Ambrose Runs Strong at Bristol Until Crunching Ending

Food City 250, Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee

25 August 2007

Marcos Ambrose has shown impressive short track form before a crunching impact ended his day in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee today.

Ambrose qualified in 12th position in the 43-car field in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion and ran strongly in the early stages.

The half-mile, high-banked Bristol venue is regarded as one of the toughest in NASCAR, but Ambrose displayed his constant development as a NASCAR racer by occupying a top 10 position for 21 laps and running in the front half of the field.

Ambrose then dropped back and suffered damage to his car when he clipped Danny O’Quinn as he tried to pass O’Quinn’s car. The contact spun Ambrose, resulting in contact with the outside wall.

The Australian battled on despite losing a lap in the fracas and was on course to gain his lap back as one of the first cars a lap down through NASCAR’s ‘Lucky Dog’ rule, which allows the first car a lap down to rejoin the lead lap at a caution period.

But Ambrose never got that chance, running wide as he battled with an ill-handling car as a result of the damage from the early contact. As his car got high into Turn 2 and onto the marbles Ambrose spun and was collected hard by Robert Richardson as his car sat idle on the Turn 2 banking.

The impact on the left front corner of the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion was enough to send Ambrose’s car into a 360-degree spin. Both drivers emerged uninjured from the impact and were cleared by NASCAR’s infield care centre before returning to their respective pits.

The failure to finish meant that Ambrose dropped one spot to ninth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings. The 30-year-old remains second to David Ragan in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

Kasey Kahne won today’s Food City 250 ahead of polesitter Jason Leffler and David Reutimann.

Next week Ambrose will be back in action at California Speedway in Fontana, California for the Camping World 300, which is race 27 in the 35-race NASCAR Busch Series.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion

“It was a big hit but no dramas really,” said Ambrose.

“I just feel bad for everybody in my team and Kingsford Charcoal and all our sponsors because we had the potential there for a good night.

“We got some damage early on with contact with another car. After that it was really about holding on and waiting to try and get the Lucky Dog to climb back on the lead lap and have another go.

“I got a little high up into the marbles and couldn’t save it when the rear broke loose then copped a big hit there.

“It’s just Bristol, I guess. We had some damage underneath the car and the car wasn’t handling that great. We got up in the marbles and just lost it. It’s too bad.

“We had a pretty good car early on and to qualify 12th was a good performance and showed what we can do.

“This place is as tough as they come so to qualify well, run strongly and have a good car and good pace is pleasing. We lost our way a bit in the end there but we can have some confidence when we race here next.”

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Ambrose Runs Strong at Bristol Until Crunching Ending

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