Marcos Ambrose has endured a long night of NASCAR Nationwide Series racing in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.
Ambrose’s car cut out with an electrical problem on lap 17 of the 250-lap race, bringing out the first caution of the night. Ambrose switched to the back-up ignition system when he lost power, but still could not restart the car.
The #59 Kingsford Ford Fusion was brought to pit lane for the entire ignition system to be replaced, which cost the Australian 20 laps.
After repairs were made by the JTG Daugherty Racing crew and the car restarted, Ambrose went back out on track to maximise his points haul from the event, crucial as the Watkins Glen race winner pushes to maintain a spot in the top 10 in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series points.
The extra laps also gave Ambrose more time on the tough half-mile oval and while he was wary of holding up drivers on the lead lap, Ambrose was still able to match the pace of the front runners to show that the potential was there despite his night already being ruined by the earlier problems.
Brad Keselowski won the Food City 250 ahead of Nationwide Series leader Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle.
Ambrose will be back on ‘double duty’ next weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, driving in both the Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, where he will drive the #21 Little Debbie Ford Fusion of Wood Brothers Racing.
QUOTES - MARCOS AMBROSE
“It just stopped,” said Ambrose.
“We have back-up (ignition) boxes and stuff, but nothing worked so we had to come in and change the whole panel and away she went.”
“We’re just tripping over ourselves. We’re trying to get in the top 10 in points and we’re not going to do it if we’re not a race team that can get us to the end.”
“After an incident like that, you’ve still just got to go on. I tried to look after the car and be nice to the people out there while trying to stay out there for the points, so I got stuck in it a little bit there when I got some clear track and just got more laps at Bristol, which always helps, but it is really disappointing.”
RESULTS: Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 26 in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series
1. #88 Brad Keselowski 250 laps
2. #2 Clint Bowyer
3. #16 Greg Biffle
4. #33 Cale Gale
5. #64 David Stremme
6. #29 Scott Wimmer
7. #18 Kyle Busch
8. #99 David Reutimann
9. #10 Brian Vickers
10. #66 Steve Wallace
34. #59 Marcos Ambrose 230 laps
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