http://www.fullboost.com.au/news.php?newsId=1178

The US racing career of Australian motorsport ace Marcos Ambrose has taken another dramatic step with the Tasmanian being confirmed as a full-time NASCAR Busch driver in 2007.

Ambrose will step up into the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for a full 35-race program, including three road course events at Mexico City, Montreal in Canada and Watkins Glen.

The Busch Series is one step up from his current NASCAR Craftsman Truck commitments and the next in his end goal of a full-time NASCAR Nextel Cup drive.

Ambrose’s current list of sponsors for the 2007 season include Kingsford® Charcoal, Hidden Valley® Salad Dressing, KC Masterpiece® BBQ Sauce, Bush’s Best Baked Beans and Glad Food Storage Bags.

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing is currently in negotiations with Craig Gore’s Aussie Vineyards and Team Australia organisation, which is the naming rights sponsor of Ambrose’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck that he will campaign at Talladega this weekend and then the remaining five races of the season. An announcement on an on-going relationship is expected in the near future.

Ambrose was obviously delighted when Wood Brothers/JTG Racing confirmed his Busch ride yesterday.

Kingsford Charcoal® will celebrate its 10th season as a NASCAR Busch Series sponsor with Ambrose behind the wheel.

“Everyone at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing has been fantastic in my first season of NASCAR competition and I look forward to taking the next step of my career in the #59 Kingsford® Charcoal Ford in 2007,â€￾ said Ambrose.

“I guess if there is one thing Australians know how to do, its BBQ, and when you look at all the sponsors associated with my car for next season then we could have one terrific cook out.

“The support of Len and Eddie Wood, co-owners Jodi and Tad Geschickter and the whole Wood Brothers/JTG Racing operation has been fantastic and I look forward to a long and successful relationship with the team. The NASCAR family has also made me feel very welcome.

“It is great to be continuing my relationship with Ford and I look forward to building on a strong 2006 in what will be yet another rookie season.

“This is definitely a major step up, but I am looking forward to the challenge and continuing what has been an amazing learning curve.â€￾

Ambrose joined the NASCAR ranks this season after a successful V8 Supercar career in Australia where he won two championships for Ford.

He had not driven an oval race before his NASCAR Craftsman Truck debut Martinsville in April, but since then he has finished with two third-place finishes (Kansas and Nashville) and a pole (Kentucky).

He was also the WIX Filters “Lap Leaderâ€￾ at Kentucky and currently sits fourth in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, despite missing the first three rounds of the championship.

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter says Ambrose has earned his promotion into NASCAR Busch competition.

“What has impressed us most about Marcos is that he is a professional – a real student of the game,â€￾ said Geschickter.

“I think his dedication to learning the nuances of this form of racing is what has dramatically increased his knowledge and ability.

“There are a lot of drivers in this game with talent, but only a few with the level of desire and dedication that Marcos exhibits. I also think he is a tremendously marketable driver and is a perfect fit for Kingsford Charcoal® and other partners on the #59 Ford.

“Marcos admits he still has a lot to learn about this discipline of motorsport. I think it will be important for him to run competitively for a period of time in the NASCAR Busch Series cars, where the aerodynamics are significantly different than the Craftsman Truck vehicles.

“Then we will know if he is ready for the final step to Nextel Cup.â€￾

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing experienced many changes in 2006. First of all was the joint partnership itself and then came new sponsors, drivers, series and facilities.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood believes the elevation of Ambrose into the NASCAR Busch Series is just one of several new initiatives to be announced by the team today and over the coming weeks.

“The trend in NASCAR is to get big or get out,â€￾ stated Eddie Wood.

“The Wood Brothers have no intention of fading away and the steps taken in 2006 to merge with ST Motorsports to form our new company will pay dividends for our future. Our goal for 2007 is to continue building systems and people for our future success, and to get our arms around our new five-team, multi-division format.â€￾

The 26th season of Busch Series competition begins on February 17 at Daytona International Speedway, includes two international stops, and ends November 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.

The Busch Series is scheduled for 26 combination events with the Nextel Cup Series in 2007. The Busch Series will race together with the Craftsman Truck Series twice.

There will be eight Busch Series "stand-alone" events: Mexico City (March 4), Nashville (April 7 and June 9), Kentucky (June 16), Milwaukee (June 23), Indianapolis (July 28), Montreal (Aug 4) and Memphis (Oct. 27).

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing will again field one Cup team, two Busch teams, and two Truck teams. The team also expects to field a second Cup car for select Nextel Cup races. Many of the driver and sponsor relationships for 2007 are in place, but several more are to be confirmed in coming weeks.

Alright!!!!! 1 step to go to be a fully fledged arrogant NASCAR driver!! Only joking...Good on him!

f**k that was a read and a half

cool

gotta admit he is one heck of a driver, good luck to him

Awesome stuff!! Go Ambrose!!

Best bit is, every single race of the Busch series is broadcast on Fox Sports.

Woooohoooo!!!!

AMBROSE PUTS TEAM AUSTRALIA IN TOP FIVE AT TALLADEGA


Team Australia NASCAR Truck driver Marcos Ambrose has made an outstanding start to his first superspeedway event by driving to fifth fastest in final practice for the John Deere 250 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama today.

Ambrose, who yesterday confirmed his move up into the NASCAR Busch Series for 2007 with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, soon came to terms with the daunting and ultra-fast superspeedway.

Today’s activities were more about refining the set-up of his Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150 for qualifying and the race, but Ambrose still found time to set a quick time, good enough for fifth fastest in final practice.

It was yet another great day for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, with Ambrose and team-mate Bobby East the two fastest Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders in final practice, with East second quickest.

Earlier in the day Ambrose was 25th fastest in opening practice and 11th fastest in rookie practice.

The Australian, who was a two-time champion in Australia’s V8 Supercar Championship Series before becoming the first Australian to compete full-time in NASCAR, is confident that he and the Team Australia crew can get the Aussie Vineyards F-150 to work well in the draft.

The key to superspeedway racing is not only drafting and racing in the pack, but also avoiding the ‘big one’, the multiple car crashes common to superspeedway racing that can remove a good portion of the field in one accident, making qualifying tomorrow all the more important.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY …

Marcos Ambrose – Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150

“Today was a bit of a 'muscle-pumping' day here for practice,â€￾ said Ambrose.

“The important work today was to get your truck working in the draft and make sure you are going to have a strong truck in the race when you are running in the pack.

“Fifth quickest time was good today but the real goal here is going to be getting a top 10 spot in qualifying tomorrow.

“We have a really good truck and the team has done a great job yet again. We’ve got no problems and everything is looking good.

“This place is flat out as soon as you leave the pit lane. It is all about setting up the truck to run well in the draft and to be comfortable with the vehicle you’ve got.

“The aim will be to run well but also stay out of trouble and avoid the ‘big one’ if and when it happens. The truck is good and I’m with a great team so it’s all looking good.â€￾

Craig Gore – Team Australia

“Marcos knew it was going to be fast at Talladega but maybe even he was not expecting it to be this quick,â€￾ said Gore.

“This is a great result on the back of his 2007 Busch announcement yesterday.

“It would be great if Marcos could have a big result for Team Australia at Talladega and we could back that up back here in Australia with a strong showing at Bathurst.

“It would be great if we could be opening some Aussie Vineyards product in celebration on both sides of the Pacific.â€￾

To subscribe to Marcos Ambrose’s newsletter, please visit his new website at www.marcosambrose.com

2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Points – After Round 19
– Marcos Ambrose did not compete in the first three rounds of the championship.

1. Todd Bodine 2911, 2. Johnny Benson 2820, 3. David Reutimann 2671, 4. Ted Musgrave 2625, 5. Rick Crawford 2590, 6. David Starr 2553, 7. Ron Hornaday Jr 2531, 8. Mike Bliss 2486, 9. Jack Sprague 2479, 10. Terry Cook 2460, 24. Marcos Ambrose 1579.

2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Raybestos Rookie of the Year Points – After Round 19
– Marcos Ambrose did not compete in the first three rounds of the championship.

1. Erik Darnell 173, 2. Chad McCumbee 134, 3. Aric Almirola 127, 4. Marcos Ambrose 116, 5. Bobby East 97, 6. Joey Miller 96, 7. Boston Reid 96, 8. Kerry Earnhardt 92, 9. Erin Crocker 83, 10. Kraig Kinser 78.

MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Ambrose has earned US$186,943 in 16 starts this year
– Born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
– Ambrose won two consecutive V8 Supercar Series Championships in Australia in 2003 and 2004 for Ford
– Drives the No. 20 Ford F-150 for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in 2006
– In 2007 Ambrose will drive the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR Busch Series
– First Australian to compete full-time in NASCAR
– Achieved his best result when he finished third at Kansas Speedway on July 1 in only his ninth NASCAR event. Also finished third in Round 16 in Nashville, his 13th NASCAR event
– Ambrose is one of only two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders to score a top three finish this season
– Ambrose is the first Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate to earn two top five finishes
– Ambrose is the only Raybestos Rookie to capture WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honours in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. Ambrose led twice for 49 laps to claim the honour in the Built Ford Tough 225 in Kentucky
– Became the first Australian to lead laps in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
– Is the first non-American driver to finish in the top five of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event since Canadian Ron Fellows won on the Watkins Glen road course on 26 June 1999
– Ambrose won his first Budweiser Pole in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway on July 8
– Ambrose is the first non-Amercian driver to win a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole since 26 June 1999 when Ron Fellows of Canada qualified first at Watkins Glen International
– This was the first pole for the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team and the first pole for crew chief Gary Cogswell
– Ambrose has now qualified in the top 10 for seven of his 16 NASCAR starts to date
– scored his third top 10 finish of his rookie season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

TIPS FOR AUSTRALIAN FANS
There are several websites relating to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where you can follow Ambrose’s progress.

The best four we have discovered so far are the official NASCAR.com site, truckseries.com, teamaustraliamotorsport.com and woodbrothersjtg.com

You can register for Track Pass on the NASCAR site, which will give you access to radio broadcasts, in-car audio and video of most races for a fee, but you will need a US credit card (so ring a mate!).

You can get a free lap-by-lap written commentary of the races on truckseries.com by going to the trackside area of the site. There are also pre and post race audio interviews.

There are two other websites that have radio coverage of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, www.wysham.com and www.radiocoloradonetwork.com

RACE SCHEDULE
Qualifying
Friday 5 October 2006
11:15am CT
Race – 94 laps
Saturday 6 October 2006
2:15pm CT

AUSTRALIAN TIMES
Qualifying
Saturday 6 October 2006
2:15am ET
Race – 94 laps
Sunday 6 October 2006
5:15am ET

ABOUT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
Location: Talladega, Alabama
Race Distance: 94 laps = 250.4 miles (403 km)
Track Length: 2.66 miles
Degree of Banking in Turns: 33 degrees
Degree of Banking in Front Straight: 18 degrees
Degree of Banking in Back Straight: 2 degrees

This is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’s inaugural event at Talladega Superspeedway. This will also be the first NASCAR weekend held at the venue since the speedway was resurfaced.

GO Marcos Ambrose he is just the best