series, setting the seventh fastest time in the final session of the final open test of the preseason at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada today.
Ambrose capped a successful test with a 29.930-second lap in the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion at an average speed of 180.421mph (290.351km/h) around the 1.5-mile speedway on Tuesday, Nevada-time.
The time made the Australian the sixth fastest driver and the seventh fastest car for the afternoon, as well as the fastest non-Nextel Cup driver, with all five faster drivers being full-time Nextel Cup drivers in season 2007.
Each driver was permitted two cars at the test, with Ford driver and Nextel Cup star Carl Edwards putting both his cars in the top five in the afternoon session at the revamped Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Ambrose was full of praise for the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal crew from Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, with crew cheif Greg Conner and the entire team working superbly over the two days to give the team an edge on confidence heading into the season.
Ambrose will now head to Virginia International Raceway where the two-time Australian V8 Supercar Champion will have his first drive of a NASCAR on a road course in a one day test on Thursday February 8.
Ambrose will make his NASCAR Busch Series debut in the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion on February 17 at Daytona International Raceway in Florida.
Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“I think the team did really well at this test, †said Ambrose.
“For my first time here in a Busch Series car I felt comfortable and we were running very well out there amongst some really good drivers and teams.
“I had a great two days working with Greg (Conner, Ambrose’s crew chief) and we had things going well with the car and crew. I think we have really worked things out well together, which will be a real boost heading into the first race in Daytona.
“We started to get a little bit lost on set-up in the middle of the day but Greg and I were able to work together and we had things back on track really quickly. That’s really important and great that this crew is working so well as a group even before the first race.
“When it was hot in the middle of the day there we were not quite there, but in the afternoon as it cooled off the Kingsford car came on really strong.
“This test is a really good foundation to build on for the start of the season. I’ll head into the workshop tomorrow and hopefully the weather is good enough for us to get in some good miles at VIR on the road course on Thursday. â€
Test Notebook – Day Two, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Tuesday Afternoon Session
Place No Driver Car Best Time Av. Speed
1. 24B Casey Mears Chevrolet 29.685 sec 181.910 mph
2. 60A Carl Edwards Ford 29.744 sec 181.549 mph
3. 15A Paul Menard Chevrolet 29.757 sec 181.470 mph
4. 99A David Reutimann Toyota 29.868 sec 180.796 mph
5. 60B Carl Edwards Ford 29.889 sec 180.668 mph
6. 25A David Gilliland Ford 29.897 sec 180.620 mph
7. 59A Marcos Ambrose Ford 29.930 sec 180.421 mph
8. 33A Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 29.954 sec 180.276 mph
9. 38A Jason Leffler Toyota 30.001 sec 179.994 mph
10. 27A Ward Burton Ford 30.014 sec 179.916 mph
Tuesday Morning Session
Place No Driver Car Best Time Av. Speed
1. 15A Paul Menard Chevrolet 29.603 sec. 182.414 mph
2. 60A Carl Edwards Ford 29.656 sec 182.088 mph
3. 60B Carl Edwards Ford 29.710 sec 181.757 mph
4. 9B Kasey Kahne Dodge 29.786 sec 181.293 mph
5. 5A Kyle Busch Chevrolet 29.855 sec 180.874 mph
6. 33B Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 29.898 sec 180.614 mph
7. 2A Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 29.910 sec 180.542 mph
8. 17A Matt Kenseth Ford 29.922 sec 180.469 mph
9. 22A David Stremme Dodge 29.930 sec 180.421 mph
10. 2B Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 29.950 sec 180.301 mph
31. 59A Marcos Ambrose 30.222 178.678mph
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Ambrose will drive the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series
– 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. Also won the Mobil 1 Command Performance award in Nashville
– 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 LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Track Length: 1.5 miles (2.41km)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 20 degrees*
Degree of Banking in Straights: 9 degrees*
Las Vegas Motor Speedway was redeveloped last season, with the banking increased from 12 to 20 degrees in the turns and back straight banking increased to 9 degrees to be the same as front straight
