While the attention was on Ambrose’s history making efforts last week – he became the first Australian to start the Daytona 500 in its 51-year history – his 17th place finish represented a solid foundation for the 32-year-old to base his first season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Ambrose is focused on putting himself in a strong position early in the season, keen to post solid points-scoring finishes in the first five races of the season with the aim being well inside the top 35 in Owner’s Points by the sixth race of the year and therefore avoiding the prospect of having to qualify for races on speed.
A solid result at the 2-0-mile Auto Club Speedway will be a major step in the right direction in terms of this goal, with guaranteed starting positions giving teams enormous stability both on and off the track.
FONTANA FIRST CUP DOUBLE-UP …
The Auto Club 500 will be Ambrose’s 13th Sprint Cup points race and the first time he will make a Sprint Cup start on a track for the second time.
Ambrose made his penultimate appearance for Wood Brothers Racing last year at the 2.0-mile speedway, finishing in 32nd place.
Ambrose has strong Nationwide Series form at the venue formerly known as California Speedway, with each of his four starts netting him a top 25 finishing position the best of which was 13th place in the Fall race of 2007.
TECHNOLOGY KEEPS AMBROSE FAMILY IN TOUCH …
For this early part of the season, Marcos’ three special ladies – wife Sonja and daughters Tabitha and Adelaide – remain back in Australia with family and friends until returning to the United States in two weeks.
But even while they spend February apart, the family are still in touch every day and thanks to the internet they are practically as close to the action as Ambrose’s own crew chief, Frankie Kerr.
“They’ve been watching me on television back home in Australia,” said Ambrose.
“During the race, Sonja is able to listen into the radio communication between me and my team on the computer thanks to NASCAR.com. The Trackpass Scanner function allows people listen in on my radio.
“I can wish them well and say hi before the start of a race and that’s incredible. Also, we have a web cam set up so I can see the children and talk to my wife Sonja on a daily basis.
“I miss them, but we’ve found unique ways to stay in touch constantly. I am really looking forward to them coming back in a couple weeks.
“It’s a pretty cool set-up for the girls. They kind of live an endless summer, with the times we travel between the US and Australia.”
EXPERIENCE HELPFUL FOR AMBROSE …
Michael Waltrip has 726 career Sprint Cup starts, with over 1000 starts across all three of NASCAR’s championship divisions. Reutimann, on the other hand, is closer to Ambrose’s end of the spectrum with 64.
It gives Ambrose two unique perspectives to seek for guidance and support as he embarks on his first full season in the top level of NASCAR.
Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner who co-founded Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007, has seen just about everything there is to see in terms of NASCAR. Meanwhile, Reutimann was a rookie not that long ago, running his first full Sprint Cup season in 2007, so therefore knows all too well the journey upon which Ambrose is embarking in 2009.
It is not just his two MWR ‘stable-mates’ that can act as a sounding board for Ambrose this season. Michael Waltrip Racing boasts over 200 employees at its 142,000 square foot facility in Cornelius, North Carolina.
TRALIAN EYES ON CALIFORNIA ON MONDAY MORNING …
There will be a lot of attention on the state of California on Monday morning Australian time.
While Marcos Ambrose will be making his second Sprint Cup start for the season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on the outskirts of Los Angeles, fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman will be preparing to host the 81st Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre.
Australian support will be for the late Australian actor Heath Ledger, who is nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of ‘The Joker’ in The Dark Knight.
| 
|