Australian NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose will have his closest thing to a home event in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina this weekend.
Ambrose will have 30 fans from his homeland at the 1.5-mile speedway this weekend on the second Marcos Ambrose NASCAR Tour. With this May’s tour a sell-out, a second tour is planned for August this year.
It is also a race where Ambrose can race in front of some of the workshop-based staff at JTG Racing, based in Harrisburg close to Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Ambrose enters this weekend’s race off the back of a top 10 finish at Darlington Raceway two weeks ago, an effort the driver from Launceston, Tasmania is keen to repeat in Charlotte.
Ambrose tested the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion in an official NASCAR Nationwide Series two-day test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last week, giving he and his crew vital set-up and development time ahead of this weekend’s race.
Ambrose set respectable times during the test, but the set-up knowledge was the crucial benefit gained from testing.
Ambrose came home in 20th position at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in last year’s Memorial Day weekend Nationwide Series event. Charlotte was also the scene of Ambrose’s third-ever NASCAR event, when he qualified third in his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on an intermediate track.
Marcos Ambrose - #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion
“It’s a unique situation to go into a race having two days of testing there the week before, ” said Ambrose.
“It’s gives us a good starting point for our car and we have some idea of the direction we will take on set-up.
“Our team is very keen to post a good result for all our sponsors and supporters this weekend in Charlotte. We’ve all been working very hard and coming off a top 10 at Darlington we really want to keep the momentum going forward.
“Racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a special feeling, because you really get the feel for it being a home race. Some of the really hard working folks back at the JTG Racing workshop can come out and cheer us on and I’d love to give them a good result.
“We’ve also got a bunch of Aussie fans over on our second tour and it’s a long way to come, so I’d like to deliver for them.
“I really enjoy giving the Australian fans a close-up look at NASCAR and showing them what it’s all about. It’s such a great sport and the Australian fans love it even more once they get a first-hand look at it. ”
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