Ambrose Goes Truck Racing this Weekend

[REDVRSS]

Marcos Ambrose has his first shot at the NASCAR craftsman truck series this weekend at Martinsville speedway.

Intetresting Article HERE: http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article.php?cid=733 6


Of note - 50 Trucks have been entered for 36 places on the grid. so he has his work cut out for him!

Cheers,

Paul.

[jar jar binks]

Marcos who ?

[group C]

:) Good luck Marcos fly the Aussie flag with pride:)

[fomoco04]

:) Good luck Marcos fly the Aussie flag with pride:)

Here, here.
Love him or hate him at least he's had the guts and TALENT to have a go in the biggest tin top circus in the world bar none. If he doe's well it'll show just how good he is.

[REDVRSS]

another Story: http://www.woodbrothersracing.com/team_news2.cfm?I D=1216

An interesting quote:
"I don't know if this sport is ready for Marcos Ambrose," said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Ambrose's Ford F150 in Saturday's Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. "He's something else. He's the biggest racing star the country's has known. We believe he's going to be all of that, if not more, here in America."

He will bring his flamboyant personality to the sport"

HUH?

[Martin Thomas]

Flamboyant personality???????:eek:

[stephenhrt]

It gets better

Quote: Ambrose not only is the first driver in seven years to win back-to-back V8 Supercar championships, he is the first driver in 30 years to win four consecutive races. He became the flagship driver for Ford Australia

What the?

Umm, seven years ago was 1999, I thought skaife won 2000-2002. And 30 years since someone won four consecutive rounds?:confused: Not to sure about that either.

If they think they would struggle with Ambrose's personality, lets send murphy over there. It will completely throw them

[Holden2003]

Flamboyant personality???????:eek:

Agreed. He was quite wooden compared to Ingall, Lowndes and Murphy in this series. I don't like him but let him show that Aussie drivers can be multi-skilled. A great talent, who showed in recent years young drivers can still win the v8 series.

[HRT 1-2]

That is one over wound spin doctor who wrote that but, hey don't let the facts get in the way of a good story:rolleyes:

[brchi17]

It gets better

Quote: Ambrose not only is the first driver in seven years to win back-to-back V8 Supercar championships, he is the first driver in 30 years to win four consecutive races. He became the flagship driver for Ford Australia

What the?

Umm, seven years ago was 1999, I thought skaife won 2000-2002. And 30 years since someone won four consecutive rounds?:confused: Not to sure about that either.

If they think they would struggle with Ambrose's personality, lets send murphy over there. It will completely throw them

Considering not so long ago they were touting him as a 3 times Australian Supercar Champion, why start getting the facts right now :rolleyes:

I guess it really says something about the personalities in their sport when they think Marcos is flamboyant:rolleyes:

Have they got the same Marcos Ambrose we saw in Australia ??? I can't wait until he starts carrying on about expecting all the other Fords in the field to let him past......

cheers.

[Chev_350]

Even though I am a Chevy man, I wish him all the best.....less chance of him comin back here that way


LMAO Flamboyant

[biante4321]

finally, hope he goes alright and makes the feild of 36

[BILLFORD1]

I wish him the best of luck for the coming season. Of course if he was to end up winning the Craftman Series, all of the dedicated haters here in Aust still won't give him any credit as is evident by the percentage of 'experts' writing him off before the season starts & all the usual slagging off...(That is in general, not particularly this Forum). Not worth arguing about at this point !! Thankfully nascar is a different scenario to the V8 circus...99% of fans follow particular drivers or teams rather than the Blue & Red piffle we endure here every year, so it all has a bit more to do with driver skill/results etc than simply the make of the vehicle !! :)

[wayno]

You can't deny that Marcos is an excellent driver, but saying he's flamboyant is like saying Jason Akermanis is shy.

[Leigh]

You can't deny that Marcos is an excellent driver, but saying he's flamboyant is like saying Jason Akermanis is shy.
I suppose they are comparing him to the normal NASCAR driver...;)

[Martin Thomas]

I suppose they are comparing him to the normal NASCAR driver...;)

You mean the drink driving, helmet punching, fence climbing NASCAR drivers??
I did see Ambrose stand on a pit wall, once.:eek:

Lets get off the whole Ford/Holden thing. I dislike Ambrose for other reasons (right or wrong... I don't know)
I could think of nothing better than seeing Seto win Bathurst. he drives a Ford, doesn't he? Does anyone dislike Lowndes? Now there seems to be a new found respect building for Ingall.

[xa351gt]

Are you guys going to be able to see the race?

[REDVRSS]

Are you guys going to be able to see the race?

Unfortunately not, Foxtel has chosen not to cover the Truck series this year.

[REDVRSS]

Ambrose 12th Fastest in Practice! GO MARCOS!!

[frosty]

Congrats Marcos, 12th in Practice #1. (Sorry REDVRSS I posted while you posted.)

Sorry about the spacing.

http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gifPractice Speeds
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
Kroger 250 | Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Practice #1

RankCar (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds_carno.html)Driver (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds_dname.html)Make (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds_make.html)SponsorSpeed (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds.html)Time (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds.html)Behind (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice1_speeds.html)
1#6Mark Martin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mmartin00/truck/ index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Scotts Miracle-Gro93.61320.228Leader
2#11David Starr (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dstarr00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaRed Horse Racing93.53920.244-0.016
3#16Mike Bliss (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mbliss00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletXpress Motorsports93.46520.260-0.032
4#14Rick Crawford (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rcrawfor00/truc k/index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Circle Bar Truck Corral93.35020.285-0.057
5#85Dennis Setzer (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dsetzer00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletFlex Fuel E85 Silverado93.30420.295-0.067
6#18Bobby Hamilton Jr. (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bhamilto01/truc k/index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Fastenal93.29920.296-0.068
7#17David Reutimann (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dreutima00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra93.23920.309-0.081
8#08Butch Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bmiller00/truck/ index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)ASI Limited/Spectrum/CBO93.17120.324-0.096
9#60Jack Sprague (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsprague00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaCon-Way Transportation93.10220.339-0.111
10#12Joey Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jmiller00/truck/ index.html)*ToyotaCurb Records92.96920.368-0.140
11#50David Ragan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dragan00/truck/ index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Roush Racing92.89620.384-0.156
12#20Marcos Ambrose*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Animal Adoption League/petfinder.com/Fresh Step92.82420.400-0.172
13#33Ron Hornaday (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rhornada00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKevin Harvick, Inc.92.79220.407-0.179
14#9Ted Musgrave (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tmusgrav00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaTeam ASE/Germain Mtr Co.92.76020.414-0.186
15#5Mike Skinner (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mskinner00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra92.71420.424-0.196
16#4Timothy Peters (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tpeters00/truck/ index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Dodge Motorsports92.61520.446-0.218
17#88Matt Crafton (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mcrafton00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletMenards/Energizer92.60120.44 9-0.221
18#23Johnny Benson (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jbenson00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaToyota Certified Used Vehicles92.59220.451-0.223
19#04David StremmeDodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Dodge Hemi92.56920.456-0.228
20#02Johnny Sauter (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsauter01/truck/ index.html)ChevroletTeam Copaxone92.50620.470-0.242
21#10Terry Cook (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tcook00/truck/i ndex.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Power Stroke Diesel92.32620.510-0.282
22#99Erik Darnell (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/edarnell00/truc k/index.html)*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Simply Wow92.31720.512-0.284
23#07Clint BowyerChevroletJack Daniel's92.28520.519-0.291
24#77Brendan Gaughan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bgaughan00/truc k/index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Orleans Hotel & Casino92.28120.520-0.292
25#22Bill Lester (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/blester00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaCheckers/Rally's92.16420.546-0.318
26#59Steve Park (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/spark00/truck/i ndex.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Harris Trucking92.02120.578-0.350
27#13Kerry Earnhardt (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kearnhar00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletThorSport Racing91.98520.586-0.358
28#40Chad Chaffin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cchaffin00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKey Motorsports91.96720.590-0.362
29#30Todd Bodine (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tbodine00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaLumber Liquidators91.95420.593-0.365
30#75Aric Almirola (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/aalmirol00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletSpears Manufacturing91.88220.609-0.381
31#21Bobby East (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/beast00/truck/i ndex.html)*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Wood Brothers Museum91.78920.630-0.402
32#98Erin Crocker (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ecrocker00/truc k/index.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Cheerios/Betty Crocker91.78020.632-0.404
33#15Kyle Krisiloff (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkrisilo00/truc k/index.html)*Chevroletditech.com/Krud Kutter91.52220.690-0.462
34#25Boston Reid (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/breid02/truck/i ndex.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Woodard & Sharp Racing91.47420.701-0.473
35#170Tam Topham (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ttopham00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletSuzuki Motorcycles & ATVs91.17020.770-0.542
36#29Kraig Kinser (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkinser00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletGinn Clubs & Resorts90.82420.849-0.621
37#106Chad McCumbee (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cmccumbe00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletMRD Motorsports90.69420.879-0.651
38#63Justin MartzFord (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Superc hips/Parts Pro90.57720.906-0.678
39#1Robert Richardson, II (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rrichard01/truc k/index.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)WinYourMortgage.com90.44320.937-0.709http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/util ity/pixel.gif
* Denotes Rookie

[frosty]

Kroger 250 | Martinsville Speedway
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gifApril 01, 2006 | Race 4 of 25 | Practice 2http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/ pixel.gif
Overview
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
Once the teams are at the track, practices are the only way to test a variety of combinations in order to find the optimal setup for qualifying. Teams have a set time limit to take to the track to check their setups.


RankCar (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds_carno.html)Driver (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds_dname.html)Make (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds_make.html)SponsorSpeed (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds.html)Time (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds.html)Behind (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/pra ctice2_speeds.html)
1#23Johnny Benson (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jbenson00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaToyota Certified Used Vehicles95.28019.874Leader
2#60Jack Sprague (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsprague00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaCon-Way Transportation94.90319.953-0.079
3#14Rick Crawford (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rcrawfor00/truc k/index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Circle Bar Truck Corral94.85119.964-0.090
4#16Mike Bliss (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mbliss00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletXpress Motorsports94.83219.968-0.094
5#5Mike Skinner (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mskinner00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra94.78019.979-0.105
6#11David Starr (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dstarr00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaRed Horse Racing94.72319.991-0.117
7#17David Reutimann (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dreutima00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra94.69919.996-0.122
8#99Erik Darnell (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/edarnell00/truc k/index.html)*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Simply Wow94.69919.996-0.122
9#9Ted Musgrave (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tmusgrav00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaTeam ASE/Germain Mtr Co.94.67120.002-0.128
10#85Dennis Setzer (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dsetzer00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletFlex Fuel E85 Silverado94.52420.033-0.159
11#18Bobby Hamilton Jr. (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bhamilto01/truc k/index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Fastenal94.45820.047-0.173
12#10Terry Cook (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tcook00/truck/i ndex.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Power Stroke Diesel94.45320.048-0.174
13#50David Ragan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dragan00/truck/ index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Roush Racing94.42020.055-0.181
14#30Todd Bodine (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tbodine00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaLumber Liquidators94.34520.071-0.197
15#15Kyle Krisiloff (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkrisilo00/truc k/index.html)*Chevroletditech.com/Krud Kutter94.30720.079-0.205
16#33Ron Hornaday (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rhornada00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKevin Harvick, Inc.94.29820.081-0.207
17#88Matt Crafton (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mcrafton00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletMenards/Energizer94.27920.08 5-0.211
18#20Marcos Ambrose*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Animal Adoption League/petfinder.com/Fresh Step94.26120.089-0.215
19#75Aric Almirola (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/aalmirol00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletSpears Manufacturing94.24220.093-0.219
20#4Timothy Peters (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tpeters00/truck/ index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Dodge Motorsports94.20020.102-0.228
21#22Bill Lester (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/blester00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaCheckers/Rally's94.13920.115-0.241
22#6Mark Martin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mmartin00/truck/ index.html)Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Scotts Miracle-Gro94.07320.129-0.255
23#77Brendan Gaughan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bgaughan00/truc k/index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Orleans Hotel & Casino94.05920.132-0.258
24#07Clint BowyerChevroletJack Daniel's93.97120.151-0.277
25#21Bobby East (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/beast00/truck/i ndex.html)*Ford (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Wood Brothers Museum/Edy's93.86320.174-0.300
26#08Butch Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bmiller00/truck/ index.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)ASI Limited/Spectrum/CBO93.82620.182-0.308
27#02Johnny Sauter (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsauter01/truck/ index.html)ChevroletTeam Copaxone93.75620.197-0.323
28#59Steve Park (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/spark00/truck/i ndex.html)Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Harris Trucking93.74720.199-0.325
29#04David StremmeDodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Dodge Hemi93.48820.255-0.381
30#40Chad Chaffin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cchaffin00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKey Motorsports93.48320.256-0.382
31#13Kerry Earnhardt (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kearnhar00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletThorSport Racing93.32220.291-0.417
32#25Boston Reid (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/breid02/truck/i ndex.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Woodard & Sharp Racing93.21720.314-0.440
33#98Erin Crocker (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ecrocker00/truc k/index.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)Cheerios/Betty Crocker93.09720.340-0.466
34#29Kraig Kinser (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkinser00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletGinn Clubs & Resorts93.01520.358-0.484
35#12Joey Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jmiller00/truck/ index.html)*ToyotaCurb Records92.73320.420-0.546
36#106Chad McCumbee (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cmccumbe00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletMRD Motorsports92.68720.430-0.556
37#63Justin MartzFord (http://www.nascar.com/pr/promos/2004/ford/)Superc hips/Parts Pro92.35320.504-0.630
38#170Tam Topham (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ttopham00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletSuzuki Motorcycles & ATVs92.07920.565-0.691
39#1Robert Richardson, II (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rrichard01/truc k/index.html)*Dodge (http://www.nascar.com/promos/2004/dodge/index.htm l)WinYourMortgage.com92.00320.582-0.708http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/util ity/pixel.gif
* Denotes Rookie

[frosty]

Reading below, it appears Qualifying is not by time but by drawing balls.
If true, I think it's a joke.


Qualifying Order
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
Kroger 250 | Martinsville Speedway
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gifOverview
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
NASCAR officials use a qualifying draw to determine the qualifying order. The qualifying draw usually take place the morning of qualifying day. Each team sends a representative to draw a number from a spinning ball, starting with the team whose owner is highest in the owner point standings. When every team has drawn, the qualifying order is set.

OrderCar (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_carno.html)Driver (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_dname.html)Make (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_make.html)Sponsor
1 60Jack Sprague (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsprague00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaCon-Way Transportation
2 106Chad McCumbee (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cmccumbe00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletMRD Motorsports
3 12Joey Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jmiller00/truck/ index.html)*ToyotaCurb Records
4 99Erik Darnell (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/edarnell00/truc k/index.html)*FordSimply Wow
5 59Steve Park (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/spark00/truck/i ndex.html)FordHarris Trucking
6 15Kyle Krisiloff (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkrisilo00/truc k/index.html)*Chevroletditech.com/Krud Kutter
7 30Todd Bodine (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tbodine00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaLumber Liquidators
8 4Timothy Peters (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tpeters00/truck/ index.html)DodgeDodge Motorsports
9 10Terry Cook (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tcook00/truck/i ndex.html)FordPower Stroke Diesel
10 170Tam Topham (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ttopham00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletSuzuki Motorcycles & ATVs
11 98Erin Crocker (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ecrocker00/truc k/index.html)*DodgeCheerios/Betty Crocker
12 17David Reutimann (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dreutima00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra
13 29Kraig Kinser (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkinser00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletGinn Clubs & Resorts
14 22Bill Lester (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/blester00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaCheckers/Rally's
15 13Kerry Earnhardt (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kearnhar00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletThorSport Racing
16 04David StremmeDodgeDodge Hemi
17 9Ted Musgrave (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tmusgrav00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaTeam ASE/Germain Mtr Co.
18 23Johnny Benson (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jbenson00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaToyota Certified Used Vehicles
19 77Brendan Gaughan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bgaughan00/truc k/index.html)DodgeOrleans Hotel & Casino
20 08Butch Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bmiller00/truck/ index.html)DodgeASI Limited/Spectrum/CBO
21 14Rick Crawford (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rcrawfor00/truc k/index.html)FordCircle Bar Truck Corral
22 88Matt Crafton (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mcrafton00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletMenards/Energizer
23 11David Starr (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dstarr00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaRed Horse Racing
24 25Boston Reid (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/breid02/truck/i ndex.html)*DodgeWoodard & Sharp Racing
25 40Chad Chaffin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cchaffin00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKey Motorsports
26 1Robert Richardson, II (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rrichard01/truc k/index.html)*DodgeWinYourMortgage.com
27 16Mike Bliss (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mbliss00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletXpress Motorsports
28 6Mark Martin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mmartin00/truck/ index.html)FordScotts Miracle-Gro
29 75Aric Almirola (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/aalmirol00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletSpears Manufacturing
30 20Marcos Ambrose*FordAnimal Adoption League/petfinder.com/Fresh Step
31 50David Ragan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dragan00/truck/ index.html)FordRoush Racing
32 63Justin MartzFordSuperchips/Parts Pro
33 5Mike Skinner (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mskinner00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra
34 85Dennis Setzer (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dsetzer00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletFlex Fuel E85 Silverado
35 07Clint BowyerChevroletJack Daniel's
36 21Bobby East (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/beast00/truck/i ndex.html)*FordWood Brothers Museum
37 02Johnny Sauter (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsauter01/truck/ index.html)ChevroletTeam Copaxone
38 18Bobby Hamilton Jr. (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bhamilto01/truc k/index.html)DodgeFastenal
39 33Ron Hornaday (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rhornada00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKevin Harvick, Inc.
* Denotes Rookie

[Chev_350]

Reading below, it appears Qualifying is not by time but by drawing balls.
If true, I think it's a joke.

yep its true....been done like that for years too

[biante1948]

I wish him the best of luck for the coming season. Of course if he was to end up winning the Craftman Series, all of the dedicated haters here in Aust still won't give him any credit as is evident by the percentage of 'experts' writing him off before the season starts & all the usual slagging off...(That is in general, not particularly this Forum). Not worth arguing about at this point !! Thankfully nascar is a different scenario to the V8 circus...99% of fans follow particular drivers or teams rather than the Blue & Red piffle we endure here every year, so it all has a bit more to do with driver skill/results etc than simply the make of the vehicle !! :)

How true.

You'll notice that the people here bagging and knocking him have doing so for a long time. Holden supportors I'd say.

I wonder if it would have been different if he had of driven for Holden here in Australia ??

Personality doesn't win races. Driving ability does.

Give him a chance, at least he is having a go overseas, more than I can say for any of our current top running Holden drivers are prepared to do.

Good luck Marcos.

[frosty]

yep its true....been done like that for years too

I have only started taking an interest in this because Marcos is in it.

What other different rules do they have?

[Chev_350]

What other different rules do they have?

what other type of rules do you want to know?

[xa351gt]

Frosty ,
I think you misread that. The qualifying order is what is determined by the balls. It sets the order the trucks go out on track to take their timed runs fore qualifying postions for the race.



Reading below, it appears Qualifying is not by time but by drawing balls.
If true, I think it's a joke.


Qualifying Order
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
Kroger 250 | Martinsville Speedway
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gifOverview
http://i.cnn.net/nascar/.element/1.0/img/utility/p ixel.gif
NASCAR officials use a qualifying draw to determine the qualifying order. The qualifying draw usually take place the morning of qualifying day. Each team sends a representative to draw a number from a spinning ball, starting with the team whose owner is highest in the owner point standings. When every team has drawn, the qualifying order is set.

OrderCar (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_carno.html)Driver (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_dname.html)Make (http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2006/4/data/qua l_order_make.html)Sponsor
1 60Jack Sprague (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsprague00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaCon-Way Transportation
2 106Chad McCumbee (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cmccumbe00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletMRD Motorsports
3 12Joey Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jmiller00/truck/ index.html)*ToyotaCurb Records
4 99Erik Darnell (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/edarnell00/truc k/index.html)*FordSimply Wow
5 59Steve Park (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/spark00/truck/i ndex.html)FordHarris Trucking
6 15Kyle Krisiloff (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkrisilo00/truc k/index.html)*Chevroletditech.com/Krud Kutter
7 30Todd Bodine (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tbodine00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaLumber Liquidators
8 4Timothy Peters (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tpeters00/truck/ index.html)DodgeDodge Motorsports
9 10Terry Cook (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tcook00/truck/i ndex.html)FordPower Stroke Diesel
10 170Tam Topham (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ttopham00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletSuzuki Motorcycles & ATVs
11 98Erin Crocker (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/ecrocker00/truc k/index.html)*DodgeCheerios/Betty Crocker
12 17David Reutimann (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dreutima00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra
13 29Kraig Kinser (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kkinser00/truck/ index.html)*ChevroletGinn Clubs & Resorts
14 22Bill Lester (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/blester00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaCheckers/Rally's
15 13Kerry Earnhardt (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/kearnhar00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletThorSport Racing
16 04David StremmeDodgeDodge Hemi
17 9Ted Musgrave (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tmusgrav00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaTeam ASE/Germain Mtr Co.
18 23Johnny Benson (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jbenson00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaToyota Certified Used Vehicles
19 77Brendan Gaughan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bgaughan00/truc k/index.html)DodgeOrleans Hotel & Casino
20 08Butch Miller (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bmiller00/truck/ index.html)DodgeASI Limited/Spectrum/CBO
21 14Rick Crawford (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rcrawfor00/truc k/index.html)FordCircle Bar Truck Corral
22 88Matt Crafton (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mcrafton00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletMenards/Energizer
23 11David Starr (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dstarr00/truck/ index.html)ToyotaRed Horse Racing
24 25Boston Reid (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/breid02/truck/i ndex.html)*DodgeWoodard & Sharp Racing
25 40Chad Chaffin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/cchaffin00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKey Motorsports
26 1Robert Richardson, II (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rrichard01/truc k/index.html)*DodgeWinYourMortgage.com
27 16Mike Bliss (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mbliss00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletXpress Motorsports
28 6Mark Martin (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mmartin00/truck/ index.html)FordScotts Miracle-Gro
29 75Aric Almirola (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/aalmirol00/truc k/index.html)*ChevroletSpears Manufacturing
30 20Marcos Ambrose*FordAnimal Adoption League/petfinder.com/Fresh Step
31 50David Ragan (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dragan00/truck/ index.html)FordRoush Racing
32 63Justin MartzFordSuperchips/Parts Pro
33 5Mike Skinner (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/mskinner00/truc k/index.html)ToyotaToyota Tundra
34 85Dennis Setzer (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/dsetzer00/truck/ index.html)ChevroletFlex Fuel E85 Silverado
35 07Clint BowyerChevroletJack Daniel's
36 21Bobby East (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/beast00/truck/i ndex.html)*FordWood Brothers Museum
37 02Johnny Sauter (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jsauter01/truck/ index.html)ChevroletTeam Copaxone
38 18Bobby Hamilton Jr. (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/bhamilto01/truc k/index.html)DodgeFastenal
39 33Ron Hornaday (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rhornada00/truc k/index.html)ChevroletKevin Harvick, Inc.
* Denotes Rookie

[Oh Five]

How true.

You'll notice that the people here bagging and knocking him have doing so for a long time. Holden supportors I'd say.

I wonder if it would have been different if he had of driven for Holden here in Australia ??

Personality doesn't win races. Driving ability does.

Give him a chance, at least he is having a go overseas, more than I can say for any of our current top running Holden drivers are prepared to do.

Good luck Marcos.


Why do they have to go overseas to prove anything??? Supercars are OUR premier category in OUR country:confused:
Having being a Ford driver has nothing to do with it, he lost my respect for other reasons.

[Chev_350]

Frosty ,
I think you misread that. The qualifying order is what is determined by the balls. It sets the order the trucks go out on track to take their timed runs fore qualifying postions for the race.

ooops, I misread Frosty's post too.....I thought he was talking about the qualifing order....not the order they start the race.

[REDVRSS]

Text Live updates of the Race can be found at http://www.truckseries.com/trackside/tslpage.html

Ambrose already in the wars....

[athol]

Had a look in the site, seems to be rough and tumble racing, one driver said the fenders aren't there to look at they're to be used. I don't think Ambrose would be too shy to do a bit of rubbing.

Athol.
Wanted the great race.no 17.

[frosty]

Chev_350 and xa351gt thanks for your advice and info.

[Poita]

Ambrose 33rd

[ratbag-racing]

Not a bad effort...Martinsvills is one tough track.
From the little news i could find Ambrose moved a few out of the way & gave as good as he got .He also oiled down the track so i guess the 33 is a good start.

[REDVRSS]

Looks like Marcos got caught up in someome elses accident on lap 150 and damaged the front end. He spent a number of laps behind the pit wall but did rejoin the race to finish 33rd.

[Footy]

Pre race interview,audio only.
http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/bot/uploads/54/06r04_Prac_Ambrose.mp3

[Chev_350]

Pre race interview,audio only.
http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/bot/uploads/54/06r04_Prac_Ambrose.mp3


good clip.....although I think he is kidding himself if he thinks he can be as excited as Kenny Wallace during interviews, Kenny is crazy.

[biante11500]

i watched the race saturday and taped it just in case marcus made a good showing. i think marcus first scuffle was around lap 20 when another driver tried to pass him on the out side going into a turn, the other driver pinched ambrose down at the bottom of the track and ambrose nose on the right front spoiler rubbed the wheels on the other truck and knocked the valve stem off the rear tire causing a flat tire and the other guy spun out.

there was a couple of close call's were other guy's spun in front of marcus.
marcus was running 25th after a pit stop with about 101 laps to go three or four trucks tangled going into a turn spining in front of marcus and every one behind started checking up. marcus could'nt get slowed quick enough and ran into the back of one of the wrecks and went into the pits behind the wall with heavy front end damage and a busted radiator.

the team pulled the sheet metal off the front of the truck and installed a new radiator and marcus went back on the track about 52 laps down to finish 33rd overall. he did very well i think for his first attempt as he was running good before he got tangled in someone elses wreck with no were to go. it will be interesting to see how he does the rest of the season & i wish him good luck.

[frosty]

Thanks Bainte11500 for the description.

[REDVRSS]

Yes thanks Biante11500 for the info. great to see he was running competitively before the incident. Not bad for his first NAXCAR/Oval/Concrete race.

Interesting that I cant find any images from the web relating to the race. not even on NASCAR.com. Someone with a camera must of been there :)

EDIT: tell a lie, there are some shots here: http://www.truckseries.com/photog/thumbnails.php?a lbum=296
but none of ambrose.

[REDVRSS]

even better: video of the ambrose crash

http://www.mysharefile.com/v/812523/rcr4536_06_tru ck_martins_big_crash.wmv.html

[BILLFORD1]

So in summary, not too bad an effort for the rawest rookie in the field. He did at least finish & score some points and lets face it Martinsville could not be classed as being an 'easy' track even if only 1/2 mile. Way more experienced drivers have been caught up in other buggers accidents just going to the toilets in that joint !! :D

[biante11500]

i figured it would be a tough test for marcus at the martinsville paperclip 1/2
miler. its really a one groove track and you need to stay on the bottom as most cars or trucks that are hung up on the out side groove get passed by several drivers before they can get back in the groove. theres not a lot of passing at martinsville, most passing is from drivers that are being held up by slower drivers. the faster drivers paitence usually wears thin and they give the slower cars a little love tap to tell to move over or sometimes knock them out of the way.the track is really tough on brakes and paitence and its one tough track to win at.

the first three races were at super speedways and due to the nascar rookie rule marcus couldn't drive at those tracks. rookies have to prove there metal on the short tracks before nascar will let them move up to the super speedways. another thing about martinsville is usually drivers who start with in the top 10 qualifing win most of the races there so that tells you how important qualifing is at martinsville. i think marcus started 20th and never fell back further than 25th at any point up until he got caught up in some one elses wreck.

another side note in my veiw is marcus isn't with one of the top tier racing teams. the woods brothers were strong back in the 60's & 70's but there pit crews and machinery aren't as top notch as some of the multi million dollar teams today like roush, childress & hendricks teams. if marcus pulls off some top finishes with this team he will prove to me he has the talent & skill to be competitive in this series.. heres and example craig lowndes with fpr & craig lowndes with betta electrical theres that much diffrence between the teams because everyone knows craig can drive his arse off & so can marcus!! so these factors have to be weighed in
if you want to give marcus a fare critique of his over all efforts in the truck series. at least this is the way i see it, do you think kelly & skaife could of won baturst driving a mark larkam orrocon ford??

i know marcus is in the learning process and hes with a midpack team at best.
to be honest i think it would take a miracle for marcus to win with the woodsbrothers, but at least he has his foot in the door & if he can pull off some top 10' finishes just maybe a better team will pick him up down the road. sorry for the long post and i really hope marcus does well as this could open the door to more overseas drivers getting rides with nascar.

cheers Tony

[BILLFORD1]

Can't find much to disagree on there tony. Pretty well spot on in every aspect. All Marcos needs in the US is experience & a bit of luck, seeing as luck in fact plays a huge part in nascar....Race leaders with a few laps to go, or less, have been DNFd by some backmarker 63 laps in arrears deciding to try & drive through their brake ducts and all manner of similar incidents can happen, over which you have no control. I tend to think that he will actually find things easier on the longer tracks. Agree with your assessment of the Wood Bros team too. He may be the best thing to happen to them in years !! :)

[Kenseth17]

i figured it would be a tough test for marcus at the martinsville paperclip 1/2
miler. its really a one groove track and you need to stay on the bottom as most cars or trucks that are hung up on the out side groove get passed by several drivers before they can get back in the groove. theres not a lot of passing at martinsville, most passing is from drivers that are being held up by slower drivers. the faster drivers paitence usually wears thin and they give the slower cars a little love tap to tell to move over or sometimes knock them out of the way.the track is really tough on brakes and paitence and its one tough track to win at.

the first three races were at super speedways and due to the nascar rookie rule marcus couldn't drive at those tracks. rookies have to prove there metal on the short tracks before nascar will let them move up to the super speedways. another thing about martinsville is usually drivers who start with in the top 10 qualifing win most of the races there so that tells you how important qualifing is at martinsville. i think marcus started 20th and never fell back further than 25th at any point up until he got caught up in some one elses wreck.

another side note in my veiw is marcus isn't with one of the top tier racing teams. the woods brothers were strong back in the 60's & 70's but there pit crews and machinery aren't as top notch as some of the multi million dollar teams today like roush, childress & hendricks teams. if marcus pulls off some top finishes with this team he will prove to me he has the talent & skill to be competitive in this series.. heres and example craig lowndes with fpr & craig lowndes with betta electrical theres that much diffrence between the teams because everyone knows craig can drive his arse off & so can marcus!! so these factors have to be weighed in
if you want to give marcus a fare critique of his over all efforts in the truck series. at least this is the way i see it, do you think kelly & skaife could of won baturst driving a mark larkam orrocon ford??

i know marcus is in the learning process and hes with a midpack team at best.
to be honest i think it would take a miracle for marcus to win with the woodsbrothers, but at least he has his foot in the door & if he can pull off some top 10' finishes just maybe a better team will pick him up down the road. sorry for the long post and i really hope marcus does well as this could open the door to more overseas drivers getting rides with nascar.

cheers Tony

Very good and fair post.Many thanks for the inside views.I really hope Marcos makes it in the States as I think he is talented enough.Time will tell but I am one fan who will be certainly riding all the way with him eagerly!

[SWRT]

A tough but a godd and solid NASCAR debut, fot marcos.
If he can be successful, maybe he might inspire some Australian GM drivers to have a go (in a Chev, or a Pontiac who are Busch series only).
With Jason Bright a successful 4th at the Sebring 12hr, it would be nice to see how Skaife & Kelly would do in a Le Mans Chev Corvette.
One of the Corvette drivers, might be in a Paul Morris V8 supercar for the enduros.
One of James Courtneys JTCC mates, Richard Lyons will be in the 2nd 888 car.

[Chev_350]

maybe he might inspire some Australian GM drivers to have a go (in a Chev, or a Pontiac who are Busch series only).


no Pontiacs, they can no longer be raced as of the last race 05

[brchi17]

.....If he can be successful, maybe he might inspire some Australian GM drivers to have a go.....

why would they want too ???

I can't recall anyone of them missing Marcos Who that badly to make the long trip just to go from hero way back to zero.

cheers. :D

[HRT 1-2]

This is by no means bagging the sport so don't take it the wrong way but, the thought of a half mile oval track which would only be 800 Metres (yeah?) doesn't really sound that exciting to me.

Not having access to any coverage, I'm not saying this with any authority but, 250 laps around a track that small sounds like it may get a bit boring?

[mick78]

This is by no means bagging the sport so don't take it the wrong way but, the thought of a half mile oval track which would only be 800 Metres (yeah?) doesn't really sound that exciting to me.

Not having access to any coverage, I'm not saying this with any authority but, 250 laps around a track that small sounds like it may get a bit boring?

Yeah I agree, a half mile oval track is boring. About as boring as watching a two make series go around and around our circuits. Horses for courses I suppose, they seem to love that sort of racing in the states, just like folks love the two make series here. Many people can't understand why that is so popular over a multi manufacturer series that true touring car racing should be.

[Martin Thomas]

I have access to the coverage and its VERY boring, IMHO. Then again, I don't like NFL but love AFL and find baseball boring but can easily watch a full test match.. Just a cultural thing, I s'pose.

Even the "non round/oval" circuits are boring.

Of course 20 gazillion yanks have more clout than me.....:D

I have IMAX Nascar and even find that boring, about the only thing that "got" me was the amount of money and people involved......:confused:

[berkut76]

Of course 20 gazillion yanks have more clout than me.....:

I'm a Yank, and I find NASCAR to be boring to tears to watch on TV. However, in person, it's very exciting to watch with all the banging going on. Also, it's very physically demanding series to drive in since one has to be focused all the time.

On the negative side, NASCAR is committed to using stone age automotive technology and is absolutely irrelevant from the auto manufacturers point of view since every car is of the same shape. As a matter of fact if France family circus will ever decide to expel all the automotive makes from the series, the series won't lose a step since people mostly follow teams and drivers as opposed to manufacturers.

Nevertheless, despite all the criticism that could be levelled at NASCAR, Nextel Cup is undoubtedly the best managed racing series in the world bar none.

As for the NFL comment, sorry Martin, but you'll have to die a horrible screaming death

Take care,

Sergey

[singer]

It all comes down to the population base:(

[Martin Thomas]

As for the NFL comment, sorry Martin, but you'll have to die a horrible screaming death

Take care,

Sergey

I understand where you're comming from. ABC usd to have a weekly show that was mainly highlights and I used to love it, watched it all the time. Then channel 9 took over and would show 1 game in it's entirety... Gawd, I just couldn't handle it..

Many AUSSIES feel the same about cricket so I can understand people enjoying it..

[xa351gt]

I guess it all matters on what you've grown up with. I know many people who think Road Racing is boring with no passing.I love both ovals and road racing for the different disciplines required. I like open wheel and full bodied cars . Racing on a 1/2 mile may sound boring until you factor in the speed they achieve in that small space and the fact that they do it with 35 (in the truckseries) other cars all in close quarters. That 250 laps happens over a 2hour period in a very hot heavy vehicle. To give you a perspective of what it's like to drive at martinsville. Consider it is 1/2 mile ,Bathurst is 3.85 miles. So if you put the same amount of vehicles per foot it would be the same as seeing 270 V8s take the start of the 1000. Be a bit crowded you think?

[wayno]

In NASCAR the short ovals do nothing for me, but I love the super speedway races. Once you start to get an understanding of the strategies, etc involved it's great.
I have quite a few of these races I've kept as I just love them. Anything at Talladega is usually an awesome race to watch.

[REDVRSS]

To the casual observer NASCAR racing is just a bunch of cars going round and round. Once you get a bit deeper into it you see the drafting tactics on superspeedways, real pit stop stategy (none of this CPS nonsense) and the importance of Teamwork through the crew chief, Spotter and pit crew.

Also, NASCAR also allow a bit of biff and barge to occur unlike in our series. NASCAR know its all part of the entertainment (although Kennseth at Daytona would disagree) and the fans love it.

[fomoco04]

looks like hes starting to come to terms with the oval tracks. This is from the Truckseries website.

Team Australia NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Marcos Ambrose will start tomorrow’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 from the second row after qualifying fourth today at Kansas Speedway in Kansas.
Ambrose set a time of 31.869 seconds in today’s qualifying to put the Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards F-150 truck on the outside of the second row for tomorrow’s 167-lap race around the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
The two-time Australian V8 Supercar Champion was also the fastest rookie in qualifying, the next best Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender being fellow Ford driver Erik Darnell in eighth.
This is the third-consecutive event that Ambrose has qualified the Team Australia entry inside the top 10 and the third time this year that the Tasmanian has qualified on the front two rows, a great achievement considering this weekend’s race in only Ambrose’s ninth start in the truck series.

Love him or hate him he is very good.

[REDVRSS]

Great Result for Marcos at Kansas.

Lead the 1st lap, ran up front all race Finishing 3rd. Listing to the radio stream he was very competative the entire race and was in 5th place with less than ten laps to go.

1st Australian to lead a NCTS race, 1st to finish top 5.

Well Done.

[ratbag-racing]

Excellent effort,i must say he has picked up the turn left thing quicker than i thought he would.

[lukey73]

I have been a critic of Marcos when he was driving here as his mouth got in the way of his talent, but its good to see him doing well in the States as it has to be one of the toughest markets to crack.

Hope he can keep his mouth in order and get to some racing with good ol boys in NASCAR.

Luke

[awawaw]

way to go marcus. im very happy for him. great to see a fellow tassie boy taking on the big boys. how long before he gets a win?

[xa351gt]

Marcos did great and I have to say I am somewhat surprised how fast he is coming to terms with everything involved in ovals. There are alot of guys that have drove ovals for years not learning this fast at this level of competition. Considering that Truck racing is new to the Woods Brothers and that they are doing 2 teams with rookies driving them is astounding.I think most importantly he is gaining the trust and respect of those around him. The more confidence that he and his team get the better they'll get at a faster and faster rate. It is now not unthinkable to see him reach victory lane if they can continue this momentum.

[Rob]

They mentioned it on RPM or the V8 telecast yesterday. What I can't get
over is the fact that Marcus has "EIGHT", yes that's right, "EIGHT" trucks
to choose from for any one race!! Apparently he likes this one he raced
on the weekend. That's amazing!!

[brchi17]

They mentioned it on RPM or the V8 telecast yesterday. What I can't get
over is the fact that Marcus has "EIGHT", yes that's right, "EIGHT" trucks
to choose from for any one race!! Apparently he likes this one he raced
on the weekend. That's amazing!!

I was in awe of that comment too Rob, kind of makes me wonder what sort of budgets they operate on :eek: !!!

It certainly puts things back into perspective when the likes of our better funded teams like HRT & SBR, etc, only have one spare car to share between two drivers :eek:

Speaking of Marcos' while I don't like the guy as a racer, you can't knock him for his monumental achievement, I suspect once he really gets tuned into this style of racing he will once again be very hard to beat.

[Leigh]

And remember that this is the third tier competition!

I recall reading somewhere that each team/driver in NASCAR (in all three categories) has different chassis for short track, long track and road courses...with one to two spares for each!

Looks like Ambrose is making a habit of only being comfortabl "comfortable" with one chassis...remember he refused to have another car built for him here, but prefered to run a three year old tired chassis...

[1370]

And won championships with it too.

It sometimes feels like teams build new cars for the hell of it. Unless the car has taken a massive hit, the limited use it sees means that other modes of failure like fatigue are not an issue.

[Chev_350]

And remember that this is the third tier competition!

I recall reading somewhere that each team/driver in NASCAR (in all three categories) has different chassis for short track, long track and road courses...with one to two spares for each!

Yeah the top tier Cup organisations have about 15 cars for each team for all types of tracks, a organisations like Roush racing which has 5 teams would have some where around 75 cars.....lota money there, the bigger teams have budgets worth $10-20 Million per team, multiply that by 5....thats a cool $100 Million

[awawaw]

Yeah the top tier Cup organisations have about 15 cars for each team for all types of tracks, a organisations like Roush racing which has 5 teams would have some where around 75 cars.....lota money there, the bigger teams have budgets worth $10-20 Million per team, multiply that by 5....thats a cool $100 Million



Now thats a good reason why he went there!!!! he could earn double, triple what you would earn here racing.

[brchi17]

Now thats a good reason why he went there!!!! he could earn double, triple what you would earn here racing.

Exactly & that would be well before he becomes 1/2 successful at it too :eek:

[lukey73]

Yeah the top tier Cup organisations have about 15 cars for each team for all types of tracks, a organisations like Roush racing which has 5 teams would have some where around 75 cars.....lota money there, the bigger teams have budgets worth $10-20 Million per team, multiply that by 5....thats a cool $100 Million

If anyone has seen the IMAX movie done about NASCAR there is alot of info, they build so many cars as they are built to suit certain types of tracks. Some are only raced at 1 maybe 2 curcuits for the whole year and when they go to a curcuit they have a back of the same standard settings.

Engines are huge from memory they have 35-40 per car per team and at $50k a pop thats a huge inventory.

No wonder there transporters workshops and teams are so huge.

[Kenseth17]

Congratulations Mighty Marcos! An excellent result but not surprising to this fan! Whilst his undertaking in the NASCAR world is a Massive one, he is good enough given the right backing to make it to through the ranks. He is a quick and eager learner with huge talent and is able to speak to his team around him making sure every post is a winner. Whilst it would be great to see him racing still in Australia, his talents fit in with a much bigger world elsewhere.I am excited about his career and what is down the track. Hopefully at Kentucky this weekend he can continue the success he has recently enjoyed since starting the series.

[bigdave]

nice artice on nascar.com

http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/truck/07/ 06/mambrose.kentucky/index.html

[biante11500]

im proud to see marcus is comming along so quickly in the series with and 18th & 3rd place finish in his last two races. hes got plenty of talent and with time the woods bros and there two rookie drivers should gell into a winning combination. there are actually four types of chassis and body's for the nascar teams wich include short track,road course,speedway & super speedway cars. most of the top tier teams have about 15 cars to choose from in there shop at one time. while there are just a couple of road course & super speedway versions in the shops the majority of the chassis are speedway & short track versions. the majority of the tracks are speedways and the short tracks are harder on engines & bodys with the higher amount of wrecks from close 1 groove racing circuts and quick tempers. i don't know how much it cost to run a team today in the nascar series but a year or so back the teams were asking major sponsers for 10 to 15 million dollars to sponser there cars for the entire season. you have to take into account most big operations have there own chassis builders,machine shops & fabrication shops in house. then you add the pit crew,crew cheif & race haulers & drivers and entry fees for each race. plus travel expenses for a 36 race season and im sure its very expensive in todays market. but back on subject i believe if marcus can continue his momentum going forward & stay out of other drivers wrecks,that it want be long until we see him in victory lane. i wish marcus the best of luck and hope he will be succesfull in the nascar truck series.

[singer]

im proud to see marcus is comming along so quickly in the series with and 18th & 3rd place finish in his last two races. hes got plenty of talent and with time the woods bros and there two rookie drivers should gell into a winning combination. there are actually four types of chassis and body's for the nascar teams wich include short track,road course,speedway & super speedway cars. most of the top tier teams have about 15 cars to choose from in there shop at one time. while there are just a couple of road course & super speedway versions in the shops the majority of the chassis are speedway & short track versions. the majority of the tracks are speedways and the short tracks are harder on engines & bodys with the higher amount of wrecks from close 1 groove racing circuts and quick tempers. i don't know how much it cost to run a team today in the nascar series but a year or so back the teams were asking major sponsers for 10 to 15 million dollars to sponser there cars for the entire season. you have to take into account most big operations have there own chassis builders,machine shops & fabrication shops in house. then you add the pit crew,crew cheif & race haulers & drivers and entry fees for each race. plus travel expenses for a 36 race season and im sure its very expensive in todays market. but back on subject i believe if marcus can continue his momentum going forward & stay out of other drivers wrecks,that it want be long until we see him in victory lane. i wish marcus the best of luck and hope he will be succesfull in the nascar truck series.

Thanks for the onfo Tony.

There is one thing which irritates me regarding the Televising of NASCAR/TRUCK racing.

The level of ad breaks which FOX insist of inserting.

This makes for very broken watching & I find it hard to follow the lead cars or the ones which I am following

[biante11500]

Thanks for the onfo Tony.

There is one thing which irritates me regarding the Televising of NASCAR/TRUCK racing.

The level of ad breaks which FOX insist of inserting.

This makes for very broken watching & I find it hard to follow the lead cars or the ones which I am following

hey believe me i know how you feel, its the same way here in the states sometimes it seems like they show the race for 3 to 5 minutes then advertise for about 6 minutes!! most cable & satelite stations are all the same theres more advertising than the actual show. most of the time i just tape races or sporting events so i can fast forward through the comercials.

[REDVRSS]

Marcos is 5th Fastest in Practice for the NCTS race in Kentucky

Link to an at length interview on truckseries.com where he attempts to describe the difference between V8 Supercar and Truck.

http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/bot/uploads/54/06r13_Prac_Ambrose.mp3

Paul.

[toddy05]

Anyone know how I can get my hands on the IMAX Nascar movie? The only ones I have seen on evil bay are region 1 and I do not want to take the risk of it not working on my DVD player (a Hyundai HY 635 PS) as I do not know whether I can shove any region ones in it. Anyone know of how or where I can obtain a "copy" of it.....I am happy to pay a reasonable cost...

[toddy05]

hey believe me i know how you feel, its the same way here in the states sometimes it seems like they show the race for 3 to 5 minutes then advertise for about 6 minutes!! most cable & satelite stations are all the same theres more advertising than the actual show. most of the time i just tape races or sporting events so i can fast forward through the comercials.
Yeah we went away for a weekend and I thought I would tune in to Foxtel and watch Nascar and man the amount of times they went to a break and at evry yellow flag too, it was as if the commentators do not know or have to do ad lib or background stuff like Cromley and the boys do. The NASCAR commentators just spoke of what was happening in front of them and if nothing off to a break..... gave up after 10mins in frustration and in thankfulness for the quality of V8SCA commentary...

[Kenseth17]

Two different types of racing, two different types of world in commentary too. For any new NASCAR follower it takes a while to adjust to setup in a TV coverage and what the commentators are talking about because the sport is a much different one to what we have here.Fox Sports coverage is the best with Daryl Waltrip, Mike Hammond, Larry McReynolds and Mike Joy.The first three have raced or crew chief'd in NASCAR there whole lives and been successful at it.Mike Joy has commentated for god knows how long.They explain in laymen terms all the jargon and race talk used by drivers to crew and back and also explain the difference in each track they visit amongst other things.They have a wonderful team connection and it is unfortunate they dont do the whole series due to broadcast rights being split.The money involved in NASCAR is monumental and therefore more ad breaks will happen.There again there is more racing coz these guys do around 500 miles (800km) in most races, (36 rounds) so we can't really complain.

[wayno]

Don't get too annoyed with Foxtel guys. When they go to a break is usually when the host broadcaster does as well. We are actually pretty lucky with add breaks here compared to the rest of the world.

[REDVRSS]

Last weeks Pepsi 400 race at Daytona last week was a good example. Because of the lack of cautions the last 1/2 of the race had tons of ads. 1 minute racing, 4 minutes ads. 2 minutes racing 4 minutes ads. Agreed its not foxtel but the host broacaster's issue. But you need to pay a lot of bills when you pay $1 Bill.+ for TV rights.

I dont tape the race but watch the monday night replays. For example the 2 hour replay of the Pocono race had only 2 ad breaks!

BTW - Ambrose on POLE for this mornings truck race @ Kentucky

[Patterson]

WTF? He found the accelerator hey??

Aussie Aussie Aussie....

I can just see him mouthing off to the other drivers....."In my country, we turn right AND left......"

[Kenseth17]

Hoping MA can get a top 5 or maybe even a win.....Pole in your 10th start. Very Impressive!

[Kenseth17]

MA 19th overall but lead 49 of first 51 laps and earned 10 bonus points. Seems he avoided an accident by taking it through the grass at one stage but appears to be getting better in traffic. Ahead of schedule at this stage.

[brchi17]

MA 19th overall but lead 49 of first 51 laps and earned 10 bonus points. Seems he avoided an accident by taking it through the grass at one stage but appears to be getting better in traffic. Ahead of schedule at this stage.

Long story short,

finished 19th, due to a poor pit strategy........

[BILLFORD1]

As I think I alluded to about 6 months ago...given a bit of time to get a handle on the game, Marcos was always going to surprise all of the knockers. One of the main things he has mastered as a driver, is chassis setup which all of us who 'class nascar as a religion' will know is even more important than being able to steer in this game. It has a good chance of being an outright whitewash quite regularly with a few more races under his belt. It is also part of the deal so to speak, that once he posts a few top 5s, the majority of the 'old hands' will have a little more respect for him as a driver. ie, pull their heads in when apparent he can blow their doorhandles off on any given track !! Go Team Oz !!! :D

[HRT 1-2]

Gotta take my hat off to the guy, pole this early is a terrific achievement, there must have been jaws dropping left, right and centre!

[1370]

Gotta take my hat off to the guy, pole this early is a terrific achievement, there must have been jaws dropping left, right and centre!

It dropped 5 years ago when he took pole at Bathurst on debut!

[awawaw]

It dropped 5 years ago when he took pole at Bathurst on debut!


thats the kind of thing dreams are made of. go MA!!!

[younglion]

Ambrose finally on the podium!
Good effort i say

[toddy05]

He's earnt well so far this season...
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Ambrose has earned $114,608 in 10 starts this year
from http://www.teamaustraliamotorsport.com/latest_news _nascar.asp

[Chev_350]

He's earnt well so far this season...
MARCOS AMBROSE FAST FACTS
– Ambrose has earned $114,608 in 10 starts this year
from http://www.teamaustraliamotorsport.com/latest_news _nascar.asp

pfff, in the Cup Series the last car in the Daytona 500 can win that in one race......Mind you that $114,608 is not all Marcos money, most of it except a small percentage goes to the team.

I wonder what the prize money is for the V8s???

[fomoco04]

13th in first practice for this weekends Memphis race.

If your interested go to http://www.truckseries.com/ it's heaps better than the NASCAR website.

[fomoco04]

9th in final practice. .17sec off the pace. Hopefully he'll go well qualifying tomorrow.

[toddy05]

Any news on his progress? Don't think much of him personally but admire his skill and am proud from an aussie pov...

[Chev_350]

O'Reilly 200
Memphis Motorsports Park
July 15, 2006
Race 14 of 25

34 #20 Marcos Ambrose * Ford Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards 61/0 195 Running

didn't go that well this week

[toddy05]

just found it at truckseries.com...interesting how in its fast facts it states he has won 3 consecutive championships in V8SC from 2003....

[xa351gt]

O'Reilly 200
Memphis Motorsports Park
July 15, 2006
Race 14 of 25

34 #20 Marcos Ambrose * Ford Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards 61/0 195 Running

didn't go that well this week

He was having a decent race when another truck spun in front of him and he no where to go and clouted the rf pretty bad.

[Kenseth17]

He is definately quick over 1 lap which is terrific but will now do most of his learning during an event with track and truck conditions changing during different periods of the race.Next race is at Indianapolis Racepark on Aug 4th. Hopefully he can get another good finish and not get clouted by somebody again which has happened on a number of occasions. Importantly he has been mostly more impressive than his US team mate Bobby East and that is a good start.

[Kenseth17]

I wonder what the prize money is for the V8s???[/QUOTE]

Not sure of the exact amount but I would guess it is a lot less than the CTS which is the third series in NASCAR.
Marcos won't be thinking of the money right now that's for sure. He is on a steep learning curve. (And doing well so far)

As far as the fast facts go and the 3 consecutive championships 'fact' , dont' let that bother you as 95% of American race fans have never heard of the V8 Supercars so it don't matter now does it.....

[daveZ27]

I supose it's all about getting noticed, and you do that by coming up front. So far so good.

[Kenseth17]

This weekend the CTS is at Indianapolis and another chance for MA to get another good result.

[bigdave]

IRP or as it's now known o'reilly raceway park, is fairly flat, like the other short tracks MA has done well on, so i'd look for a good qual position and a top 10, barring any bad luck.

[inter]

I wonder what the prize money is for the V8s???

Not sure of the exact amount but I would guess it is a lot less than the CTS which is the third series in NASCAR.
Marcos won't be thinking of the money right now that's for sure. He is on a steep learning curve. (And doing well so far)

As far as the fast facts go and the 3 consecutive championships 'fact' , dont' let that bother you as 95% of American race fans have never heard of the V8 Supercars so it don't matter now does it.....[/quote]


you know , i would of thought the opposite, More $$$ in the states. Just my thoughts no hard evidence to go by.

inter

[Kenseth17]

Actually Chev_350 originally asked this question Inter, but the quote did not come up correctly. Yep I would think there is more money in the CTS than the prizemoney in the V8's. I would say most racefans in Australia dont realise the size of the CTS let alone NASCAR (all three levels)

I see MA was 26th in the first practice session at IRP or O'Reillys Race Park as it is now called.Another race another new track for him.He has had a few weeks off so it will be interesting to see if this helps or hinders him.

[Kenseth17]

MA qualified 19th and was quicker in each session. Bobby East his team mate, which is a home track for him, was 24th. Hope trouble stays out of the way and MA can get a decent run at another decent result.

[malscar]

All over. Seems he had a not to great a race. Lapped by the leader, did not change his start position much. Got caught up late in the race with Richardson and finished in the mid 20's.

[toddy05]

worth a listen, seems as if he is gaining a bit of an accent
http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/bot/uploads/54/06r16_PreP_Ambrose.mp3
aiming for top 10's weekly, hope he does it...

[fomoco04]

8th in final practice for this weekends race. Hopefully he has a good one.

[fomoco04]

Im getting exited, lap 76 and he's up by almost 5 seconds.:)

[lexoto]

That's pretty good.
I thought he was wasting his time in the us of a..............

[daveZ27]

Third place, damn good - if only we could watch it.

[toddy05]

Woohoo for the aussies! 3rd what a good run, exciting on the net but gee why can't we see it...

[fomoco04]

Woohoo for the aussies! 3rd what a good run, exciting on the net but gee why can't we see it...


Yes, congratulations to Marcus, he was leading for some time but got caught by the others on the resart. I don't think it will be to many more events before we see him take his first checkered flag.:)

[biante1948]

Yes, Good on you Marcus. He'd have to be pleased with that.

[bigdave]

hopefully i dont get in trouble for posting this here.

http://rapidshare.de/files/29195681/NASCAR_Toyota_ Tundra_200.mpg.html

the last two laps.

[The Hammer]

For anybody wanting to have a go at truck racing themselves.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-GM-RCR-GOODWRENCH-EX-CRAFTSMAN-SUPER-TRUCK_W0QQitemZ250017896244QQihZ015QQcategoryZ9806 1QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[malscar]

For anybody wanting to have a go at truck racing themselves.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-GM-RCR-GOODWRENCH-EX-CRAFTSMAN-SUPER-TRUCK_W0QQitemZ250017896244QQihZ015QQcategoryZ9806 1QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Got to admit that is one hell of a diecast.

[Kenseth17]

An excellent result for Marcos. After finishing a solid 22nd on lead lap at IRP he scores a brilliant 3rd at Nashville. I will be celebrating long and hard when he wins his first truck race.

[BILLFORD1]

Concur !! In the meantime we all need to keep rattling Mr Foxtels cage about showing the buggers !! I have notified them ref the innaccuracy of their advertising blurb "If it happens in Motorsport it happens on Foxtel" a couple of times so far. Eventually they WILL decide to at least show "Selected Races" of the NCT Series, probably about a week before Marcos goes to BGN I suppose but we can only try ! :D

[Chev_350]

A good article on EPSN on Ambrose and is also rookie team mate


Ambrose continues his learning curve
By Mark Ashenfelter
Special to ESPN.com

To say this season is something of a learning experience for Marcos Ambrose and Bobby East would be an understatement. A major one at that.

A year ago, Ambrose was chasing the V8 Supercar championship in Australia, having already announced that his racing focus would shift to North America this season.

Marcos Ambrose was previously a dominant force in V8 Supercars road racing.Ambrose, 29, is East's teammate at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, where both compete in the Craftsman Truck Series. Neither was eligible to compete at the start of the year, but East has run 14 of 16 races and Ambrose has 13 starts to his credit.

With a pair of third-place finishes and a pole to his credit, Ambrose has shown he doesn't lack speed. He's 26th in points, a meaningless stat as he missed three races.

East, just 21, has yet to record a top-10 but has finished all but two of his starts and sits 25th in points. The Brownsburg, Ind., native is the youngest USAC national champion in series history.

And although East had one start each in the truck series and Busch Series to his credit entering the year, his learning curve has been almost as steep as Ambrose's. However, Ambrose has faced a bigger challenge in that he's adjusting to ovals after spending all his time on road courses in Australia.

"I think the biggest shock to the system for me has been converting qualifying speed, or on-your-own speed on the racetrack, to running in the pack and converting that into results," Ambrose says. "The skill of racing on ovals is obvious when you're running in a five- or 10-car pack on these bigger speedways with the draft and the aero effect that happens around you.

"That's been the biggest transition for me is to learn to race. I think, on pure speed, I've adapted relatively well compared to what I thought I was going to considering that I've never run on ovals before, but definitely learning to race has been tricky."

Ambrose won consecutive championships in 2003-04 but couldn't complete the natural hat trick last season. Still, he was a force expected to run well every time out in Australia. That's hardly the case as he adapts to life in NASCAR.

"I [went from being] a big fish in a small pond to a very small fish in a huge ocean here," Ambrose says. " … I realized very quickly when I got here that it was going to take a humbling experience to learn. I just took 2006 as a write-off year, a year of change and a year of learning and not putting any pressure on myself for performance."

Ambrose realized early on that the goal was to gain experience and respect. That means staying out of the way of the championship contenders and those racing for the win if he's not among that group.

After that, he had to learn how trucks drafted, how to set them up for qualifying, keeping in mind that the qualifying setup also will be the one he has to start the race. He is glad to see progress.

"I think that's a huge step for me to be able to say that I can start to get some feel in the vehicle now," Ambrose says. "The next stage is going to come, if we keep doing exactly the same things that we've done this year, don't get overconfident and don't get carried away with what we're trying to do. Just keep learning and keep an open mind. & I just can't wait for the second half of the season because I think we can start running some strong top-10s, and from there you can start to then look at wins."

His third-place runs have come at Kentucky and this past Saturday at Nashville. Crew chief Gary Cogswell has been suitably impressed.

"Marcos has been such a quick study on the speedways, and that's incredible, considering his background," Cogswell says. "Everyone else on this team is so committed to giving him a good truck, and that makes his job a little easier. This first year was supposed to be a learning experience for everyone, but I wouldn't be surprised to see us win a race."

One of the few advantages East had over Ambrose was that he's used to racing on ovals. But open-wheel USAC cars have little in common with stock cars, so the learning curve was still quite steep.

"The cars are so different. Luckily, there's about four or five tracks that I have already run, so I already know a little bit about the track, so that helps out," East says. "It's just been a huge learning experience.

"I would say the biggest thing is learning about all of the aerodynamics, especially on the mile-and-a-halfs when you start in the middle of the pack, you start 17th and you're right there in the middle of the whole field and you've got all of that dirty air buffeting around. You're trying to learn how to keep the air on the nose and keep yourself in a good position so you don't wreck or get wrecked. That's really been the biggest thing."

The learning curve continues off the track, according to East. In some ways, time behind the wheel of his Ford F-150 might be the easiest part of his job.

"I feel the toughest part is probably just trying to keep everybody happy just because that's a job that you really can't do," East says. "It's almost impossible to keep everybody happy, but you just want to go out there and do real good. You want to keep your sponsors happy, but you also want to keep every single person inside the shop happy. I kind of find that tough to do, but when they give you good trucks, it makes it a little bit easier."

Mark Ashenfelter is an associate editor at NASCAR Scene magazine, which has a Web site at www.scenedaily.com.


I didn't like Ambrose when he was here and there is still the Blue oval factor, but it is good seeing him do well and get abit of press......Just sucks we dont get the trucks here on Foxtel, heck they don't even show race highlights on the news like they do with the Cup series

[malscar]

Be aware the next race is Wednesday this week coming up.

[daveZ27]

Finished 26th. Not bad for a first start at Bristol - short track racing is hard work and lot's of traffic.

[REDVRSS]

Qualified 9th and ran there for a while too until the setup got awy from him and he lost time in the pits. at the end he was running at the same pace as the leaders but some ways down the order.

Pitstops may have cost him victory at Kansas, a bit of work needs to be done there if he is to get that win on the board.

[toddy05]

started on row 9 in 18th up to 15th before I think pitting and currently 17th at Texas...

[toddy05]

16th on lap 85...

[toddy05]

17th on 95...
http://www.truckseries.com/trackside/tslpage.html

[toddy05]

13th on 137

[fomoco04]

Finished 10th. Can't wait for next year.