AMBROSE WATCH

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:29 am

mlittle wrote:No argument from me on that one.

Bugga ! I'm in the mood for a blue after another of JV's rejections

Snowy · Post by **Snowy** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:11 pm

mlittle wrote:Tell me about it. It's another reason I'm not too fond of the taxicabs. Now, there were 2 reasons they put the current qual. system in...1}to keep NCTS regulars from losing spots on the grid to non-series drivers, and 2}to keep all the sponsors happy.

Put simply.....NASCAR's got the most screwed-up qual. system in the world; I suspect it makes some of F1's ideas on qual. seem rather decent.

I'm amazed! That's as screwed up as the tv coverage of Nascar in Blighty!

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:18 am

Tell me about it. I sometimes wonder with Bill France, Jr.(former NASCAR president) and Max Mosely aren't related somewhere.....

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:13 pm

Just had an image of Mad Max mating.............whimper

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:59 pm

Julian Mayo wrote:Just had an image of Mad Max mating.............whimper

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 2:37 pm

Ambo makes his debut on the 1st of April at Martinsville Speedway Virginia.
He will be one of more than 15 vying for 5 spots

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:50 pm

Ambrose was 18th fastest in final practice for the NCTS race, w/a time of 20.089 secs. around the paperclip a/k/a Martinsville Speedway. Better still, of the 15 who will attempt to make their way onto the grid(of which only 5 will get into the 36-truck field), he was 4th fastest.

If the qual. times are similar to those in final practice, Ambrose will start on Saturday.

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:55 pm

Not too dusty for a first timer

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 5:40 pm

While he started 20th in the NCTS race at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway back in early April, NCTS rookie Marcos Ambrose didn't have the best of debuts, as he would, unfortunately, finish 33rd, 58 laps behind racewinner David Starr. Currently, with one race in the bank, Ambrose sits in 46th place w/64 pts.

Next stop........the Dodge Ram Tough 200, at Gateway International Raceway, near Madison, Ill. It's a 1.25-mile track with 11 degrees of banking in the corners; it is one of the few places that I can think of where drivers have to downshift entering turn 1 and upshift exiting turn 2. You can take the other end of the track(turns 3-4) flat-out.....meaning that drivers will use this end(3-4) to gain momentum going down the very long frontstraight. Also, unlike Martinsville, where the drivers qualified on Friday and raced on Saturday, this weekend's a one-day visit; drivers will practice Saturday morning, qualify Saturday afternoon(sometime around 5 PM US EDT) and race in the evening(8 PM US EDT April 29).

Good luck to Ambrose and to all the competitors!

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 7:31 pm

mlittle wrote:While he started 20th in the NCTS race at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway back in early April, NCTS rookie Marcos Ambrose didn't have the best of debuts, as he would, unfortunately, finish 33rd, 58 laps behind racewinner David Starr. Currently, with one race in the bank, Ambrose sits in 46th place w/64 pts.

Next stop........the Dodge Ram Tough 200, at Gateway International Raceway, near Madison, Ill. It's a 1.25-mile track with 11 degrees of banking in the corners; it is one of the few places that I can think of where drivers have to downshift entering turn 1 and upshift exiting turn 2. You can take the other end of the track(turns 3-4) flat-out.....meaning that drivers will use this end(3-4) to gain momentum going down the very long frontstraight. Also, unlike Martinsville, where the drivers qualified on Friday and raced on Saturday, this weekend's a one-day visit; drivers will practice Saturday morning, qualify Saturday afternoon(sometime around 5 PM US EDT) and race in the evening(8 PM US EDT April 29).

That is the sort of program that suits Ambo.
The Wood Bros seem satisfied with his first attempt. Did someone else bend Ambo's ttruck in that first race ? Reports here say ........perhaps.......if you wouldn't mind, don the "rebreather" that you nicked from the SEALS, and plunge back in to the Nascar world for a moment, please

Good luck to Ambrose and to all the competitors!

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Mon May 01, 2006 8:38 am

Yeah, someone bent Ambrose's truck around back at Martinsville, and last night at Gateway......he was the unwilling victim of another driver's misfortune. What happened was that Mike Skinner's truck suffered a flat right-front, which sent him into the wall exiting turn 4. After bouncing off the wall, Skinner clips the back of Ambrose's truck, which essentially sends him into the wall(along w/three other drivers). When all the dust cleared from Gateway, Ambrose found himself in 34th place at the end of the day, ironically finishing one spot ahead of Skinner.

Currently, Ambrose sits in 43rd place in the standings, w/125 pts.

Next stop......the very fast, high-banked 1.5-mile cousin to the "Texas Supercollider", a/k/a Lowe's Motor Speedway, just outside of Charlotte, NC for the Charlotte Tailgate 200, May 19th at 8:45 PM US EDT.

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:57 pm

Well, after a few weeks off, its' back to the track for NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series as they'll head to the high-banks of Charlotte's Lowes Motor Speedway for the Charlotte Tailgate 200. Here's a brief description of what the drivers will face Friday evening.....

This track is very similar to Texas Motor Speedway in that it's high-banked(24-degree banking), but....unlike TMS, the track surface at Lowes' was recently repaved, which will affect how the drivers will race. The best trucks will be those that are neither too "loose" not "tight". What do I mean by loose and tight? Think of it this way.....when you enter the turn and the back end snaps out, that's loose; when your vehicle doesn't seem to want to turn going through the turns, that's tight.

Most of the passing that occurs here will happen exiting turns 2 & 4, as drivers(regardless of whether they're in stockcars or open-wheel cars) will use the banking as a way to build momentum heading down the backstraight or as they're entering the tri-oval at the front end of the track. This track demands good downforce setups, as well as lots of horsepower/torque, or else it can be a long evening for the drivers.

There is one change of note for the race.....apparently, Ambrose's team must be friends with ChampCar's Team Australia, since on the entry list for the race, his truck's sponsor is none other than Aussie Vineyards.

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:36 pm

Thank you Mfer.

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sat May 20, 2006 9:24 am

Qual. for the NCTS race tonight was held this afternoon, and there were a few surprises......namely that two rookies will start P2 and P3 come racetime. Evernham Mtrspts. driver Erin Crocker will start P2, and just behind her in P3 will be Marcos Ambrose.

As for the race......it's set for 8:45 PM US EDT on Speed Channel tonight.

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Sat May 20, 2006 10:11 am

mlittle wrote:Qual. for the NCTS race tonight was held this afternoon, and there were a few surprises......namely that two rookies will start P2 and P3 come racetime. Evernham Mtrspts. driver Erin Crocker will start P2, and just behind her in P3 will be Marcos Ambrose.

As for the race......it's set for 8:45 PM US EDT on Speed Channel tonight.

Thanks for the update Mfer.