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Ambrose to the Four at Darwin V8 Supecars

Staff, Monday June 30, 2003.

Page 1 of 1

For the first time since 1977 a Ford driver has scored fourth straight wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, with Pirtek Racing?s Marcos Ambrose win at round six of the V8 Supercar Championship Series at Darwin?s Hidden Valley.

Not since Ford legend Allan Moffat aboard the XC Falcon has four consecutive wins been scored by the Blue Oval.

Moffat went on to win five-straight that year and Ambrose has a strong chance of equalling that record as he heads to his home track at Queensland Raceway for round seven.

Ambrose also extended the Falcon BA?s consecutive wining streak to five, after Craig Lowndes? win at the second event of the year at Phillip Island. That equals the five-in-a-row set by Glenn Seton and John Bowe in 1995.

Despite Ambrose?s win he?s still placed third in the championship due to a points system that rewards consistency and not necessarily race wins.

Jason Bright continues to lead the championship ahead of Steven Richards ? both drivers have not won a round in 2003.

The round will be remembered not just for the Tasmanian?s fourth-straight win, but an incredible incident where a safety truck was parked across the circuit as a full field of V8 Supercars raced by at speed.

The incident occurred at the end of the second of three races when the recovery vehicle had picked-up Jamie Whincup?s damaged car.

Confusion between race control and the truck had the vehicle parked across the track as the field was instructed to resume racing with just one lap remaining.

All drivers were highly critical of the incident following the race and an immediate inquiry by CAMS (Confederation of Australian Motor Sport).

Following his second placing to Mark Skaife in yesterday?s opening race, Ambrose went on to sweep both of today?s remaining events.

In the morning race Ambrose passed Skaife on the fourth lap after the Holden driver missed a gear coming onto the front straight. Swift pit work by the Pirtek Racing crew then kept the Tasmanian in front through to the end of the race, including the final lap encounter with the safety truck.

Ambrose got a great start in the final race to head the field into the opening corner while back in the pack Todd Kelly was sent spinning off the track and into the wall.

As crash crews removed Kelly?s car the majority of the field dived into the pit lane to make their compulsory tyre stops of lap #3.

Once again the Pirtek Racing crew were the class of the field keeping the Falcon BA in front as the race continued.

The win in the final race and the round was a special moment for Ambrose; as it was in Darwin where he scored his maiden V8 Supercar round win in his debut season two years ago.

In just his third season of V8 Supercar Racing, the Pirtek driver has already scored his sixth round win from just 32-starts.

?I just can?t fault my team right now ? to score four straight is a credit to them,? said Ambrose.

?When you consider the closeness of the competition, the team has made all the right calls and we are all thrilled to have scored four straight.

?In regards to the incident with the truck, I?ll leave that to the officials, but I do hope we don?t see anything like that again.

?As far as the championship is concerned, we?ll just keep on doing what we need to do. I don?t agree with the points system, but that?s what we have to race to and we?ll continue to use that as motivation.

?It?s great to come back to Darwin and score another round win and to now be heading back to Queensland Raceway is a great position to be in.

?Queensland is home and I know the Ford fans will be out in force and going back to a single 300 kilometre race is something I?m also looking forward too.?

OzEmail Racing?s John Bowe and Super Cheap Auto Racing?s Steve Ellery both enjoyed their best rounds of the year, finishing the weekend in seventh and eighth places respectively.

The V8 Supercar Championship Series now heads to Queensland for the first time this year for round seven at Willowbank outside Ipswich from July 18-20.

TOP-10 OVERALL RESULTS AT HIDDEN VALLEY (NT)
1. Marcos Ambrose ? Pirtek Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
2. Mark Skaife ? Holden Race Team ? Holden Commodore
3. Jason Bright ? Team Brock ? Holden Commodore
4. Greg Murphy ? KMart Racing ? Holden Commodore
5. Steve Richards ? Castrol Perkins Racing ? Holden Commodore
6. Simon Wills ? Team Dynamic ? Holden Commodore
7. John Bowe ? OzEmail Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
8. Steve Ellery ? Super Cheap Auto Racing ? Ford Falcon BA
9. Garth Tander ? Valvoline Racing ? Holden Commodore
10. Paul Weel ? Team Brock ? Holden Commodore

CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER SIX OF 13 ROUNDS
1. Jason Bright ? Team Brock ? Holden Commodore 1027pts
2: Steve Richards ? Castrol Perkins Racing ? Holden Commodore 992pts
3. Marcos Ambrose ? Pirtek Racing ? Ford Falcon BA 973pts
4. Greg Murphy ? KMart Racing ? Holden Commodore 951pts
5. Mark Skaife ? Holden Race Team ? Holden Commodore 929pts
6. Paul Weel ? Team Brock ? Holden Commodore 869pts
7. Russell Ingall ? Caltex Havoline Racing ? Ford Falcon BA 821pts
8. Paul Radisich ? Team Betta Electrical ? Ford Falcon BA 792pts
9: Rick Kelly - KMart Racing ? Holden Commodore 779pts
10. Garth Tander ? Valvoline Racing ? Holden Commodore 778pts

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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