Marcos Ambrose will enter NAPA Auto Parts 200 as the man to beat after setting the fastest time in final NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada today.
The Australian was second fastest in first practice earlier today before setting the fastest time in final practice on a slippery track as a result of oil.
Ambrose only had two laps at full speed in final practice due to a gearbox problem, but that was enough time for him to top the timesheets in the #59 STP Ford Fusion.
Ambrose led 37 laps at this event last year before an incident with Robby Gordon with two laps remaining knocked him out of the lead. He recovered to finish in seventh.
Since then Ambrose has scored a second place finish on the road course in Mexico City and is now focused on scoring his first NASCAR victory in Canada tomorrow.
Ambrose, a former two-time V8 Supercar Champion in his native Australia, sees brakes and weather as the two key factors in tomorrow’s race, with rain anticipated and NASCAR evaluating whether to use Goodyear rain tyres if the circuit is wet, which is extremely rare in NASCAR.
Ambrose led former CART race winners Max Papis and Scott Pruett in final practice. Former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve was sixth fastest.
RESULTS: Final Practice
1. #59 Marcos Ambrose 1:43.165
2. #64 Max Papis 1:43.424
3. #40 Scott Pruett 1:43.500
4. #9 Patrick Carpentier 1:43.878
5. #25 Boris Said 1:43.896
6. #32 Jacques Villeneuve 1:44.267
7. #5 Ron Fellows 1:44.971
8. #22 Andrew Ranger 1:45.007
9. #66 Steven Wallace 1:45.070
10. #27 Brad Coleman 1:45.378
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