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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Awesome Ambrose Wins V8 Ultimate

Staff, Monday December 2, 2002.

Page 1 of 1

The result was Ambrose?s second career round win, the last coming in Darwin 2001, and was Ford?s second win of the 2002 season.

The win also elevated the 26-year-old to third in the championship, after coming into the weekend placed sixth.

After streaking the field in yesterday?s opening 150-kilometre race, Ambrose was once again the class of the field over a tough 96-laps that lasted 2.5 hours.

Apart from dropping back to second after the start, the Tasmanian assumed the lead on lap four. Ambrose made his compulsory tyre pit stop on lap 18 after being concerned that he might have punctured.

From that point the race became a tactical battle, as different crews stayed out on the track to try and stretch a gap.

On lap 27 Cameron McConville slammed into a crash barrier and brought out the first of five safety car periods for the race.

The Devil Racer dived into the pits on lap 40 to change fuel, getting out ahead of his rivals on the track.

The only concerns then came when cars that had not yet stopped held up Ambrose, but the opposition could not take advantage and the Pirtek driver scored a popular victory.

?It?s been such a lean year, so to finish with a win is great for me, the team and the Ford Motor Company,? said Ambrose.

?It?s the best racecar I?ve ever driven and to totally dominate a meeting is the best experience I?ve had in racing.

?I?m over the moon to have finished third in the championship. It hasn?t been a good year in terms of results, but we did take five pole positions and were one of the fastest teams out there.

?This result gives us and all the other Ford teams a huge lift going into the off-season. We?re straight into building the all-new BA model V8 Supercar and I?m making it a priority to make sure that our car hits the track running.

?Momentum is a wonderful motivation and I know my team is keen to fight for the championship in 2003 and I know the other Fords will want to knock us off.?

Ford finished with six Falcons in the first ten, with Ambrose?s Stone Brothers Racing teammate David Besnard (Caltex Havoline Racing) enduring an amazing race.

Besnard had an engine fire on the warm-up lap and started ¾ of a lap behind the field. But he put his head down, set the fastest lap of race and despite a drive-through penalty for colliding with Rick Kelly, as well as burnt feet, the Caltex driver completed a solid day to take fourth overall.

The other Falcons to feature in the top-10 were fifth placed John Bowe (OzEmail Race team), Team Betta Electrical?s Tony Longhurst (eighth), ninth placed Paul Weel (K & J Thermal Products Racing) and 10th place to Super Cheap Auto Racing?s Steve Ellery.

After a 13-round season that began at the Grand Prix in March, all Ford teams will now focus their attention on the BA model V8 Supercar.

The combination of the BA Falcon, a new set of technical regulation and an army of Ford team technicians, the 2003 challenge has already begun.

The opening test comes once again at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix support event between March 7 ? 9.

Top-10 Overall Results Betta Electrical V8 Ultimate

Championship Positions

For further information contact:
Ben Beazley
Media Coordinator
Ford Racing
Phone: (03) 9596 9011
Mobile: 0417-262 753
Email: ben@segalmedia.com.au

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