Ambrose Makes Superspeedway Return at Daytona

Winn Dixie 250, Daytona International Speedway, Florida

04 July 2007

Marcos Ambrose returns to the sight of his spectacular NASCAR Busch Series debut when he races the Winn Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida this weekend.

Ambrose finished 16th in his first event in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion in February, a race that was also the Australian’s first at the 2.5-mile Daytona superspeedway.

Since then Ambrose has had one more superspeedway ‘restrictor plate’ event, performing superbly at Talladega Superspeedway in April to run in the top five before becoming an innocent victim in a multi-car accident with 11 laps remaining.

This weekend will see another first for Ambrose, his first night race on a superspeedway. It is the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega where restrictor plates are run between the carburettor and inlet manifold on the car’s engines to decrease horsepower and keep speeds at a more reasonable level, generally around 190mph (306km/h).

This weekend is the fourth race on a genuine superspeedway for 30-year-old Ambrose, with two previoius starts at Talladega Superspeedway (one in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and one in NASCAR Busch Series) and one solitary event at Daytona International Speedway in the this year’s NASCAR Busch Series season opener.

Ambrose will be keen to get a good result on the board as he continues to run in the top 10 in the series standings as well as chase fellow Ford driver David Ragan in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion

“I’m looking forward to getting back to superspeedway racing,” said Ambrose.

“My first race of the year and my first race in the Kingsford car was at Daytona this year and we came away with 16th place and top rookie. So I’ve definitely got positive thoughts going back to Daytona this weekend.

“Last time out on a superspeedway we were looking good for a top five at Talladega but we were taken out in a wreck towards the end. I’d like to think we can repeat that form this weekend at Daytona and get a good result.

“Restrictor plate racing is so different and you really need to plan your race so that you are in with a shot in the front pack at the end.

“This will also be my first night race on a superspeedway, so that will add another dimension to things. Daytona is a little different to Talladega in that it’s not as wide and smooth and a night race around there should be fun and will definitely get everyone’s attention.”

Please find below a Q&A with Marcos Ambrose ahead of this weekend’s Camping World 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway, courtesy of Ford Racing USA.

Q: HOW DO YOU LIKE RESTRICTOR-PLATE RACING?

MA: “It’s so different to what racing is normally about that it takes a little bit of adjusting. You put your foot to the floor for 300 miles is all you’re doing and it’s just how aggressive you are in the pack and how the draft works.

“You’re actually at the mercy of some of the other people as much as yourself, so you’ve got to trust who you’re around. That’s a very different outlook on racing than normal. Normally, you’ve got control in your own hands, but at Daytona you don’t.

“I still really enjoy it, but I worry that I won’t finish the race because you can get taken out in someone else’s crash so easily there. That’s what happened to us at the Talladega race. We were running great inside the top 10 with about five laps to go and, all of a sudden, everything let loose and we were in the fence.

“There’s so much to the speedway stuff that is hard to see from the naked eye, but when you’re in the car you’ve got to really learn it first-hand. I think I’m getting better and better on those superspeedways. I feel like I’m on the road of being okay on them, but now I have to get results.”

Q: WHEN YOU HAVE A YELLOW STRIPE ON YOUR BUMPER AT DAYTONA AND TALLADEGA IT CAN BE EVEN HARDER. DO YOU FEEL YOU’LL HAVE SOME FRIENDS THERE?

MA: “They don’t like to run with rookies for good reason, normally rookies cause trouble. I like to think that I’ve worked with some good guys all year and we’ve had no trouble racing on normal speedways.

“If you put yourself in a position where they have to help you on a superspeedway because you’re boxed in with the best of them, they’re gonna push you along. I’d like to think they’ll work with me any better than have done in the past there, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

IS IT FRUSTRATING FOR A DRIVER TO HAVE YOUR FOOT ON THE FLOOR AND NOT BE ABLE TO GO ANY FASTER?

MA: “No, not really. You get good drafts and you choose when you should take them and when you shouldn’t take them. It’s really all just a matter of survival for the last 10 laps. That’s what it is – it’s all about survival.”

All media requests for interviews, press releases, information, or images to be directed to:

Melissa Arbuthnot
melissa.arbuthnot@communecom.com.au

Janina Czado
janina@communecom.com.au

CommunEcom Strategic Communications
P.O. Box 689
Balgowlah NSW 2093

Ph: +61 2 9949 9788
Fax: +61 2 9949 9688

Ambrose Makes Superspeedway Return at Daytona

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