Marcos Ambrose survived one of the toughest races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, finishing 20th after a rough a tumble Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Ambrose had a top-ten finish on the cards, until a late race caution during green-flag pit stops dropped the Australian a lap behind the leaders, a position he was unable to recover from in the run to the chequered flag.
“It’s a shame about the timing of the last caution, that hurt us a lot, as we definitely had the car to finish in the top-ten,” Marcos Ambrose said.
“It was a bit of a struggle early in the race as the sun was setting, the car was very loose.
“The JTG Daugherty Racing crew did an awesome job though, we really came on strong in the middle of the race, and we were able to make up a lot of positions.
“It was a battle of survival out there, Bristol bites hard, but we managed to hold on when a lot of others didn’t.
“Next week we’re back on the Montreal road course in the Nationwide Series, we have some unfinished business up there, but we’re up to the challenge.”
After starting the race in 22nd position, Ambrose quickly jumped up to 17th after only seven laps, sandwiched between the Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt.
The first caution occurred on lap 56 of 500 when David Gilliland hit the wall, while Ambrose struggled with an ill-handling car.
After dropping back to 27th position as the sun set, the next caution came out on lap 127, when David Regan spun, which resulted in further contact between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart as the field slowed.
After restarting in 21st on lap 132, the caution flag reappeared two-laps later when Regan Smith hit the wall.
Ambrose stayed out on the track, and took the next green flag from 22nd.
Scott Speed was the next to meet the Bristol concrete, with Ambrose restarting in 21st on lap 199.
Hot on the heels of Greg Biffle and Joey Logano, Ambrose was running inside the top-20 when the field slowed after contact involving Bobby Labonte.
The complexion of the race changed shortly after when Juan Pablo Montoya made contact with Jimmie Johnson, which sent the four-time champion heavily into the wall.
Ambrose’s Bush’s Baked Beans Toyota Camry continued to improve as he made a charge up the scoreboard, running laps as quick as the race leader.
After passing Kurt Busch for 11th, Ambrose was in ninth on lap 385, and eighth five laps later, fighting with Ryan Newman and making it as high as seventh before a green flag pit stop.
An ill-timed caution on lap 409 for debris on the race track caught Ambrose a lap down on the leaders.
With the handling of the car degrading in the closing laps, Ambrose did well to finish the race in 20th position.
The race was won by Kyle Busch, taking the Bristol treble with his wins in the Truck Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Sprint Cup.
It was the first time a driver has taken out all three premiere race victories at a venue in the one weekend.
Race highlights will be shown today on Fox Sports 2, with further replays on One HD hosted by Marcos Ambrose from Tuesday night.
Next weekend Marcos Ambrose returns to NASCAR Nationwide Series, which returns to the Montreal road course for the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has a weekend off, before competition resumes at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Emory Healthcare 500 on September 5.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Review
Bristol Motor Speedway- Irwin Tools Night Race
1. Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2. David Reutimann (Toyota)
3. Jamie McMurray (Chevrolet)
4. Clint Bowyer (Chevorlet)
5. Kasey Kahne (Ford)
6. Ryan Newman (Chevrolet)
7. Juan Pablo Montoya (Chevrolet)
8. Greg Biffle (Ford)
9. Kurt Busch (Dodge)
10. Matt Kenseth (Ford)
20. Marcos Ambrose (Toyota)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings (after race 24 of 36)
1. Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet)- 3521 points
2. Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)- 3242
3. Kyle Busch (Toyota)- 3170
4. Carl Edwards (Ford)- 3113
5. Denny Hamlin (Toyota)- 3108
6. Tony Stewart (Chevrolet)- 3107
7. Jeff Burton (Chevrolet)- 3101
8. Matt Kenseth (Ford)- 3095
9. Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)- 3077
10. Kurt Busch (Dodge)- 3073
11. Greg Biffle (Ford)- 3055
12. Clint Bowyer (Chevrolet)- 2920
26. Marcos Ambrose (Toyota)- 2276
Next Event
NASCAR Nationwide Series- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, August 29
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series- Atlanta Motor Speedway, Emory Healthcare 500, September 5
Australian TV Guide
Check local guides for regional viewing times
Sprint Cup Race Replays
Fox Sports 2 (Plus Fox Sports 2HD)- Sunday August 22th, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
One HD (Hosted by Marcos Ambrose)- Tuesday August 24th, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
Fox Sports 2 (Plus Fox Sports 2HD)- Tuesday August 24th, 12:50am – Wednesday August 25th, 2:50am.
One HD (Hosted by Marcos Ambrose)- Wednesday August 25th, 11:00am – 12:00pm
For further information on Marcos Ambrose, visit www.marcosambrose.com.au.
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