Ambrose Expects Tough Day at Infineon

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Joining the media today from the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., was Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 47 Little Debbie Kingsford Clorox Toyota. Marcos is 20th in the Sprint Cup standings. He looks to move up this weekend because of his road racing expertise. He's had some great results.

The last time NASCAR's National Series visited a road course that was last summer at Watkins Glen. He won the NASCAR Nationwide Series event and came out the very next day and finished third in the Glen’s Cup race.

Team: JTG/Daugherty Racing
Owner: Tad Geschickter, Jodi Geschickter, Brad Daugherty
Crew: Chief: Frank Kerr
Engine Builder: TRD, U.S.A., Inc.
Career Starts: 11
Career Wins: 0
Career Poles: 0
Best Points Finish: 45th
First Start: June 22, 2008 (Infineon)
Best Career Finish: 3rd – Aug. 10, 2008 (Watkins Glen)
Best Career Start: 7th – June 22, 2008 (Infineon)

Birthdate: Sept. 1, 1976
Hometown: Launceston, Tasmania
Resides: Kannapolis, N.C.
Wife: Sonja
Children: Tabitha, Adelaide
Hobbies: Golf, dirt bike riding

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Finished third in 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen.
• Won Watkins Glen NASCAR Nationwide Series race in 2008, his first career NASCAR victory.
• Won pole for 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Memphis.
• Won consecutive Australian V8 Supercar titles 2003-04.

2008 Finished 45th in series points. … Had one top five finish, a third-place run at Watkins Glen. … Ran 11 races for three different teams: JTG/Daugherty Racing, Wood Brothers and Michael Waltrip Racing.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY
In 2008, picked up his first NASCAR win, at the Watkins Glen International road course in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Finished 10th in the points. … In 2007, finished eighth in NASCAR Nationwide Series points as a rookie. Earned pole at Memphis on Oct. 27. Had one top five and six top 10s. … In 2006, finished 21st in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points.Won the pole at Kentucky. Qualified third in series debut at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Finished third in ninth career start, at Kansas.

NOTEWORTHY
Won four Tasmanian Junior karting titles before starting senior competition at age of 16. … Won 1999 British Formula Ford championship. … Stone Brothers Racing Team and Ford signed him to drive in the V8 Supercar Series in 2001; named rookie of the year.… First race victory came in 2002 at Phillip Island course. … Won consecutive titles (2003-04) in V8 Supercar, an Australian road racing series, winning 27 races. … Nickname is Devil Racer.

Here are some highlights from today’s NASCAR Cam Video teleconference with Marcos Ambrose.

Q. Marcos, is it safe to say that you're going to be fairly comfortable racing back on the road course at Infineon this weekend?

MARCOS AMBROSE: I wouldn't say comfortable, but it is a race that we've been looking forward to for some time. We've put a lot of effort into this weekend's race. We've got a brand new car designed to go road racing. It's as wide as we can make it.

We've got a good package going to Sonoma, but the expectation is a long, hard Sunday. The track is tough, competition is fierce, and there is no guarantee of success. But I feel like we've done everything we can to be ready and prepared for the race.

Q. My question is Jeff Gordon expects havoc on Sunday in Infineon. Interesting scenarios on and off the track related to the double file restarts, both with pit strategy and how it might play out. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you think it's going to play out on Sunday with the double file restart?

MARCOS AMBROSE: Well, definitely it's going to change things. I think the track at Sonoma isn't going to be very beneficial to a smooth race start when you go two by two. There's a clear dirty lane and clear lane. And some guys are going to be advantaged some disadvantaged. The nature of the racing, too is going to be different. People are going to make different strategy calls were they're in the front half of the field, second half of the field, fuel mileage becomes a major issue as well. And how do you burn through fuel knowing how these race starts may play out.

So I guess it's a wait and see if you're leading the race you can really control your own destiny, and that's going to be our focus and goal is to try to be in that front pack and really dictate how that race runs rather than just being at the mercy of how the race unfolds.

Q. Do you think it will be an advantage or disadvantage for the road course regulars? Guys that are more comfortable road course racing the double file restart?

MARCOS AMBROSE: At this level of competition, I think everybody's ready for whatever comes at them. So I don't think it's any clear advantage for a road race specialist I would say the road race specialist may be in the front half of the field and may be immune to some of the strategy changes that will occur in the back half of the grid, trying to take advantage.

I feel like it's really

up in the air right now. Don't know how it's going to play out, but I do predict there are going to be plenty of cars going into the dirt on turn one on those restarts.
Q. I've had the opportunity to talk to a lot of race car drivers especially road races. And Ron Fellows is one that comes to mind. He said, Greg, you've got to protect your brakes on a road course. If you go in there as well as the transmission. You've got to protect the car in order to be able to finish the race. I look at it in terms of you've got to be there at the end in order to be able to win the race. You were close at Watkins Glen, the car is so important. Talk a little about how the car reacts at a place like Sonoma, Infineon?

MARCOS AMBROSE: Well, Sonoma is a very tough place on the car. We've got a lot of horsepower. The track is tight and twisty. Without a lot of opportunities to pass, you're hitting curves all day. Dropping wheels on to the aprons and on the track. So the radiator takes a beating. You can get a stone in the radiator. Gear boxes are fragile at best in these Cup cars. And I learned my lesson last year, I blew my gear box up with 20 laps to go.

Tire wear, brake, all those things come into play. You have to be smart about these races. I mean, it's a long road course race anyway. And you have to make sure that you put yourself in good positions all day. Try to look after your equipment, if you can. But there is such an advantage about being in that front half of the field in the front third and controlling your own destiny. Being around guys that aren't so desperate to come forward, quite often by running the car hard you can keep yourself out of trouble

Q. You've probably been asked this question, but what is a guy doing from Australia here in the United States trying to win a Cup race? You've got outstanding talent in Australia. I'm talking about the guys that run the sprint cars, super cars like you did. What compelled you to come here to the United States to get into the top form of racing?

MARCOS AMBROSE: It's really simple. A simple equation for me. I could be a big fish in a small pond or come across the big pond and see how I fared up. For me, it's a challenge of life, a challenge of racing. I love to race cars and love to race against the best there is. I think NASCAR is the best place to race.

We have cars that don't handle well. Technology doesn't dominate the sport. All of those factors really make the best drivers win on Sunday. And you can see that time and time again when you watch our races that the cream always rises to the top somehow by the end of the weekend. And it's a big challenge for me. I haven't come from oval racing, so I've had to learn a lot. Pretty fast, too. I haven't finished learning what I need to do. I haven't finished really my own goals of trying to get as far as I can in the sport.

Obviously, winning the race is number one on the list right now to try to get that out of the way. And I think Sonoma is a good chance for me to do that. For me it's just a challenge of life. I'm privileged to be in the sport. I understand that and I'm very thankful to my family and everybody that's helped me get here. I just hope to make the most of it.

Q. I'm wondering if there's another trail of Australians that want to follow the same path knowing the success that you've had in terms of the money won so far?

MARCOS AMBROSE: That's an interesting point. I hope not too many Australians want to come over, because they might take some of that prize money off me. I've been really fortunate to be here. I'm a pioneer. I know I get a lot of phone calls, personal phone calls and e mails of drivers and friends asking how did he do it? Would you help? And we're actually seriously thinking about how do we create a link, you know, an easier connection for Australians to come over here and experience NASCAR whether it be a mechanic or a driver or an engineer to try to bring in some talent from Australia and see how they fair up.

There's no guarantees, but it's a good question. NASCAR is international. And quickly Australia has become one of the more popular NASCAR regions of the world. I think Australia is now the third biggest NASCAR market outside of North America. That's exciting for us, as an Australian trying to spread the word of how good NASCAR is. We're doing our job well, and we're telling people 14,000 miles away how great the sport is, and trying to prove that.

The next wave of drivers and talent will come across and have a go. I know there are three or four Australian drivers in the lower categories of NASCAR in late models and super late models and things like that. So time will tell how they progress and how they come through. But there is no guarantee because of the depth of talent in America, anyways, is so big.

When I came to the U.S. the first time I wanted to create opportunities for myself. I didn't want to necessarily take an opportunity away from a North American driver. So I really forged my