Team Australia driver Marcos Ambrose has finished 22nd in a hectic Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona today.
Ambrose brought the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion home in a respectable position after a race of twists and turns for the Australian, which began with Ambrose earning his second NASCAR Busch Series top 10 start after a solid qualifying result of 10th fastest. The time made Ambrose the fastest rookie in qualifying, with the next best rookie being Juan Pablo Montoya in 20th.
Ambrose ran comfortably inside the top 15 for the first half of the race. The two-time Australian V8 Supercar Champion dropped down the order slightly in the flurry of late-race pit stops and once among the battling on the verge of the top 20 he was unable to forge a break and get back up the order.
Ambrose encountered a close shave on the final lap of the race as he avoided a series of clashes that culminated in his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team-mate Jon Wood crashing when he was left no where to go when cars spun on the track.
Ambrose retains his eighth position in the overall series standings and maintains his tight tussle with ex-Formula One driver Montoya in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition, with Montoya finishing one place ahead of Ambrose today in 21st place and top rookie.
Clint Bowyer won today’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 ahead of Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton. Ambrose’s next race is at the massive Talladega Superspeedway on April 28. Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“We were running well and felt good in the early part of the race, ” said Ambrose. “It shows some of the progress we have been making that we can qualify in the top ten and run well on a one-mile oval like Phoenix. This is a tough race track and it was a tough field out here today. It certainly felt good running around with all the Cup guys in the first part of the race.
“Once we were back in the pack we really didn’t have enough pace to pass the cars we had to pass to get back to where we were.
“There was a lot of bumpy and crashing going on back there so it was just a matter of keeping it straight and making sure we brought the Kingsford car home with some good points.
“We achieved that, ran well, showed some speed and we kept our spot in the standings. The day didn’t finish as well as it started but I think we can look at today and feel like we did a good job. ”
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