MARCOS AMBROSE
No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion
· Marcos Ambrose started the race at Dover International Speedway from the 12th spot
· Ambrose finished the 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the ninth position
· Unofficially, Ambrose sits in 21st position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings
Race Summary: Starting the NASACR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway from the 12th position, Marcos Ambrose relayed to his crew that the Stanley Ford was loose in the early stages of the event. A competition caution at Lap 42, enabled Crew Chief Todd Parrott to call his driver onto pit road for four fresh tires and a slight air pressure adjustment in an effort to tighten up the car.
Though he was still fighting a loose condition, Ambrose worked his way into the top 10 just prior to the Lap 100 mark. Pitting on Lap 111, the crew made a wedge adjustment, but it wasn’t long before Ambrose communicated to the crew that he did not like the change made to his Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. Ambrose remained inside the top 10 until several cars took on only two fresh tires during a caution just prior to the halfway mark of the race. Having taken four, Ambrose lined up for the Lap 180 restart in 12th position.
Ambrose remained unhappy with the handling of the Stanley Ford and Parrott called his driver back in to the pits during a scheduled stop at Lap 247 for four fresh tires and a track bar adjustment. A quick rain shower resulted in a caution period at Lap 257 and Ambrose lined up for the restart in eighth place. Happy with the way the car was handling after the last set of changes, Ambrose drove his way into fourth place with 100 laps remaining in the event.
There were several different tire strategies in play during the event and during a Lap 355 caution, several teams opted for two new tires instead of four. Choosing the four tire option, Ambrose lined up for the restart with 41 laps to go in the 11th position and was able to move past several of his competitors on the final laps to take the checkered flag in ninth. The finish marked the ninth Top 10 effort of the season for the team.
Ambrose picked up two positions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings and now holds down 21st position heading into the 30th race of the season at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
Ambrose’s Thoughts: “We’ve been bashed up pretty good the last month, so it’s just good to come back with a solid day. We should have finished better than ninth, but we played it safe there and took four tires at the end. I’m proud of the team. They’ve stood by me after a tough month and I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas. We’ve just got a good setup for Dover, that’s all. We worked well here in the spring and we worked well here in the fall. I think when we hit on a setup we can come back to it and it feels right and I give good direction.”
AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
· AJ Allmendinger started in the seventh position for the 400-lap event at Dover International Speedway
· Allmendinger, finished the race in the seventh position at the one-mile speedway
· Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 14th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings
Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway from the seventh position and it looked like things might not go as planned on just the fifth lap of the 400-lap race. While fighting for position with the No. 11 machine, the two drivers made contact and Allmendinger was sent spinning. Able to save the car before it made contact with the wall, Allmendinger made a quick stop in the pits during the ensuing caution flag and the Best Buy Racing team bolted four fresh tires to the No. 43 Ford.
Allmendinger stood in 39th place when the race resumed and let Crew Chief Greg Erwin know that the car was free getting into the corners and tight in the center. Erwin opted for a two-tire change during a Lap 43 caution and after coming into the pits in 24th, Allmendinger lined up for the Lap 46 green flag in eighth position. The driver let his crew know that he was happy with the way the car was handling just after the Lap 100 mark and he made his way through traffic into fifth place by Lap 119.
Thanks in part to another two-tire stop at Lap 177, Allmendinger led the field to a Lap 180 green flag from the point position. He remained there for several laps, but the car became loose in the middle stages of the race and Allmendinger slipped back several positions. The No. 43 car remained in the Top 10 for much of the remainder of the event and when the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger held down the seventh position. It was the seventh top-10 effort of the season for the team.
Allmendinger moved up one position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and now stands in 14th place heading into next Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
Allmendinger’s Post-Race Thoughts: It was something we needed after the last two weeks. Obviously, we want to try to win, but at least we were there all day. Denny had a nose right there, but it was Lap4. Those guys would expect you to give them some room, but he just stuffed it down in there and jacked me sideways. It was no surprise, and as I started spinning toward the wall, I just hammered the throttle. I didn’t think it was going to hit the wall, but then I was afraid that everybody behind me would come piling in. I’d like to say it was all driver, but luckily when I tapped the brake and kept it on the throttle it straightened back up to where I didn’t stop in front of anybody and, thank God, everybody behind us was alert and kind of got it slowed down. I’d say it was 60 percent driver and 40 percent luck. I’ll give myself a little bit of credit.”
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