Waltrip Ends Season With 30th-Place Finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Michael Waltrip closed out his final full season of driving the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota with a 30^th-place result in Sunday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The two-time Daytona 500 champion finished 32^nd in the owner points standing. It guarantees his new driver, Martin Truex Jr., a starting spot in the first five races of the 2010 season.

“Unfortunately we struggled all weekend with our NAPA Toyota,” said Waltrip who qualified for Sunday’s race in 39^th position. “It’s a little sad. We just kept working on it. My crew chief Gene Nead made some good calls and we were able to stay on the lead lap until the last lap or so. I am happy that we hung with it like we did, but sad at the result.”

The opening laps of the race saw the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota run extremely loose. The first opportunity to pit came under green flag conditions on lap 50. Waltrip entered the pits in 34^th position for a service that included four fresh tires, wedge and the addition of fuel. He returned to the track to find the car still on the loose side. The challenge caused Waltrip to lose a lap to the leader, Kevin Harvick on circuit 61.

Waltrip’s teammate Marcos Ambrose, who passed Jimmie Johnson to take the lead for four circuits, brought out of the first caution after a tire went flat. The NAPA pit crew used the unfortunate opportunity to work on the car. They made wedge, air pressure, and packer adjustments. The No. 55 returned to the race in 38^th position.

Crew chief Gene Nead kept Waltrip out on the track after the second yellow flag was thrown on lap 101. The strategy put the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota back on the lead lap. The strategy paid off as the race was slowed eight laps later. During the caution, Waltrip was on pit road for the addition of spring rubbers on lap 110. The race went back to green on lap 112 with Waltrip in 36^th and Kevin Harvick in the top spot.

At the halfway mark, fans were treated to a heated battle between Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart. It resulted in two on-track altercations. The first saw Montoya having to go behind the wall for repairs after Stewart caved in his fender. It cut down Montoya’s tire and sent him in the wall to bring out a caution on lap 116. Then as Waltrip was pitting with the frontrunners, several cars got bunched up when entering pit road. Elliott Sadler did not see what was happening and crashed hard into the back of the No. 43. Waltrip sustained minor damage to the nose of his car. The NAPA team fixed the nose and made a toe change on laps 118 and 120. Waltrip returned to the track in 32^nd place.

The next 20 laps saw the NAPA Toyota respond to the changes. This time is was extremely tight. Another chance for Nead to get a better balance for Waltrip happened on lap 155 after Montoya spun out Stewart. The driver of the No. 42 was cited for rough driving and penalized two laps. The rest of the field was on pit road for service. The NAPA crew removed spring rubbers and changed the track bar and wedge. Waltrip restarted in 31^st and Denny Hamlin was the new leader.

Two more services for Waltrip were completed on laps 196 and 216. The NAPA Toyota was extremely loose on the final run, but Waltrip liked the feel of it in comparison to the tight condition. The No. 55 driver was able to pick up one more position before Hamlin took the checkered flag to claim his fourth victory of the season. During Hamlin’s victory lane interview, he congratulated Waltrip for his 25 seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and appreciated the positive influence he has had on his career.

Meanwhile, the night’s biggest winner was Jimmie Johnson who finished fifth. He made history by winning his fourth straight championship. It also put his car owner, Rick Hendrick in the records books. Hendrick is the first owner to have three drivers finish in the top-three positions in the points standings.

The top-10 finishers of the race were Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and AJ Allmendinger. As for Waltrip’s teammates, David Reutimann and Ambrose, they finished 15^th and 35^th.

Crew chief Pat Tryson who will lead the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS team next season guided his team to a fourth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings. Truex’s top-10 finish at Homestead resulted in his 23^rd-place finish in the standings.

The NAPA AUTO PARTS team will now focus on getting ramped up for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. All the action begins at Daytona Speedweeks for the 52^nd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14. Both Waltrip and Truex will be behind the wheels of NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyotas. The Great American Race will air on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

Unofficial Results:

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/36/data/results_unofficial.html

Lap By Lap:

http://www.nascar.com/2009/races/lapbylap/11/22/lap.by.lap.homestead/index.html

Ambrose reflects on first full season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heading into season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Marcos Ambrose has his backpack packed for his journey from America to Launceston, Tasmania, Australia as soon as the checkered flag falls on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For Ambrose, his season has somewhat exceeded his JTG-Daugherty Racing team’s expectations as they currently sit 18th in the championship standings with four top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

“On Monday after Homestead, I have a 3:50 p.m. flight to Australia and I can’t wait to get home because my family is already there,” Ambrose said. “It’s just been a great year for the No. 47 Little Debbie® JTG-Daugherty Racing team in the Cup Series. We didn’t expect that we would be in position to finish in the top 20 in points because we were just hoping to finish in the top 30,” Ambrose said. “We have exceeded our expectations and we have been very competitive. We have seven top-10 finishes, but were so close to having more. We had at least three 11th-place finishes that with a bit of luck would have been top-10s. But, it doesn’t really matter. We’ve done plenty this year.”

Ambrose’s flashes of brilliance occurred at a variety of tracks, not just road courses. In addition to finishing third at Infineon Raceway and second at Watkins Glen International, he finished fourth at Talladega Superspeedway, 10th and third at Bristol Motor Speedway, sixth at both Pocono Raceway and Daytona International Speedway. In 35 starts, he’s racked up 15 top-15 finishes.

“Our team is growing and our results this year prove that,” Ambrose said. “I’m a lot more confident as a driver and secure in myself that I can do the job. All those things will play a part. You can’t guarantee you are going to move forward. It’s a challenging world we live in. We are very focused on understanding that not every step is going to be forward and sometimes you may take a step backwards.”

The Australian driver knows there are no guarantees in this business, but he feels his JTG-Daugherty Racing team will be able to build a strong case for a spot in the Chase in 2010.

“We want to win a race and make the Chase,” Ambrose said. “Sure, it’s a lofty goal, but I think it’s achievable with our No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota if everything goes well. I think we are worthy of it and can do it. We know we gave away 300 points before the Chase started and we were about 200 points behind in the end.”

Before he looks ahead to 2010, Ambrose is ready to tackle Homestead-Miami Speedway with his No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota and close the book on the season. Last year, Ambrose completed 222 laps and finished 42nd after sustaining damage to his machine in the 267-lap event at the 1.5-mile oval.

“We were in a crash," Ambrose said. "I’m hoping to end the season on a better note this time. I'm ready for a fresh start. It’s been a long year and I’m pretty tired. I’m not starting to wilt, but I feel the effects of the season. I’m looking forward to refreshing my mind and body by getting back into training and forgetting about going in circles for a while. I’m looking forward to joining my family in Australia and starting a new year in NASCAR.”

Live coverage of the 267-lap event on Sunday, November 22nd begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Marcos Ambrose, No. 47 Little Debbie(r) Phoenix Preview

PHOENIX, Ariz. (November 11, 2009) – Sunday’s race was a heartbreaker for Marcos Ambrose as he fell from second to 15^th-place when the No. 47 Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota ran out of fuel in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Still the JTG-Daugherty Racing driver ran in the top-five, which gives him confidence heading into the final two races of the season starting with Phoenix International Raceway.

“We have Phoenix and Homestead (Miami Speedway) left to make an impression,” Ambrose said. “As a group, we’ve come so far and we’ve got a lot of speed. Looking back at Texas, I take some responsibility because I didn’t slow down enough to save fuel. We ran out with a lap and a half to go. It was stressful and a hard call. It depends on a lot. How much fuel did they get in on the last stop? Did they get it full or not? Were the reads during the day accurate? Also, speeds picked up at night and we burned more fuel with the denser air. A lot of things were going on and a lot of guys ran out of fuel at Texas.”

Ambrose has the luxury of sharing information with two teammates David Reutimann and Michael Waltrip through the technical alliance at Michael Waltrip Racing that has been extended for two years. Reutimann ended up being in the same boat as Ambrose in Texas. Because the two are in similar equipment and have similar driving styles, they are able to work together and provide feedback to the teams.

“David is just a great guy and in my opinion he is just not rated like he should be because he’s one of the best drivers I’ve ever seen,” Ambrose said. “I’m in very similar equipment to him. We talk with each other and we share knowledge with one another. We are becoming quite good friends. You need to have that to have a successful team. You’ve got to be friends to work well together. Mutual respect is important. When I first came in to work with the MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) guys, they really didn’t know what I was all about. As time has evolved, we are working better together and we have a better bond. We trust each other, which is important on and off the track. I think it is working out great for us.”

It’s obvious something is working right for the JTG-Daugherty Racing team. Heading into Phoenix, Ambrose has four top-five, seven top-10 and 14 top-15 NSCS finishes. The Australian driver also came close to his first career victory at Watkins Glen International with a runner-up finish following a victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series the day prior.

“As a group we’ve come so far,” Ambrose said. “We’ve gained a lot of speed and I’ve gained a lot of confidence and knowledge. We do need to learn to win as a team and we’re not quite there yet. We have got to turn a good team into a winning team and that’s just eliminating mistakes. We are not crashing cars. We are finishing races when we can. We are seeing where we are lacking as a team and we are going to work hard on that in the off season.”

Ambrose has two shots left at victory in his first full-time season as a Cup competitor before the off season.

“To win at Phoenix or Homestead would be really something,” said Ambrose, who finished 14^th at Phoenix in April and 18^th last fall. “Phoenix is a bit of a challenge. We’ve ran in the top-15 there, but I don’t think we have had the car we needed to mess with the frontrunners. We are taking a different setup this time with more grip. Hopefully, we can hit it like we did at Texas. You just never know in these races.

“Phoenix is a tough track,” Ambrose continued. “It’s rough and an older track. It’s got a few cracks that can mess up the handling through Turns 3 and 4. We want to run well there and finish our season out strong. In the mean time, I don’t want to ruin Jimmie Johnson’s race that’s for sure.”

Live coverage of the event on November 15^th on ABC begins at 2:30 p.m. ET. MRN and Sirius XM Satellite will also carry the event.

AMBROSE OUT OF FUEL WITH LESS THAN TWO LAPS TO GO WHILE RUNNING SECOND IN THE DICKIES 500 AT TEXAS

Marcos Ambrose was in conservation mode while running second when he ran out of fuel with less than two laps to go in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 47 Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota.

Ambrose finished 15th in the 334-lap race. Kurt Busch crossed the finish line first for his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season as Ambrose’s No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota Camry rested on pit road out of fuel. Ambrose completed 333 of 334 laps and is currently 18th in the championship standings with two races remaining.

“We gave it a shot,” said Ambrose. “We came up short by a lap and a bit. We were close on fuel, but if you get within a lap you have to have a go. We only needed half a gallon and that was the difference between second and 15th.”

On Friday, Ambrose qualified 19th. When race No. 34 started, a caution occurred three laps later involving points leader Jimmie Johnson and Sam Hornish Jr. Returning to green flag racing at Lap 8, Ambrose was 19th.

The No. 47 Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota was running lap times as fast as leader and eventual winner Kurt Busch even though Ambrose reported he was starting to lose the nose. On Lap 47, Ambrose made his first green flag stop for four tires and fuel. Only ten laps later, he entered the top-10 and began his climb to the top-five.

With a car that was handling loose off the corners, Ambrose took over fifth-place on Lap 81 when Crew Chief Frankie Kerr told him he had the fastest car on the track.

On pit road under caution at Lap 87, the JTG-Daugherty Racing team changed four tires and made a slight air pressure adjustment to help with the car’s looseness.

“Marcos had the best car out there late in the run,” Kerr said.

Ambrose went to work again in fifth-place at Lap 91. Nine laps later he passed his teammate David Reutimann for fourth when Kerr keyed up the radio and told him again he had the best car on the track.

At Lap 104, ABC reported that Ambrose was one of the biggest movers during the race when he passed two-time champion Tony Stewart for third-place.

Four laps later, Kerr said that Ambrose was two-tenths faster than leader Kyle Busch. On Lap 128 in third, Ambrose was still turning lap times faster than the leader when he reported his No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota was hitting the ground.

On his next green flag pit stop at Lap 146, the JTG-Daugherty Racing pit crew changed four tires and added fuel. They opted not to make any changes. The pit stop was under 13 seconds allowing Ambrose to maintain his third-place position as he still followed both Kyle and Kurt Busch respectively.

“The pit crew did an awesome job,” Ambrose said.

On Lap 166, there was a debris caution. Ambrose reported he had been loose in and tight in the center and hitting the ground while running third. The Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes team changed four tires and put a packer in the right front. It was a good stop, but Ambrose was pinned in his pit box as Ryan Newman’s pit crew went to work on his machine. Valuable time was lost when Ambrose had to back up in attempts to exit his pit box.

He returned to the track in 19th place as the green flag waved at Lap 172. On Lap 199, Ambrose returned to the top-10. On Lap 207 under caution and shown in eighth-place, the JTG-Daugherty pit crew changed four tires and added fuel.

Lap 268 would be Ambrose’s last pit stop. Not long after the routine stop for four tires and fuel, Kerr gave Ambrose the bad news that he was two laps short on fuel. Kerr told his driver to conserve as much as he could in hopes that they could make it to the finish line. From that point on, Kerr continuously keyed up the radio and told Ambrose to save.

On Lap 319, Ambrose returned to the top-five while Kyle Busch showed the way with his brother Kurt in tow. Seven laps later, Kerr reminded Ambrose to do everything he could do to save fuel and to even shut the motor off at the flag stand if he had too.

On Lap 329 in fourth-place, Ambrose watched his teammate Reutimann one spot ahead of him run out of fuel. Two laps later, leader Kyle Busch told his team, ‘I’m coming to you’ as he ran out of gas too.

Kurt Busch assumed the lead and was milking his fuel mileage home as was Ambrose in second-place. All the sudden, Ambrose’s hopes for a top-five finish or a win in the Dickies 500 were shattered when he ran out of fuel on Lap 332 of the 334 lap event. Ambrose was credited with finishing 15th and Busch went on to win the race.

“Yeah, it’s disappointing, but we had a good night as well,” Ambrose said. “We rolled the dice and our numbers didn’t come up. It was a good night and we were genuinely competitive all day. The pace we had and what we’ve learned here will be really good for our 1.5-mile (oval) program moving on from here. I’ve learned to (save fuel) better. I didn’t know how tight we were. I probably could have saved more at the start of the run.”

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Phoenix International Raceway. Live coverage of the event on November 15th on ABC begins at 2:30 p.m. ET. MRN and Sirius XM Satellite will also carry the event.

Little Debbie® Brand Renews Sponsorship of Marcos Ambrose and JTG-Daugherty Racing for 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season

Collegedale, Tenn. (November 6, 2009) – McKee Foods, a family bakery best known for their Little Debbie® brand, announced today that they will once again sponsor ‘Awesome Aussie’ Marcos Ambrose and the No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota Camry in 2010.

Chris McKee, EVP of Marketing & Sales, says the sponsorship of Ambrose has paid dividends in 2009. “Marcos is a tremendous driver and a great spokesperson for our Little Debbie brand. Little Debbie is all about adding simple fun and enjoyment to life and Marcos’ ever-present smile and upbeat attitude really illustrates our brand message. We are impressed with his performance in his first full season in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing and we are excited about the possibilities for next year. 2010 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Little Debbie Brand –so it’s a big year for Little Debbie and I think it is going to be a big year for Marcos and JTG-Daugherty Racing.”

2010 will mark the fifth consecutive season that Little Debbie has been a business partner with JTG-Daugherty Racing. Team co-owner Tad Geschickter is proud of the partnership. “Little Debbie is a great, family-oriented brand and we are proud to help promote their products. In a year when many sponsors are leaving the sport, I’m thankful for their continued support of our team. We look forward to rewarding them with an even bigger return next season on the track and in the stores.”

Marcos Ambrose - Texas Motor Speedway Preview

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 5, 2009) – Marcos Ambrose is looking forward to a fresh start at Texas Motor Speedway in the Dickies 500 after last weekend’s Talladega Superspeedway spectacle.

“Talladega was great until we had five laps to go and then it all went pear-shaped on me,” Ambrose said. “I’m not sure what happened, but I just feel terrible for the outcome - - Ryan (Newman) on his roof and Tony (Stewart) taken out of contention for the championship.

“We were all in line at the top and I thought I was in the safest spot I could be,” Ambrose continued. “I was helping push Ryan and Tony up through there because I felt those guys were going to go to the front. The next thing I know, I was in the back of the No. 39 and I don’t know what started it - - whether I was getting pushed from behind or whether the guys ahead of us checked up. Then I’m spinning out backwards and watching Ryan flip through the air as he’s chasing me upside down. I had a terrible feeling in my stomach that Ryan was hurt. Thankfully, he got out okay. That plate racing is real a challenge and you put yourself in such bad positions to try to get to the front. When something goes wrong, you just don’t have any time to react.”

With the season winding down and only three races remaining, Ambrose has not slowed down. It has been full speed ahead for the No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota driver, who is fresh off a two-day Goodyear tire test at Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s been a long season and I’m ready for the Daytona 500 for a fresh start,” said Ambrose, whose No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota was one of 18 cars at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in advance of the season opening 52nd annual Daytona 500. “It was an interesting test and it felt like we had 20 cars in the pack there at one stage while drafting. We were doing 20 and 25 lap runs on different compound tires. The idea was really to get the speeds up to where they needed to be to get excessive tire wear like you are going to experience in the race. We all made it back without wrecking cars, which I think was a miracle because we did four or five pack runs. All the drivers did a good job of keeping their cars straight and giving good feedback so Goodyear can bring the best tire they have for the Daytona 500.”

Now, Ambrose’s focus turns to the Dickies 500. The Australian driver started 11th and was a top five contender until problems under the hood sidetracked his efforts leaving him to settle for a 41st-place finish in the April race at Texas.

“We ran well there and it’s a good track for me,” Ambrose said. “We just need to have a good finish. We’ve had some bad luck recently and we want to end our season on a high note. Next season, we hope to win races and be in the top-12, which is ambitious, but realistic since we think we’ll finish somewhere around 17th in the points. We started off with expectations to at least finish in the top-35 and right now with three races to go we are in the top-20 (18th).”

Friday morning at 10:30 am CST/11:30 am EST Marcos and JTG Daugherty Racing team owner Brad Daugherty will appear at the Brookshire’s Trackside store in the campground area at Texas Motor Speedway. They will share a special announcement with the fans in attendance as well as unveil the new Little Debbie Cupcake race car and host some fun contests for anyone that wants to participate. If you are at the track Friday morning please stop by and join the fun! Live coverage of the Dickies 500 on ABC begins at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The event will also be broadcast by PRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite

AMBROSE COLLECTED IN THE BIG ONE AT TALLADEGA AND FINISHES 34TH

TALLADEGA, Ala. (November 2, 2009) – Marcos Ambrose was relieved Ryan Newman was unharmed and released from the Talladega Superspeedway infield care center after a horrifying accident Sunday afternoon. As Ambrose was lined up behind Newman and Newman behind his team owner Tony Stewart, cars ahead of them appeared to slow causing a chain reaction with Newman flipping upside down as the end result. Newman landed on Kevin Harvick’s car before resting in the grass on the backstretch on Lap 183. Ambrose was thankful everyone was safe and soldiered on to finish in 34^th-place after another multi-car crash occurred during the midst of a green-white-checker finish. Jamie McMurray won the event.

“I’m just thankful that Ryan is okay and that’s all that matters,” Ambrose said. “Cars in front of me checked up and I got hit from behind. I don’t know what started it all – don’t know what caused it. I’m just glad everyone was alright. That's all that matters.”

Ambrose started the race from the 17^th spot due to NASCAR setting the field by the owner points standings because of inclement weather on Saturday. When the scheduled 188-lap race got underway, Ambrose made his way to the top 10 by Lap 21 and he was running fifth two laps later. As everyone lined up single file, Ambrose held on to his fifth spot until pitting under green for four tires at Lap 42. When the No. 2 car of Kurt Busch wrecked on Lap 49, Ambrose and the No. 83 car of Brian Vickers made contact causing damage to the right front fender of the Kingsford® Charcoal Toyota.

Kerr called Ambrose to pit road three laps later when pit road opened. The crew assessed the damage, made repairs, changed four tires and made a chassis adjustment. On Lap 55, the field returned to green flag racing and Ambrose was 19^th. He reentered the top 10 six laps later as the field lined up nose to tail again. The damage to his front fender caused the car to be tighter as he still held on to the sixth-place spot on Lap 80. Ten laps later Ambrose sustained more damage this time to the left rear.

Ambrose still maintained his stride and as green flag pit stops started, the Australian driver led lap 98 and 99 before heading to pit road for four tires and the pit crew to push the left rear fender back in. He returned to the track in 29^th place.

When the next yellow flag waved for debris, the pit crew took the opportunity to work on the fender again. Ambrose restarted 30^th on Lap 107 as Denny Hamlin led the field into Turn 1. On Lap 129 while Jeff Gordon was now in the lead, Ambrose was back in the top-10. Shuffled back to 18^th on Lap 136, Denny Hamlin brought out the next caution as his No. 11 car’s engine expired. Ambrose came down pit road for right side tires and an air pressure adjustment on Lap 140. Back to racing on Lap 143, Ambrose made his move and shot up to third place on Lap 150. Two laps later, Jamie McMurray was in the lead, Juan Pablo Montoya was in second, Ambrose in third and David Stremme in fourth. Stremme lined up behind Ambrose and pushed him to the front to lead another lap at Lap 153. The next lap Ambrose was fifth where he stayed for the next ten laps. Ambrose was then shuffled out of line back to 29^th.

While running just outside the top-20 at Lap 183, the big one happened. Newman flipped upside down after entangling with teammate Stewart and Ambrose as cars ahead of them checked up. The event was red flag for safety crew workers to turn Newman’s car over and cut the top off for him to climb out. When the red flag was lifted, Ambrose limped to pit road for the crew to repair the car for him to finish the race.

With the competitors facing one attempt at a green-white-checker finish, McMurray led the field to green on Lap 189. The yellow flag waved immediately as several drivers like David Reutimann, Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Scott Speed, Brad Keselowski and others were involved in another big wreck. Jamie McMurray won under caution after the second multi-car wreck in the closing laps ended the race.

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway. Live coverage of the Dickes 500 on Sunday, November 8^th begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC, PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

AMBROSE HUNGRY FOR FIRST WIN WITH TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY NEXT UP ON THE SCHEDULE

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 27, 2009) – Entering Talladega Superspeedway, Marcos Ambrose has something to smile about. JTG-Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geshickter confirmed last weekend that his No. 47 Toyota Camry team extended its technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing for the 2010 and 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons.

“That’s great news that we have realigned with MWR,” Ambrose said. “It just works.”

“Being a single-car team without a strong technical alliance is next to impossible,” Geschickter told Bob Pockrass with NASCAR Scene on Saturday. “This one is working, so why fix it? Toyota’s influence and the support they give us is big. The personalities of the people involved – everyone gets along. We’ve imbedded our folks into their shop, so every meeting that goes on, we’re a part of and has made it more seamless than most.”

Ambrose believes the association has proved to be beneficial to his JTG-Daugherty Racing team.

“Tad is right,” Ambrose said. “We’ve been very successful this year and we even came close to winning a time or two. We’ve been solid in the points all season long and this was just our first year working together as a full-time Cup operation. We are really looking forward to 2010 and continuing our work with MWR. I know we’ll be relying on each other at Talladega this weekend when we are trying to get to the front.”

Ambrose recorded his first top-five finish of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway and avoided a spectacular crash on the final lap to finish fourth.

“It was the wildest finish that I have ever seen looking at a car upside down like that,” Ambrose said. “I can’t imagine what was going through Carl’s (Edwards) mind. We were fortunate to escape the incident and capitalize on a great finish for our team.

“These past few weeks have been very extreme,” continued Ambrose. “We’ve gone from scary fast Charlotte to the slowest track on the circuit back to plate racing where your grandmother can drive in qualifying. At the same time, the race itself at Talladega is tough and it’s not for everybody.”

With the season winding down and four races remaining, Ambrose is hungry for his first win in the No. 47 Kingsford® Charcoal Toyota entering the 2.66-mile tri-oval.

“For me, I want to win the race,” Ambrose said. “It’s anyone’s race and Brad Keselowski was a surprise winner in April. This weekend, how do I do that? Generally speaking, I will let everything settle down and wait for the first crash to get out of the way. About halfway, I’ll move up through the pack to make sure my car can run up in there and be able to handle jumping in and out of lines to go to the front. Then I will sit tight and wait for the last 40 laps.”

Ambrose knows not to wait too late to make his move.

“If you wait too long, everyone else is getting desperate and crazy,” Ambrose said. “You want to already be positioned somewhat maybe a pit stop and a half to go. It’s a real challenge and you’ve got to have friends out there. When you are up against two or three Hendrick Motorsports cars in a line there’s not much you can do to stop them. My tactic is to try to get to the front with 40 laps to go and try to stay there.”

On Saturday, Marcos will be on hand for DegaQ, a BBQ competition held at the Talladega Superspeedway and sponsored by Kingsford/KC Masterpiece. Marcos will sign autographs and present the award to the winning BBQ team. If you are at the track make sure you stop by, there will be plenty of great BBQ available.

Live coverage of the Amp Energy on Sunday, November 1st begins at 12 p.m. ET on ABC. MRN Radio and Sirius XM will also carry the event.

Waltrip Finishes 30th at Martinsville Speedway

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) had a tough day at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Both Waltrip and David Reutimann had tires go down. For Waltrip, his setback occurred just 43 laps into the Tums Fast Relief 500. Reutimann’s day saw him leading for 15 circuits at the 300-lap mark, but was forced onto pit road with less than 50 laps to go which ended the organization’s chances for a top-10 finish.

“We just had one of those days,” said Waltrip who started the Tums Fast Relief 500 in 36th position. “Our NAPA Adaptive One Toyota just wasn’t very good today. We had one bad stop that cost us a lap. I could have been better. Everyone could have done better. We just gave a bunch of stuff away today.”

Ryan Newman led the field to the green flag, but the action quickly slowed when the first caution was thrown on lap seven for an incident in Turn 4 involving Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth and Robby Gordon. Waltrip’s NAPA Adaptive One Toyota was a little tight, but was competitive as the two-time Daytona 500 champion drove up to the 31st spot. Unfortunately, less than 40 laps later, Waltrip spun as a result of a flat left rear tire. It cost the NAPA team one lap on the track. When the race resumed, the No. 55 was scored in 37th position.

At the halfway mark, the NAPA Adaptive One Toyota was running extremely tight through the corners. The challenge for track position had Waltrip down three laps. The team took a gamble when the caution flew on lap 251. Instead of pitting, they opted to do the wave around which put them in 33rd place, two laps down. The strategy paid off as NASCAR threw a yellow flag on lap 275. This time, crew chief Gene Nead chose to make significant adjustments to the No. 55 Toyota. Two spring rubbers were added along with bolting on four fresh tires. Waltrip returned to the track in 33rd place when the race returned to green on lap 280. Jimmie Johnson was in the top spot.

By the time the next caution flag flew on lap 300, Waltrip felt his car was faster, but it still would not turn. The NAPA driver encouraged his team after a four tire pit stop to keep up the great attitude especially when their teammate, Reutimann, was the leader on the restart. During this green flag run, Waltrip’s Adaptive One Toyota was as fast as the front runners. Unfortunately, during the team’s next stop under green at lap 421, a problem changing the right rear tire cost them an additional lap. The NAPA Adaptive One Toyota returned to the track in 31st place.

Denny Hamlin was the leader and remained there despite challenges by Jimmie Johnson on two door-to-door restarts in the final 50 laps. Waltrip was able to pick up one more track position before the checkered flag waved to finish 30th. As for Johnson’s runner-up finish, it increased his points lead to 118 points over teammate Mark Martin.

Following closely behind Hamlin and Johnson to round out the top-10 finishers were Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.

Marcos Ambrose whose team, JTG-Daugherty will continue its technical alliance with MWR next season, also had a tough race. The team never could rally back after getting tangled up with Matt Kenseth and Robby Gordon on lap seven. Ambrose had to settle for 27th place.

Next Sunday, Waltrip competes at one of his favorite tracks and site of a 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup victory for the NAPA team – Talladega Superspeedway. Broadcast coverage gets underway at noon ET on ABC, MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

And if you are curious to know what Waltrip will be for Halloween, don’t miss SPEED’s Truck Series broadcast on Saturday starting at 3:30 p.m. ET.

AMBROSE RETURNS TO SIGHT OF NASCAR DEBUT

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 20, 2009) – The year was 2006 when a two-time V8 Supercar champ from Australia was trying to break into a tight-knit NASCAR community.

Little did Marcos Ambrose know that a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start with JTG-Daugherty Racing at Martinsville Speedway would eventually thrust him into the Sprint Cup Series limelight behind the No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota full-time.

Four seasons later, the Launceston, Tasmania-native recounts his journey to the pinnacle of the sport since his debut at the .526-mile oval.

“Well, a lot has changed since my first Truck race at Martinsville,” Ambrose said. “I was very nervous and I didn’t know what to expect. I qualified decent, but during the race I hit everything including the pit wall. We’ve come a long way since then. Martinsville is a unique track where you see fast and aggressive racing. In our first time out at Martinsville in the Cup car, we ran competitively and brought it home in one piece to finish 14^th. I’d like to think we will do even better this time around.”

“It seems like an awful long time ago that the Geschickter’s (Tad and Jodi) and I got together,” Ambrose continued. “It’s been a great journey and it has been a huge effort for all of us to get here. Now, we are in the Cup Series full-time and we’re competitive. We’re fast and we are holding our own. We’re really proud of what we have accomplished in a short amount of time.”

Before making the jump to Cup, Ambrose raced two seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and earned back-to-back top-10 finishes in the championship standings. To date, Ambrose has two wins in the division at Watkins Glen International and has accumulated five top-five and 14 top-10s along with two pole awards.

“The Nationwide Series helped prepare me mentally for the Cup Series,” Ambrose said. “I didn’t realize how much time is required of you from sponsors, media, the team and so forth at this level. It’s been a learning experience. I’ve had to learn how to balance a lot of things.”

Like many drivers, Ambrose spends days or weeks at a time away from home, working away from the track. As the season winds down, the Aussie knows a trip to the homeland is just what he needs to recharge from the hustle and bustle. Following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Ambrose will go to Tasmania for two months.

“The idea of going back to Australia is for my kids to see family and friends,” Ambrose said. “For me, I will also use the time to get my body in shape and get my head back in the game. I will think about what I need during the year and how I am going to be better. It’s all about reinvigorating myself and doing a good soul search about who I am, what I am all about and what I need to do to be better.”

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prepare for the Tums Fast Relief 500. Live coverage of the event at Martinsville Speedway on ABC begins at 1 p.m. ET. MRN and Sirius XM will also broadcast the event.