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[NASCAR] Ambrose to drive for MWR..
pic: BAM Media
AMBROSE TO DRIVE FOR MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING IN ATLANTA CUP EVENT
Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced today that Marcos Ambrose is scheduled to drive for the racing organisation in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia next weekend, with Little Debbie® as primary sponsor.
The #00 MWR Toyota team will switch to the #47 number for the final four events. At this time, the Michael Waltrip Racing #47 driver is still to be determined for Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway - the final three events for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
On the same weekend, Ambrose will campaign the #59 Kingsford Tailgate machine of JTG Daugherty Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee, where Ambrose is the defending polesitter.
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to come to Michael Waltrip Racing,” said Ambrose.
“There is a lot of synergy here and I am looking forward to qualifying the #47 Little Debbie Toyota. Racing with the organization gives me the chance to have an early start on getting to know my team, Michael Waltrip and how the company operates.
“I feel good about making the race at Atlanta. I qualified at Dover and Kansas in my two most recent attempts. Fortunately, I have made some laps at Atlanta in a NASCAR Nationwide Series car and a Craftsman Truck.
“Next weekend, we need to qualify, log some laps and gain experience. In preparation, we’re going to Kentucky to test to ensure that I am comfortable in the car.”
Ambrose made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Infineon Raceway and in only seven starts his career-best finish is third-place at Watkins Glen International in the #21 Little Debbie entry fielded by Wood Brothers.
Now, the Australian driver prepares to race the #47 Little Debbie Toyota Camry at the 1.54-mile quad-oval where he has two NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) start.
“It’s really nice to have a head start on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and integrate Marcos with our team,” said MWR team owner Michael Waltrip.
“We are pleased that NASCAR worked with us to switch our number so that Marcos and his sponsors have continuity. I, of all people, know the importance of car numbers to sponsors. We are very appreciative that everything worked out. This is a great opportunity for Marcos and it gives him a glimpse of what next season may look like for him. We are really happy about that.”
Proven results in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series paved the way for Ambrose. To date, Ambrose has one victory, one pole award, four top-five, 11 top-10 and 42 top-20 finishes in 66 NNS career starts. He scored his first NNS career victory in August at Watkins Glen International with JTG Daugherty Racing.
In his first season of NNS competition, he scored one top-five, six top-10 and 19 top-20 finishes en route to finishing eighth in the driver points standings during his rookie year. Ambrose is on the path for another top-10 points standings finish as he currently occupies 10th place with four races remaining on the 2008 NNS schedule.
Before joining the NNS ranks, Ambrose recorded two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series after making his NASCAR debut at Martinsville in April 2006.
In his 10th truck start, he earned his first career pole in the No. 20 entry for team owner Tad Geschickter. His best finish was a pair of third-place finishes at Kansas Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway in 22 starts during the 2006 season.
With success in both Series, Ambrose takes the next step to compete full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the 2009 season behind the wheel of the No. 47 Toyota Camry sponsored by Kingsford Charcoal, Clorox Laundry and Household Products, and Little Debbie’s Snack Cakes.
JTG Daugherty Racing, co-owned by Tad and Jodi Geschickter and former NBA All-Star and ESPN broadcaster Brad Daugherty, announced earlier this month that they will field Toyotas during its inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign in 2009, after forming a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) and Toyota Racing Development (TRD).
JTG Daugherty Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team will operate out of MWR’s 140,000-square foot facility in Cornelius, North Carolina, and receive cars, engineering, mechanical and other technical support from MWR’s existing infrastructure. TRD will support the JTG Daugherty Racing team with engines from its Costa Mesa, California, facility, and vehicle engineering support from its Salisbury, N.C., facility.
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Standings – After Race 31 of 35
1. Clint Bowyer 4552
2. Carl Edwards 4356
3. Brad Keselowski 4266
4. Mike Bliss 4017
5. David Ragan 4013
6. Kyle Busch 3931
7. David Reutimann 3882
8. Mike Wallace 3633
9. Jason Leffler 3599
10. Marcos Ambrose 3574
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Prizemoney after 31 races:
Marcos Ambrose: US$972,573
2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Prizemoney after 7 races:
Marcos Ambrose: US$691,012
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