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Ambrose Wins at Winton!

Staff, Monday May 26, 2003.

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Pirtek Racing?s Marcos Ambrose has scored his second straight win of the year and Ford?s third on the trot, with a stunning drive at the fourth round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Winton Motor Raceway in central Victoria.

After earning his 10^th career pole position from just 30 starts earlier in the day in the top-10 shootout, the Tasmanian backed it up in the 100-lap (300 kilometre) race in the afternoon.

The 26-year-old made a great start to head the field into the opening turn. He built a handy lead before diving into the pits to make his compulsory fuel stop on lap #40. On the very next lap the safety car was called onto the circuit after Paul Morris bogged his car in a sand trap.

After stopping earlier on lap #27 for tyres, rival Jason Bright was able to make his fuel stop under the safety car. Ambrose came in on the next lap to make his tyre stop. In the re-shuffle after all the stops Ambrose was seven places behind Bright when the race re-started.

Ambrose then went on a charge, carving his way through the field to pass Bright for the lead on lap #67. From that point he was never headed, the only late race drama was petrol as he finished with just two laps of fuel left.

His rivals weren?t as fortunate with Garth Tander running out of fuel while in third place, while Todd Kelly, Craig Baird and 00 Motorsport?s Rodney Forbes made late stops for another splash of fuel. Under the regulations all three drivers were excluded post-race for making the extra fuel stop.

The Devil Racer?s victory was the first back-to-back win for a Ford driver since 1995, when John Bowe not only won two races in succession he also went on to take the title. It was Ford?s first win at Winton since 1998 (John Bowe), and the first three-race winning streak for the Blue Oval since 2001 when Ambrose won in Darwin, Steven Johnson (Shell Helix Racing) was first across the line in Canberra and Paul Radisich took the chequered flag in Perth.

The result has elevated Ambrose to fourth in the championship just behind his Stone Brothers Racing teammate Russell Ingall (Caltex Havoline Racing), with Jason Bright heading Steven Richards.

?What a car and team ? just awesome,? said Ambrose.

?To come here and beat so many Holden teams on their test track is a credit to our team?s preparation and all round hard work.

?I made a great start and although we got put back in the shuffle after the pit stops, the important thing was that I had fresher tyres than those in front of me.

?I couldn?t afford to sit back and wait for my chance, I really put my head down and went on a charge. I got passed Craig Lowndes, who gave me plenty of room, and then went after Bright. I got a good run on Jason and from there it was keep it straight to the finish.

?I can tell you 100-laps around this tight and twisty track has been tough - I actually feel a little dizzy.

?After a non-finish in the second race in Adelaide and the collision with Bright at Phillip Island, Eastern Creek and here have been a massive boosts to the championship challenge,.

?Everything is now back on track and importantly our car is getting better and better. The championship challenge is back on!

?We now head to Perth in a couple of weeks for the next event. It?s going to be tough as our crew has never really been strong there. But Paul Radisich took pole and swept all three races a couple of years ago and considering we?ve just broken through for victory on circuits that Ford hadn?t won at for many years, we?re going to be strong.?

Ford finished with six cars in the top-10 (first time since the final round in 2002 at Sandown), with Ambrose?s teammate Russell Ingall (Caltex Havoline Racing) coming home in fourth, Paul Radisich (Team Betta Electrical) seventh, John Bowe (OzEmail Racing) eighth, Max Wilson (Shell Helix Racing) ninth and Craig Lowndes (CAT Ford Performance Racing 10^th.

Lowndes was running as high as second before being hit in the rear by Greg Murphy and running off the road. Lowndes re-joined the circuit, but damage meant he was unable to fight with his rivals and nursed the car home to the finish. Murphy was given a drive-through penalty and finished 14^th.

Ingall was another driver to fall back in the pit stop shuffle and an unusually poor tyre stop that cost an extra 17 seconds. The Enforcer gave one of his traditional gritty performances to drive through to fourth.

?That?s what I call a tough day in the office,? said Ingall.

?The pit stop thing was unfortunate, but to have such a strong car was great and coming through to fourth was a good result for the championship.

?To once again be the leading Ford team, and have both cars in the top four in the race and the championship is a great team effort.

?I can?t wait to get to Perth.?

The fifth round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series will be in two weeks time at the Barbagallo Raceway outside Perth from June 6-8. The VB 300 features three separate 100km races, but still includes compulsory tyre stops.

Top-10 Race Results ? Winton

1. Marcos Ambrose - Pirtek Racing - Ford Falcon BA
2. Jason Bright - Team Brock - Holden Commodore
3. Steven Richards ? Castrol Perkins Racing ? Holden Commodore
4. Russell Ingall ? Caltex Havoline Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
5. Paul Weel - Team Brock - Holden Commodore
6. Mark Skaife - Holden Race Team - Holden Commodore
7. Paul Radisich ? Team Betta Electrical ? Ford Falcon BA
8. John Bowe ? OzEmail Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
9. Max Wilson ? Shell Helix Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
10. Craig Lowndes ? CAT Ford Performance Racing ? Ford Falcon BA

Top-10 Championship after four of 13 rounds

1. Jason Bright - Team Brock - Holden Commodore 717pts
2. Steven Richards ? Castrol Perkins Racing ? Holden Commodore 666pts
3. Russell Ingall ? Caltex Havoline Racing ? Ford Falcon BA 633pts
4=. Marcos Ambrose - Pirtek Racing - Ford Falcon BA 597pts
4=. Paul Weel - Team Brock - Holden Commodore 597pts
4=. Mark Skaife - Holden Race Team - Holden Commodore 597pts
4=. Greg Murphy ? KMart Racing ? Holden Commodore 597pts
8. Craig Lowndes ? CAT Ford Performance Racing ? Ford Falcon BA 594pts
9. Paul Radisich ? Team Betta Electrical ? Ford Falcon BA 540pts
10. Rick Kelly ? KMart Racing ? Holden Commodore 507pts

For further information contact:
Ben Beazley
Media Coordinator
Ford Racing Australia
Mobile: 0417 262 753
Email: benb@global-marketing.com

Further information and high-resolution images relating to Ford Racing Australia can also be found at: media.ford.com

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