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Ambrose Pleased with Progress at Season Opening Daytona Test

Staff, Thursday January 24, 2008.

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Marcos Ambrose is pleased with his team’s progress following the completion of the first official NASCAR Nationwide Series test of the season at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida today.

Ambrose is excited about his prospects after his first hit-out for the 2008 season at the fast 2.5-mile superspeedway, with the crew on the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion gelling well with the addition of new staff over the off-season.

JTG Racing was pleased with the progress achieved over the first two days of testing, so much so that the Harrisburg, North Carolina-based team elected to skip the final day of testing, as did many other teams.

The focus has now quickly shifted to the next official NASCAR Nationwide Series test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada on January 30-31. The Las Vegas test will be a crucial one for Ambrose and JTG Racing, representing an opportunity to test on a fast 1.5-mile oval before the start of the season.

While it was car development and set-up that was the priority for teams at the test, Ambrose achieved his best time in the afternoon session on Monday with seventh fastest in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion.

Ambrose is confident that progress made over the two days of testing at Daytona can be translated into positive developments on the team’s superspeedway car ahead of the opening race of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series, the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“The team is very happy at the moment because we had a really good test in Daytona,” said Ambrose.

“Our 59 Kingsford crew only took one car to Daytona rather than two. We’ve had a lot of work to over the off-season with a lot of cars to sort out and a lot of new people coming on board. So we decided to focus on getting one superspeedway car really strong and I’m happy to say it all went to plan.

“We are putting a lot of emphasis on the Las Vegas test as the 1.5-mile program is a big part of the season. ”

“We took our best superspeedway car to Daytona and we were really, really pleased with how we performed.”

“Our crew worked through a whole range of set-ups and options over the first two days and everything went to plan. It was important to get back to the workshop and build on what we learned. Now we have an extra day up our sleeve to adjust our superspeedway car using what we learned and also get ready for the Las Vegas test.”

“The car was strong both in the draft and on single car runs and we achieved a lot in our two days in Daytona, it was a very productive couple of days. Now the focus shifts to building a good race car for the first race in Daytona in terms of the superspeedway side of things and we are putting a lot of focus on the Las Vegas test in a week.”

“It was fantastic to work with the team in Daytona and I really got a kick out of how we all gelled and worked so well together. Walter Giles, Ken Douglas and Paul Forgie were all working away really hard and learning. Our crew and I just couldn’t be more pleased with how our first test back for the new season went in terms of our team.”

“The Vegas test is now a big focus for us but I’m very excited about how well we all worked together in Daytona and the potential is definitely there. I’m really excited about things at the moment and I’m thankful to have such a great team of people around me.”

RESULTS: Daytona Testing – Monday 21 January PM Session (Drafting Session)

1. #17A Eric Darnell 48.716 2. #32A Tony Raines 48.772 3. #9A Chase Miller 48.953 4. #66R Steve Wallace 48.975 5. #00A Michael McDowell 48.996 6. #99A David Reutimann 49.003 7. #59A Marcos Ambrose 49.005 8. #6A David Ragan 49.019 9. #38B Jason Leffler 49.024 10. #47A Kelly Bires 49.036

RESULTS: Daytona Testing – Monday 21 January AM Session (Single Car Session)

1. #77B Cale Gale 49.812 2. #9A Chase Miller 49.864 3. #77A Cale Gale 49.892 4. #29B Scott Wimmer 49.972 5. #66R Steve Wallace 49.998 6. #38A Jason Leffler 50.016 7. #66W Steve Wallace 50.068 8. #17A Eric Darnell 50.203 9. #29A Scott Wimmer 50.208 10. #70B Mark Green 50.253 20. #59A Marcos Ambrose 50.605

RESULTS: Daytona Testing – Sunday 20 January PM Session (Drafting Session)

1. #27B Brad Coleman 48.902 2. #88B Brad Keselowski 48.957 3. #1A Johnny Sauter 49.060 4. #5A David Green 49.173 5. #47A Kelly Bires 49.192 6. #24A Eric McClure 49.250 7. #38A Jason Leffler 49.253 8. #41A Bryan Clauson 49.253 9. #99A David Reutimann 10. #9A Chase Miller 49.277 17. #59A Marcos Ambrose 49.368

RESULTS: Daytona Testing – Sunday 20 January AM Session (Single Car Session)

1. #21A Tim McCreadie 49.991 2. #5A David Green 50.097 3. #33A Kevin Harvick 50.195 4. #20A Mike McLaughlin 50.208 5. #41B Bryan Clauson 50.231 6. #5B David Green 50.259 7. #88B Brad Keselowski 50.272 8. #88A Brad Keselowski 50.272 9. #2B Brandon Miller 50.355 10. #1A Johnny Sauter 50.408 36. #59A Marcos Ambrose 51.250

ABOUT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Race Distance: 120 laps – 300 miles (482.8 kilometres)
Track Length: 2.5 miles (4.023 kilometres)
Degree of Banking in Turns: 31 degrees
Degree of Banking in Back Straight: 3 degrees
Degree of Banking in Front Straight (Tri-Oval): 18 degrees

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES RECORD BOOK

Busch Series Race Record: Geoffrey Bodine, 16 February 1985 (157.137mph)
Busch Qualifying Record: Tommy Houston, 2000 (194.389mph)
Defending Busch Race Champion: Kevin Harvick
Defending Busch Polesitter: Aric Almirola

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