Marcos Ambrose has salvaged some all important championship points and remains in the top 10 in the NASCAR Busch Series standings after an early race incident ruined the Australian’s chances in the Camping World 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon today.
Ambrose finished nine laps down in 30th position in today’s 18th race in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series after qualifying 27th earlier in the day.
Ambrose drops one spot to eighth in the championship standings and remains second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings after his chances of a fourth top 10 result of the season were dashed on lap 42.
Ambrose had already improved five spots from his starting position when David Gilliland spun in turn two, collecting the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion and sending Ambrose into a spin. JJ Yeley then hit Ambrose from behind as he tried to find a way past, the contact damaging both cars and resulting in a red flag so that crews could separate the two cars.
After Ambrose completed the mandatory visit to the medical centre he rushed back to his pit, where the #59 Kingsford crew from Wood Brothers/JTG Racing had been busy working on the damaged car.
Ambrose was eventually able to rejoin the track action, albeit seven laps down, and from here he could only circulate and gather as many points as possible towards his championship campaign.
Kevin Harvick won today’s Camping World 200 ahead of NASCAR Busch Series points leader Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.
Marcos Ambrose – Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion
“The 25 car of David Gilliland had a moment and got up into us, ” said Ambrose.
“I was almost around him when he just came up the track and caught the rear of my car.
“I had it corrected but JJ Yeley came up on us and tried to get around me between my bumper and the wall. We hit and the cars got caught up on each other and my rear wheels were off the ground so I couldn’t do anything.
“We got back out there and basically drove around for the points. We are running in the top 10 in the championship and that’s a focus for us, so it was important to get back out there for all our sponsors and the get the points.
“I was really worried about the first 30,40 laps of this race. I said to the guys I’ve got a feeling and I’m going to be super-conservative and we tried to be that way. The car was alright, but it was still early days.
“I told the guys to give me a push and they didn’t want to push me off. If they had lifted the back of the car and given it a shove we would have got away from there and not lost a lap but that’s the way it goes. ”
RESULTS: Camping World 200 at New Hampshire Int. Speedway
Race 18 of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series
1. #21 Kevin Harvick 200 laps
2. #60 Carl Edwards
3. #17 Matt Kenseth
4. #33 Tony Stewart
5. #20 Denny Hamlin
6. #2 Clint Bowyer
7. #37 Greg Biffle
8. #99 David Reutimann
9. #41 Reed Sorenson
10. #24 Casey Mears
30. #59 Marcos Ambrose 191 laps
RESULTS: Qualifying
1. #21 Kevin Harvick 29.449
2. #60 Carl Edwards 29.461
3. #2 Clint Bowyer 29.570
4. #91 Bobby Santos 29.580
5. #20 Denny Hamlin 29.631
6. #25 David Gilliland 29.688
7. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya 29.712
8. #17 Matt Kenseth 29.726
9. #10 Dave Blaney 29.743
10. #33 Tony Stewart 29.766
27. #59 Marcos Ambrose 30.110
2007 NASCAR Busch Series Points Standings – After Race 18
1. Carl Edwards 2861
2. David Reutimann 2052
3. Kevin Harvick 1993
4. David Ragan 1949
5. Jason Leffler 1895
6. Dave Blaney 1891
7. Bobby Hamilton Jr 1856
8. Marcos Ambrose 1829
9. Greg Biffle 1793
10. Stephen Leicht 1784
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Marcos Ambrose and the Aussie Vineyards-backed #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion team at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing have US$487,877 (A $573,972) in prizemoney in 18 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
– Ambrose achieved his best NASCAR Busch Series result to date with sixth place at Dover International Speedway on 2 June 2007, also winning him his fourth Raybestos Rookie of the Race award for the season
– The 30-year-old will also aim to qualify for his first NASCAR Nextel Cup race in the #47 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing at Watkins Glen on August 12
– 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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