The Ambrose Thread

[Jacko44]

I thought he tested the #47 COT at VIR? Also great run by Marcos on one of the most physically demanding tracks of the season.

[Matt]

He did test at VIR, SPEED Report interviewed him at the test.

[muggle not]

Originally Posted by muggle not

Not sure but I don't believe he tested at VIR.

I did not see the 47 car testing at VIR. That doesn't mean that he wasn't there or did not test. I was not at the track on Wednesday or late afternoon on Tuesday. About six to seven hours on Tuesday was enough for me as I felt and looked like a baked lobster.

[Matt]

The 47 car was red, with white numbers. Either that, or white, with red numbers, I can't remember.

[FIRE]

Former Australian V8 Supercars star and current NASCAR Busch Series regular Marcos Ambrose is set to make his Nextel Cup debut next year.

John Sazymanski, Ford Racing Technology’s director of sponsor development, told the Charlotte Observer that the Blue Oval plans for the Australian to have at least a part-time Cup schedule in ’08, pending on adequate sponsorship being found.
...

Source: http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/busch/39795/

[Dudley]

He had a part time schedule this year....VERY part time

[FIRE]

12 Cup races for Ambrose:

Little Debbie Renews with Wood Brothers: Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing announced that McKee Foods Little Debbie Snack Cakes brand will be returning as a primary sponsor [of the #21 Ford] in a newly-signed two-year deal. This agreement extends and builds upon a previous two-year relationship with the Collegedale, Tennessee Company. Little Debbie will serve as the primary sponsor for 18 Sprint Cup events in the 2008 season and again in the 2009 season. Up-and-coming Busch Series superstar Marcos Ambrose will take over as the face of the company’s NASCAR efforts in twelve of the eighteen races, beginning in Sonoma, CA in June, 2008. Additional driver lineups for the remaining six Little Debbie events will be announced at a later date—as will other sponsor/driver combinations for the new year. Ambrose will serve as a pitchman for all of the company’s snack cake brands, appearing in all point of sale (POS) materials and related items.(Wood Brothers/JTG Racing PR)(11-20-2007)

http://www.jayski.com/teams/21.htm

[ThePenguin]

Good to see Ambrose in the cup for some races, now he just has to keep working until he can get a full-time cup ride.

[deeks6]

I think we should give credit where credit is due for Ambrose in 2007. On the surface, he had a great year (2nd Rookie, 8th points etc) but when you really analyse it it's even better. His crew were ordinary IMO (and the team is not a top team, lets face it) and some of the strategies were just wrong yet he was in the Top 10 mix most of the year and sometimes Top 5 and even for the win on the odd occaision. There were some great qualifyings, the Gordon saga etc ... but his efforts on some of the ovals that he had not seen were outstanding.
Compare his efforts to the other NASCAR rookies and he was a standout, especially when you consider that most of the other rookies had considerable oval experience (albeit in other cars). Adapting to NASCAR from road racing is a helluva lot tougher than people think.
I had my doubts about Ambrose succeeding at this caper but I now think if you put him in a Roush or a Hendrick car with a top crew, this guy could really go places in Cup. I'm not saying he's the next Jeff Gordon but I think he could be a regular contender (in the right team).

[StuiE]

Going by that it seems he'll be driving the #21 cup car rather than a second Wood Bros car?

[Axeman444]

i take it he isn't running the Nationwide race in Milwaukee then, which is on the 21st, if he is running in Cup at Infineon on the 22nd?

[nivag71]

He'll run both..Alot of the cup drive run both.

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by nivag71

He'll run both..Alot of the cup drive run both.

i could understand if it was just racing on saturday in nationwide and then fly over for race on sunday in cup, but how do they work quali in with 2 races on almost opposite sides of the country? i assume quali for Infineon would be on the same Saturday that they are supposed to be racing in Milwaulkee, not to mention the practice slots...

do they just rely on owner/championship points and are granted a start?

[Hazza]

They (Hypothetically) get someone to Qualify one car or the other and he just flies out.

[Ruddeger]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

i could understand if it was just racing on saturday in nationwide and then fly over for race on sunday in cup, but how do they work quali in with 2 races on almost opposite sides of the country? i assume quali for Infineon would be on the same Saturday that they are supposed to be racing in Milwaulkee, not to mention the practice slots...

do they just rely on owner/championship points and are granted a start?

Qualifying isn't a problem.The Sprint Cup qualifying at Infineon is on friday afternoon.Then on the saturday morning there's practice sessions for both the Sprint Cup race and the Nationwide race.He would probably do the Sprint Cup practice and have someone else to the practice in his Nationwide car.The Nationwide qualifying is at 4.30pm on the saturday,with the race at 7.30pm.He could miss the Nationwide qualifying and just have someone else do it,then start from the back of the field.Then he flies back to Infineon for the race at 2pm sunday.

[nivag71]

Ambrose tested the #47 Car today and will test tomorrow too.

Sprint Cup Testing at Pocono Raceway
Day 1 - May 27, 2008
Rank Car# Driver Manu Time Speed
1 38 David Gilliland Ford 54.742 164.408
2 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 54.755 164.369
3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 54.903 163.925
4 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 55.017 163.586
5 48B Jimmie Johnson Chevy 55.036 163.529
6 5B Casey Mears Chevy 55.086 163.381
7 8 Mark Martin Chevy 55.105 163.325
8 22B Dave Blaney Toyota 55.139 163.224
9 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 55.152 163.185
10 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 55.201 163.041
11 07B Clint Bowyer Chevy 55.243 162.917
12 84 A.J. Allmendinger Toyota 55.319 162.693
13 88B Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 55.337 162.640
14 66 Scott Riggs Chevy 55.361 162.569
15 20 Tony Stewart Toyota 55.374 162.531
16 31 Jeff Burton Chevy 55.390 162.484
17 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota 55.392 162.478
18 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 55.397 162.464
19 26B Jamie McMurray Ford 55.397 162.464
20 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 55.403 162.446
21 11B Denny Hamlin Toyota 55.413 162.417
22 29B Kevin Harvick Chevy 55.422 162.390
23 1B Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 55.424 162.385
24 19B Elliott Sadler Dodge 55.488 162.197
25 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 55.576 161.940
26 00 Michael McDowell Toyota 55.604 161.859
27 78 Joe Nemechek Chevy 55.623 161.804
28 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 55.630 161.783
29 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 55.689 161.612
30 2B Kurt Busch Dodge 55.689 161.612
31 99B Carl Edwards Ford 55.690 161.609
32 44 David Reutimann Toyota 55.699 161.583
33 66B Scott Riggs Chevy 55.714 161.539
34 15 Paul Menard Chevy 55.822 161.227
35 16B Greg Biffle Ford 55.823 161.224
36 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 55.834 161.192
37 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 55.854 161.134
38 22 Dave Blaney Toyota 55.861 161.114
39 70 Jason Leffler Chevy 55.864 161.106
40 40 Dario Franchitti Dodge 55.878 161.065
41 31B Jeff Burton Chevy 55.899 161.005
42 6 David Ragan Ford 55.905 160.987
43 41B Reed Sorenson Dodge 55.919 160.947
44 28 Travis Kvapil Ford 55.947 160.867
45 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge 55.958 160.835
46 40B Dario Franchitti Dodge 55.969 160.803
47 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota 55.970 160.800
48 17B Matt Kenseth Ford 55.987 160.752
49 9B Kasey Kahne Dodge 56.009 160.688
50 84B A.J. Allmendinger Toyota 56.043 160.591
51 07 Clint Bowyer Chevy 56.079 160.488
52 70B Jason Leffler Chevy 56.173 160.219
53 10 Patrick Carpentier Dodge 56.248 160.006
54 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Dodge 56.253 159.991
55 42B Juan Pablo Montoya Dodge 56.258 159.977
56 77B Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 56.258 159.977
57 34B Tony Raines Chevy 56.511 159.261
58 47 Marcos Ambrose Ford 56.686 158.769
59 43B Bobby Labonte Dodge 56.687 158.767
60 97 Brad Coleman Toyota 56.762 158.557
61 45 Terry Labonte Dodge 56.825 158.381
62 21 Jon Wood Ford 57.166 157.436
63 87 David Green Chevy 57.192 157.365
64 10B Patrick Carpentier Dodge 57.304 157.057

[Jacko44]

Originally Posted by Ruddeger

Qualifying isn't a problem.The Sprint Cup qualifying at Infineon is on friday afternoon.Then on the saturday morning there's practice sessions for both the Sprint Cup race and the Nationwide race.He would probably do the Sprint Cup practice and have someone else to the practice in his Nationwide car.The Nationwide qualifying is at 4.30pm on the saturday,with the race at 7.30pm.He could miss the Nationwide qualifying and just have someone else do it,then start from the back of the field.Then he flies back to Infineon for the race at 2pm sunday.

Denny Hamlin managed to do it last year... And win the 'Busch' race.... Even though he missed the first part of the race and they replaced Almirola half-way through..

[FIRE]

...
UPDATE 2: hearing JTG Racing could move up to Sprint Cup in 2009 with Marcos Ambrose driving and the team could switch from Ford to Chevy, no idea if Daugherty would be part of this deal. Other rumors have Ambrose going to the #21 of the Wood Brothers in 2009, that team would remain a Ford. Ambrose is schedule to run eight races this season in the #21 and four in the #47 Ford fielded by JTG Racing.(6-25-2008)

Source: http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news47

Ambrose in a "Holden"?

[Matt]

Finally, he's seen the light.

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Source: http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news47

Ambrose in a "Holden"?

I think you will find he has some sort of an agreement with ford, they let him out of his contract in Australia to move into the truck series, and he has a lot of history with the company. Wood Bros is a safer bet i would expect, specially if he does well this weekend in cup.

[Denosaur]

Originally Posted by Matt

Finally, he's seen the light.

If he came over to the GM side, I would seriously consider going over to Ford.

Only God can help now!!!!!

[VilleneuveTracy]

I would prefer him staying with the Wood Brothers than going with a new cup team. The Wood Brothers run basically Roush cars (Roush chassis, Roush engines, Roush technical support). Of all the low budget teams you can't do any better than these satellite teams of the top teams (the #21 and Roush, the two Yates cars and Roush, the two Haas cars and Hendrick, and the #96 and Joe Gibbs Racing). The Yates cars are showing that even a low budget team can have moderate success (top 20 in points with the occasional good result) if they are given strong basic equipment. They are doing this with Kvapil and Gilliland. Ambrose is probably a better driver than both of the Yates duo and could conceivably finish in the top 15 in the #21. Of course, this is a best case scenario. Eventually he would need to move to the "A" team of Roush or another top team if he is to become a championship contender.

[FIRE]

JTG Racing owner Tad Geschickter said Friday he hopes to move Marcos Ambrose to the Sprint Cup Series next season, in addition to having Nationwide and truck series teams in 2009.
...

Full article

[gomick]

He just finished 15th & on the lead lap in the Daytona Race - good drive Marcos

[Axeman444]

Good news, and not surprising...

is it just me or does Junior look like a complete idiot in the ad in FIRE's link??