Petty Motorsports New Hampshire Race Recap

MARCOS AMBROSE

No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion

·         Marcos Ambrose started the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from the 29th spot

·         Ambrose finished the 317.4-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the 30th position

·         Unofficially, Ambrose sits in 23rd position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings

Race Summary: Starting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from the 29th position, Marcos Ambrose slipped back several positions in the early laps of the 300-lap event. Ambrose quickly relayed to Crew Chief Todd Parrott that the car was loose in and tight in the center of the turns, with no side bite.

Though he was struggling with the handling of his car, Ambrose was able to hit his marks and worked his way up to the 27th spot by Lap 28. Continuing to run consistent lap times, Ambrose again relayed to Parrott that the DEWALT Ford was not turning well in the corners. A routine stop under green flag conditions on Lap 62 allowed Parrott to call the No. 9 into the pits for air pressure and track bar adjustments, four fresh tires and fuel in an effort to improve the car’s handling issues.

After the rest of the field cycled through green flag pit stops, Ambrose was again scored in the 27th position and quickly communicated to his Richard Petty Motorsports crew that the previous pit stop had helped the handling of the DEWALT machine slightly, but he was still loose in and tight in the middle of the corners. Continuing to fight an ill handling car, Ambrose fell a lap down to the leaders in the early stages of the 317.4-mile event. Ambrose and his team worked hard for the remainder of the event to try and put the No. 9 in the Lucky Dog position, but the caution flags never seemed to fall at the right times.

A loose condition entering the turns and a tight condition through the center plagued the No. 9 the majority of the race, but Parrott and crew never gave up and made an array of chassis adjustments during pit stops.

A lengthy pit stop under a routine green flag stop on Lap 150, coupled with an untimely yellow flag just six laps later, caused the DEWALT Ford to fall three laps down to the leaders in the middle stages of the race.

Though the adjustments made to the car throughout the race appeared to help the No. 9 machine’s handling issues slightly, Ambrose was unable to gain any ground on the leaders and finished the race in the 30th position.

Ambrose sits in 23rd position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standing heading into the 29th race of the season at The Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware.

AJ ALLMENDINGER

No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion

·         AJ Allmendinger started in the 13th position for the 300-lap event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

·         Allmendinger finished in the race in the 21st position at the 1.058-mile speedway

·         Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 15th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger lined up for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 13th position. Early in the event, Allmendinger communicated to his crew that the Best Buy Ford was tight in the center of the corners and loose off. Crew Chief Greg Erwin made plans to make air pressure and track bar adjustments during the first pit stop of the day.

Allmendinger ducked down pit road at Lap 64 and the crew went to work to make the planned changes to the Best Buy Ford Fusion as well as bolt on four fresh tires. At Lap 70 of the 300-lap event, he held down the 16th spot and several laps later informed the crew that the car was still tight, but the adjustments had helped to make some progress on the rear grip issues. A yellow flag at Lap 88 enabled the team to make additional changes, including additional adjustments to the track bar. Allmendinger lined up for the Lap 92 restart in the 22nd position.

Erwin called his driver into the pits at the halfway point of the race for four fresh tires, fuel, track bar and air pressure adjustments. The caution flag came out seven laps later, which resulted in much of the field going one lap down to the leaders, who had not yet made their latest round of scheduled pit stops. The No. 43 team opted to take the wave around when the green flag flew at Lap 163 and laps later, when the yellow flag came out once again, the Best Buy team made its way back to the lead lap.

With 50 laps remaining in the event, Allmendinger relayed to his crew that the Best Buy Ford was extremely tight. He held down 24th place with 14 laps to go and was able to pick up three positions in the final laps when several of his competitors ran out of fuel. The No. 43 Ford took the checkered flag in the 21st position.

Allmendinger slipped one position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and sits in 15th place heading into next Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware.

RPM PR