Three major events were rolled into one today as Ford teamed up with Roush Fenway Racing and Con-way Freight to unveil the No. 16 Con-way Freight Mustang with driver Colin Braun at Roush Fenway Racing headquarters in Concord, N.C.

Ford teamed up with Roush Fenway Racing and Con-way Freight to unveil the No. 16 Con-way Freight Mustang.

Ford announced in July that Mustang, the iconic pony car that has raced for all 45 years of its existence, would compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in July 2010 when a limited rollout of NASCAR’s new car begins at Daytona International Speedway. Today marked the first time the NASCAR Mustang was seen in public.

Braun, 21, a native of Ovalo, Texas, will make the move from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he was the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year, to a full-time Nationwide program next season, along with Con-way Freight, which has been his sponsor for the last two years. Roush Fenway and Con-way Freight recently agreed on a contract extension to remain as a primary sponsor for 18 Nationwide races within the organization.

“I’m so happy that Con-way Freight decided to move up with me to the Nationwide Series for 2010,” Braun said. “They have been a great sponsor for the past two years in the truck series so it means a lot to me that they will continue to support me in the future. I’m also looking forward to driving a Mustang next year. I’ve always thought they are such incredible cars, but have never owned one. Maybe when I win my first race the guys at Ford will want to give me one of my own.”

Mustang has a storied history in motorsports and can claim more than 2,000 race wins worldwide. Its iconic standing in the auto industry aside, Mustang brings a breath of fresh air and new sense of excitement to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“This truly marks the start of the next era of Mustang racing,” said Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “We fully expect this Mustang, with drivers like Colin behind the wheel, to start to enjoy the kind of success so many other Mustang racing programs have enjoyed throughout the last four decades.

“Mustang is a proud and historic brand for Ford. This is a car born to race, and NASCAR is the next logical step for its racing pedigree.”

Braun and Con-way Freight have had good success together and are experiencing a breakout season in 2009. Braun started the season by capturing his first of his three poles to date in the season-opening race at Daytona, and followed that up with his first NASCAR win, which came at Michigan International Speedway in June. He finished 13th in the point standings last year and currently sits seventh with five races remaining this season.

“We’re excited to help unveil the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Mustang, and to announce Con-way Freight’s first-ever sponsorship in the Nationwide Series,” said John G. Labrie, president, Con-way Freight. “The opportunity to continue working with Ford, Roush Fenway Racing and Colin Braun is a great one for us. Colin’s talent on the track and competitive spirit remind us of our more than 20,000 employees and the commitment they bring to their jobs every day. All of us at Con-way Freight look forward to supporting Colin all the way to another Rookie of the Year win in 2010.”

Con-way Freight’s first venture into racing took place in 2005. In 2006, the company rebranded and changed its name, and a racing sponsorship provided an ideal opportunity to build awareness of the Con-way Freight brand in an entertaining and exciting way for both customers and employees.

“Through the first five years of Con-way Racing, we saw that the program was a huge win for Con-way Freight and our customers, so we made the decision to move forward with a new affiliation with Ford, Roush Fenway Racing and Colin Braun,” said Bill Wynne, vice president of marketing, Con-way Freight. “We’ve seen tremendous rewards from those relationships, and that’s why we’re here today to announce a new era of Con-way Racing action in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.”

Mustang currently competes professionally in the NHRA Funny Car and Pro Stock divisions and places like the Grand-Am KONI Challenge, SCCA World Challenge, and the Mustang Challenge Series. In addition, thousands of Mustangs see action by grassroots racers at road courses and drag strips all across America.

“I have been a Mustang owner and enthusiast for many years myself so this is an exciting day to see this car racing in NASCAR,” said car owner Jack Roush. “My teams have won several road racing championships over the years in Mustangs, and I look forward to winning more with Colin, Carl (Edwards) and Ricky (Stenhouse, Jr.). With the continued support of Ford and Con-way Freight we plan to give Colin the opportunity for his second Rookie of the Year title in NASCAR, and ultimately a Nationwide Series championship.”

Overall, Roush Fenway Racing has the most all-time victories in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with 107 and two driver championships, courtesy of Greg Biffle (2002) and Carl Edwards (2007).

Martin survived a strong challenge from early pacesetter Montoya to start the chase for his first NASCAR driver’s title with best result.

Montoya challenged hard from the inside row at the late race restart without success and it ended up opening the door for Hamlin to steal second place from Montoya.

Greg Biffle drives his Ford Fusion around the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (pic Tyler Barrick Autostock)

The raced ended under yellow after A J Allmendinger ended up in a spin near the finish line. NASCAR held off on the yellow until the last moment but in the end the raced finished under yellow.

On a tight flat circuit track position is important and Martin and his crew played the strategy game to stay out in a late race caution to gain the all important spots. Montoya went for tyres and could not quite get him back to the front.

The Roush chase contenders once again struggled to find form.

“I really thought I could run up front with those guys. All I needed to do was get track position and I could have been there,” said Greg Biffle after finishing ninth.

“That was it – track position all day. I fought to get up there. I knew that once I got up there I could run with them, but I could just never get there.”

Teammate Carl Edwards fared worse and slipped to 16^th after starting from 5^th spot.

“Our car just struggled all day and I couldn’t go fast. Once I got strung out I could hold my own and I could run well, but on those restarts I just got killed on the short run. That’s gonna be important in the chase,” said Edwards.

Marcos Ambrose leads at Loudon (LAT Photographic)

Ambrose led two laps late in the race at the one-mile oval as the pit stop sequence played out, the third time in the last seven Sprint Cup races that he has led laps aboard the #47 entry of JTG Daugherty Racing.

“Track position was so important here in this race and we tried to make the right moves at the right times to get up the front of the pack.

Ambrose gained track position at his final stop by only changing two tyres, but ultimately lacked car speed as other cars with four fresh tyres used their speed advantage to rise up the order.

NASCAR is in action next weekend for the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.

RESULTS: Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race 27 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
1. #5 Mark Martin 300 laps
2. #11 Denny Hamlin
3. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya
4. #48 Jimmie Johnson
5. #18 Kyle Busch
6. #2 Kurt Busch
7. #39 Ryan Newman
8. #19 Elliott Sadler
9. #16 Greg Biffle
10. #33 Clint Bowyer
20. #47 Marcos Ambrose

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver’s Standings – After Race 27 of 36
1. Mark Martin 5230
2. Jimmie Johnson 5195
3. Denny Hamlin 5195
4. Juan Pablo Montoya 5175
5. Kurt Busch 5165
6. Tony Stewart 5156
7. Ryan Newman 5151
8. Brian Vickers 5140
9. Greg Biffle 5138
10. Jeff Gordon 5128
11. Carl Edwards 5117
12. Kasey Kahne 5069
CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP CUT-OFF
13. Kyle Busch 3350
14. Matt Kenseth 3259
15. Clint Bowyer 3193
16. David Reutimann 3175
17. Marcos Ambrose 2938

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE

Sylvania 300 (Replay)
Monday 21 September 2009
FOX Sports 3
10:00pm AEST

Sylvania with Intro from Marcos Ambrose
Tuesday 22 September 2009
ONE
7:30pm AEST

Please check local television guides to confirm times and see scheduled replays.

McMurray started in 25th and within the first three laps gained three positions. The first caution of the evening came on lap six, after an accident in turn-two brought out the yellow flag. Crew chief Donnie Wingo used the break in the action to check in with his driver about the car’s handling, and McMurray radioed back to his team that the car was a bit tight in the middle of the turns.

Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards drive their Ford Fusions into turn 1 of the Richmond (pic Tyler Barrick Autostock)

The changes seemed to help at the onset, but eventually, McMurray reported back to his team that the loose conditions with the tightness in the middle of the turns had returned. A caution for debris on lap 108 allowed Wingo and the team to take back some of the changes they had made to the Ford. Wingo also reminded his driver to be smooth in the turns and not to overdrive the car.

During a pit stop on lap 176, the pit crew made another adjustment to the track bar along with putting a round of wedge in the left-rear. The changes still seemed to not be enough to aid McMurray with the extreme loose-handling conditions he was battling throughout the race. Without having a car that he could comfortably control, racing for position at the 0.75-mile track continued to make for a long night for McMurray. Over the course of the next few runs, Wingo called for more adjustments, but the loose conditions would not leave the Ford.

With 80 laps to go and under caution for the eighth time that night, Wingo opted to take his chances with staying out and being one of the wave around cars on the restart. Under NASCAR’s recent double-file restart rules, if a car opts to not pit under yellow, then that car can actually make up track position by staying out to the race leaders. The gamble paid off since McMurray found himself two laps down to the leaders, but by staying out, he restarted 29th and was only one lap down. Another caution came just a lap after the restart so Wingo still had the opportunity to bring the Ford in for a routine pit stop.

“We just had a tough night getting the handling under control. In order for us to have really been able to fight for track position during those long runs, we needed a car that would allow me to get aggressive racing in the turns here, but we just couldn’t get the car handling right tonight. I was loose entering and exiting the turns, but then tight in the center,” said McMurray.

“The crew made a lot of adjustments all race long, but we just didn’t have enough in order to being home the finish that we wanted tonight.”
At the end of 400 laps at Richmond on an important night in the Sprint Cup Series, McMurray and his No. 26 Ford finished 27th for all the challenges faced with the car’s handling under the lights.

NEXT RACE:
Next weekend the Sprint Cup Series travels to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300 and the first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

RESULTS: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway
Race 26 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
1. #11 Denny Hamlin
2. #2 Kurt Busch
3. #24 Jeff Gordon
4. #5 Mark Martin
5. #18 Kyle Busch
6. #33 Clint Bowyer
7. #83 Brian Vickers
8. #77 Sam Hornish Jr.
9. #29 Kevin Harvick
10. #39 Ryan Newman
27. #26 Jamie McMurray

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver’s Standings
After Race 26 of 36
1. Mark Martin 5040
2. Tony Stewart 5030
3. Jimmie Johnson 5030
4. Denny Hamlin 5020
5. Kasey Kahne 5020
6. Jeff Gordon 5010
7. Kurt Busch 5010
8. Brian Vickers 5010
9. Carl Edwards 5000
10. Ryan Newman 5000
11. Juan Montoya 5000
12. Greg Biffle 5000
23. Jamie McMurray 2564

Hamlin has lead many laps at Richmond Virginia but tonight he led the one that counted the last lap of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Hamlin sowed a mixture of joy and relief at finally overcoming his home town jinx and now moves on as one of the driver’s in the Chase for the driver’s crown.

The other side of the Joe Gibbs Racing garage had lees to celebrate with Kyle Busch just missing out on the last spot for the Chase. In thrilling closing laps Busch battled with Brian Vickers for that spot, with it changing hands sometimes on several times a lap as the pair passed or were passed for a position. In the end Vickers prevailed by eight points, despite Kyle Busch recording a solid fifth place finish ahead of Vickers in seventh.

Kenseth missed the Chase in the #17 (Pic: autostock, Brian Czobat)

The other main contender for the spot going into the race, Matt Kenseth, missed the Chase for the first time after a horror night at Richmond. Kenseth and his crew could not get the  #17 DeWalt Ford Fusion of Roush-Fenway Racing to handle to Kenseth’s liking and he finished in 25t h spot near the tail end of the lead lap.

“We just haven’t been competitive, so, really since California it’s been a downhill slide for us. We’ve slowly fell back in the points every week, so I can’t say I’m very surprised we didn’t make it, but we’ve been working on it hard, we’re just weak in a few areas,” said Kenseth.

Teammate Greg Biffle managed to make the Chase in eleventh spot with another Roush Fenway Ford that proved hard to set up for the short track race at Richmond.

Edwards and Biffle made it to the Chase (Pic: Autostock)

“If it wasn’t for my pit crew, I wouldn’t be standing here plain and simple. They gave me four spots every single time – four spots – and I’d maintain, maintain, maintain, lose a couple and then a caution would come out and I’d gain four spots. It was quite a night,” said Biffle.

Carl Edwards, despite broken foot, did enough in the #99 Aflac Ford by finishing fifteenth to make the Chase in eighth place on a night where on teh top four were safely in the Chase.

“This is good. At the beginning of the year this is what you hope for, that on this night you’ll be sitting here and be part of the chase. We’ve done it and that’s the first step, so now we just have to go seal the deal,” said Edwards.

While Marcos Ambrose ended up just outside the race for Chase every event is still important for a fledgling team and their sponsors.

“We worked really hard on it in practice, then had a surprisingly good qualifying,” said Ambrose.

After qualifying for sixteenth starting position Ambrose slid back during the night, at one stage going a lap down. Crew chief Frank Kerr found some late race speed for the #47 Clorox Toyota of JTG Daugherty Racing and Ambrose made some ground and finished on the lead lap in 22^nd position.

“For the race we started out not too bad, but lost our way a little in the middle there,” said Ambrose.

“Frank (Kerr) and I never gave up on it and got our Clorox car working a little better towards the end.”

RESULTS: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway
Race 26 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
1. #11 Denny Hamlin 400 laps
2. #2 Kurt Busch
3. #4 Mark Martin
4. #24 Jeff Gordon
5. #18 Kyle Busch
6. #33 Clint Bowyer
7. #83 Brian Vickers
8. #77 San Hornish Jr
9. #29 Kevin Harvick
10. #39 Ryan Newman
22. #47 Marcos Ambrose

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver’s Standings – After Race 26 of 36
1. Tony Stewart 3806
2. Jeff Gordon 3627
3. Jimmie Johnson 3534
4. Denny Hamlin 3491
5. Kurt Busch 3322
6. Mark Martin 3291
7. Kasey Kahne 3280
8. Carl Edwards 3280
9. Ryan Newman 3272
10. Juan Pablo Montoya 3251
11. Greg Biffle 3249
12. Brian Vickers 3203
CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP CUT-OFF
13. Kyle Busch 3195
14. Matt Kenseth 3165
15. Clint Bowyer 3059
16. David Reutimann 3048
17. Marcos Ambrose 2830

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (Replay)
Monday 14 September 2009
FOX Sports 2
6:00pm AEST

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 with Intro from Marcos Ambrose
Monday 14 September 2009
ONE
8:35pm AEST

Please check local television guides to confirm times and see scheduled replays.

Richmond is race #26 of the Sprint Cup trail, and is the final outing of NASCAR’s version of the regular season. After this Saturday night the top-12 drivers will have their scores re-set and they will fight-out the championship chase.

McMurray in action at Richmond earlier in the year

Unlike other sports, where those outside the playoff picture pack-up for the rest of the year, all teams and drivers remain to fight for individual race wins. McMurray will be one of these drivers; he’s hoping that he can start his spoiling run one week early at Richmond.

McMurray’s record at Richmond is not spectacular, but last time out in May he finished 7th. He is keen to build on that result and kick-start a strong finish to the season.
“We had a great finish when we raced at Richmond earlier this year by finishing seventh, which became the best finish I’ve had so far at Richmond in the Cup series. The key to having success at Richmond is obviously being the fastest car, as well as making sure you make the most on the restarts,” said McMurray.
Despite being just 0.75-mile, the layout does have multiple racing lines, but track position will be vital especially on the double-file restarts.
“The inside line is the preferred groove to run on, so a lot of times it gets hard to fight your way forward in the field if lapped cars are running that line. I’m really looking forward to this weekend with our team along with all the exciting two-wide racing you’ll see Saturday night,” said McMurray.
Crew Chief Donnie Wingo said “racing at Richmond is similar to racing at Phoenix and tracks like that because it’s just really tight racing there. 99 percent of the time, success at Richmond boils down to track position at the end of the race because it’s just so hard to pass.
“One thing that has helped Richmond recently though, is that the groove has widened out a little bit where you will now see multiple grooves and cars starting to run the top and the bottom, which normally makes for a pretty good race. Before, cars would really only run along the bottom, so this helps with the passing towards the end of the race.”

Richmond track map

Tom’s executed a limited NASCAR Nationwide Series Sponsorship with the team in 2009 and the results prompted the move to Cup Series Sponsorship.

The Ambrose car in Lance colours

Lance Brand Director, Tommy Ingram said, “JTG/Daugherty Racing is a great organization and has a proven track record of helping brands win with consumers and retailers. We were impressed with the business results from our 2009 partnership and are pleased to take the relationship to the next level with America’s #1 Brand of Sandwich Crackers.”

The Lance and Tom’s Brands will be primary Sponsors for the Ambrose #47 Sprint Cup car in three races and will be associate sponsors in 12 others.

Tad Geschickter, Co-owner of JTG/Daugherty said, “After 15 years in the Nationwide Series we are excited about our first year in the Sprint Cup Series with Marcos. We are pleased that Lance will partner with us as we gear up for our second year. Lance Sandwich Crackers and Tom’s Snacks are a great compliment to our other sponsors as we create promotions for race fans and retailers.”

Ambrose, the former Australian V8 super Car champion, continues to impress with great on-track performance and a genuine appreciation for the opportunity that NASCAR and his sponsors are providing.

“I’ve raced all over the world and NASCAR is the best form of racing anywhere. I am so thankful to our long-term partners like Kingsford, Clorox and Bush’s Baked Beans. I am equally excited about new partners like Lance and Kleenex joining our family for 2010,” stated Ambrose.

“JTG/Daugherty is growing and I’m honoured that so many great American Brands are taking notice of our efforts.”

The legendary “King” of NASCAR’s race team – Richard Petty Motorsports – has signed a letter of intent to merge operations with Ford-backed Yates Racing in time for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The four-car team will race Ford Fusions under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner.

“This is a pretty big deal for us. We’re thrilled to partner with Ford, “ said Petty. “We’ve talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing.

Yates Racing's Paul Menard in action (©2009, Autostock)

“Right now this deal is real new. There are lots of details still left to be ironed out, so we don’t have a lot of answers for anyone. We’ll be working on all that in the coming days, weeks and months, but we do intend to have everything in place before the start of next season. I’ve won races with Ford and plan to again.”

Indeed, Petty raced Fords successfully for one year – 1969 – under his family-owned race team, and he captured nine of his NASCAR-record 200 wins with Ford that one season.

The current RPM team features one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers in Kasey Kahne, and its roster for 2010 is expected to include Kahne, Elliott Sadler, AJ Allmendinger, and Yates Racing’s Paul Menard.

“I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season,” said Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports. ”They had choices to consider other than Ford, and it’s gratifying to us that they have enough faith in the Ford Motor Company and what we’re doing to make the switch. We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are.

“What’s also really cool to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford. Combine that with the chance to work with the Gillett family, who we have great respect for, and add some great drivers to the Ford camp, well, it’s hard not to be excited about this opportunity.”

“Richard and Kasey showed us Sunday night in Atlanta that they like winning quite a bit and Ford is going to provide the support that we need to go to victory lane more often, “ said Foster Gillett, RPM team managing partner. “If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport you need a lot of support. We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We’ve won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate America.”

“This is certainly a great opportunity for both Yates Racing as well as Ford Racing,” said Max Jones, co-owner of Yates Racing. “I have had a long-term relationship with Ford and look forward to continuing that relationship at Richard Petty Motorsports. Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with Ford and Richard Petty to lay out the best plan for Paul Menard and all of the employees at Yates Racing. We will continue to field both the No. 98 and No. 96 Ford Fusions for the remainder of the season and look forward to continued success on the track with Paul, Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell.”

“This plan is clearly in the best interest of the Ford Racing community,” said Doug Yates, co-owner, Yates Racing. “On a personal level, I am excited about the opportunity to focus my full energy on building Ford horsepower. We look forward to combining Richard Petty Motorsports proven engine expertise into our program to produce power second to none.”

The RPM team plans to move from its current Statesville, NC shops to the Yates Racing facility in Concord, NC as part of the merger.

Ambrose finished on the lead lap in an encouraging performance for the Sprint Cup Series regular in a star-studded field of 23 drivers in the high-profile charity event in front of over 23,000 fans and a significant television audience.

Ambrose, driving a Kingsford-backed Late Model, trails fellow Sprint Cup stars David Reutimann and Kevin Harvick at the half-mile Eldora Speedway

For Ambrose it was a baptism of fire running an 850-horsepower Late Model machine around the high-banks of the fast half-mile dirt speedway, racing against drivers who grew up on dirt track racing.

Ambrose’s racing education came on the asphalt kart tracks and racing circuits of Tasmania, but now as a NASCAR regular the 33-year-old was invited by Stewart to participate in the HBO Pay-Per-View event, an honour in itself for Ambrose in his fourth season in NASCAR competition since leaving Australia after two V8 Supercar championship wins.

The Prelude to the Dream is staged at the Tony Stewart-owned Eldora Speedway and raises over US$1million for military-themed charities

“Well, you’ve pretty much got to turn right to go left and you use the throttle to steer it and the brake to turn it into the corner,” said Ambrose.

“So it was a blast. The cars are not easy to drive. They have over 850 horsepower and they’re pretty light. It keeps you busy for the entire race.”

The Prelude to the Dream is an annual Late Model event involving NASCAR stars as well as other North American motorsport personalities.

Tonight’s fifth running of the event raised over US$1million for military-themed charities, with Stewart winning the event for the third time, with Carl Edwards and Kenny Wallace the other race winners in the event’s history.

“It’s pretty select territory up there and you’ve got to get invited by one of the best drivers in the Sprint Cup Series, so it was just great to be part of it,” said Ambrose.

Ambrose will this weekend line-up for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway aboard the #47 Clorox entry of JTG Daugherty Racing.

“Richmond is a track I enjoy racing because it is a short track that feels like a mile-and-a-half track. It’s just really fast and smooth,” said Ambrose.

Ambrose finished in 11th place in May this year at the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval and is keen to improve on his four top-five and seven top10 finishes already this season.

Kevin Harvick had his best race for a long time with a second place finish ahead of  the end of season “Mr Consistency”, Juan Pablo Montoya.

Many teams struggled through the night to improve their car’s handling with adjustments during the pit stops as the changes produced unpredictable results.

Marcos Ambrose in the #47 Toyota Camry in Atlanta

Ambrose started from 11th position in the #47 Clorox-backed entry of JTG Daugherty Racing, running in the mid-pack all day only to finish in 23^rd spot as the second car one lap down at the fast 1.5-mile speedway.

“This race is really tough and there were times there where we had good car speed and were moving forward and there were times where we struggled,” said Ambrose.

“We did it tough for a lot of the night with our Clorox car and just couldn’t get a handle on it, but we were not the only ones.”

Matt Kenseth had difficult night after putting his Ford Fusion into the wall early in the race. Kenseth and the team fought back for a 12th place finish to keep in the all important top 12 of the series driver’s standings to stay in qualifying position for the driver’s title chase.

Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth race side by side early in the race.

“I don’t think we had much idea what we were doing, to be honest with you. We started so far off. We got it really good for one run and tried to change it just a little bit more and made it worse, so I don’t know,” said Kenseth.

“We kept going one way or the other and could never get it really right. We had one run that was really, really good and that’s it. We could never get it to drive like that again and I have no idea why.”

Ambrose and the rest of the drivers are back in action for another night race next weekend at Richmond International Raceway, the final race before the field is set for the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Inside the JTG Daugherty garage at Atlanta

RESULTS: Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 25 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
1. #9 Kasey Kahne 325 laps
2. #29 Kevin Harvick
3. #42 Juan Pablo Montoya
4. #00 David Reutimann
5. #5 Mark Martin
6. #11 Denny Hamlin
7. #83 Brian Vickers
8. #24 Jeff Gordon
9. #39 Ryan Newman
10. #16 Greg Biffle
23. #47 Marcos Ambrose 324 laps

RESULTS: Sprint Cup Qualifying
1. #1 Martin Truex Jr 30.106
2. #9 Kasey Kahne 30.213
3. #48 Jimmie Johnson 30.236
4. #24 Jeff Gordon 30.296
5. #18 Kyle Busch 30.333
6. #2 Kurt Busch 30.340
7. #5 Mark Martin 30.360
8. #83 Brian Vickers 30.378
9. #12 David Stremme 30.392
10. #11 Denny Hamlin 30.426
11. #47 Marcos Ambrose 30.461

Marcos Ambrose racing with Casey Mears

2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver’s Standings – After Race 24 of 36
1. Tony Stewart 3694
2. Jeff Gordon 3457
3. Jimmie Johnson 3404
4. Denny Hamlin 3296
5. Carl Edwards 3162
6. Kasey Kahne 3153
7. Kurt Busch 3152
8. Juan Pablo Montoya 3145
9. Ryan Newman 3138
10. Mark Martin 3126
11. Greg Biffle 3125
12. Matt Kenseth 3077
13. Brian Vickers 3057
14. Kyle Busch 3040
15. David Reutimann 2945
16. Clint Bowyer 2909
17. Marcos Ambrose 2733

THE RACE:

Pep Boys Auto 500
First Atlanta Sprint Cup race staged in 1960
325 laps (500.5 miles/805.5 kilometres)

FORM GUIDE:

2008 October Race Winner: Carl Edwards
2008 October Polesitter: Jimmie Johnson
2009 March Race Winner: Kurt Busch
2009 March Polesitter: Mark Martin

THE TRACK:

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia
1.54-mile oval
24 degree banking

MARCOS AT ATLANTA:

Sprint Cup Series Starts: Two
Best Sprint Cup Qualifying: 34th (2009)
Best Sprint Cup Finish: 29th (2008)

Overall NASCAR Starts: Five (One Truck, Two Nationwide, Two Sprint Cup)
Best Overall NASCAR Qualifying: 12th (2006 Truck)
Best Overall NASCAR Finish: 20th (2008 Nationwide)

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE

Pep Boys Auto 500 Same Day Replay
Monday 7 September 2009
FOX Sports 1
10:30pm AEST

Pep Boys Auto 500 with Intro from Marcos Ambrose
Tuesday 8 September 2009
ONE
10:00pm AEST

Please check local television guides to confirm times and see scheduled replays.

Ambrose dominated the race, leading 60 of the 76 laps in today’s race, but then the rain came and continual yellow flag periods prevented Ambrose from keeping his lead.

Ambrose just could not shake Carl Edwards (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images)

“I’m jinxed around this joint, I’ll tell you now. I mean, we had 15,000 restarts and got away with them all,” said Ambrose.

This let Carl Edwards get close enough to pressure Ambrose into a small mistake at the final corner of the race, allow Carl Edwards to pass and beat Ambrose to the chequered flag.

“I just made a mistake at the end there and lost the race,” said Ambrose.

“Any other lap, any other corner, I would have got it straight back.”

RESULTS: NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Race 25 of 35 in the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series
1. #60 Carl Edwards 76 laps
2. #47 Marcos Ambrose
3. #11 Andrew Ranger
4. #32 Jacques Villeneuve
5. #88 Brad Keselowski
6. #34 Tony Raines
7. #23 Jean Francois Dumoulin
8. #29 Stephen Leicht
9. #62 Brendan Gaughan
10. #18 Kyle Busch

RESULTS: Nationwide Qualifying
1. #47 Marcos Ambrose 2:00.542
2. #60 Carl Edwards 2:01.728
3. #5 Ron Fellows 2:02.338
4. #09 Boris Said 2:03.601
5. #20 Brad Coleman 2:03.703
6. #32 Jacques Villeneuve 2:03.725
7. #10 Justin Marks 2:04.572
8. #86 Antonio Perez 2:04.613
9. #11 Andrew Ranger 2:04.620
10. #98 Paul Menard 2:04.701

THE RACE:

NAPA Auto Parts 200
First race staged in 2007
74 laps (200 miles/321.9 kilometres)

FORM GUIDE:

2008 Nationwide Race Winner: Ron Fellows
2008 Nationwde Polesitter: Scott Pruett

THE TRACK:

Circuit Giles Villeneuve

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Canada
2.71-mile temporary road course
15 corners

MARCOS AT MONTREAL:

Overall NASCAR Starts: Two (Both Nationwide)
Best NASCAR Qualifying: Third (2008)
Best NASCAR Finish: Third (2008)

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE

Nationwide – NAPA Auto Parts 200
Tuesday 1 September 2009
ONE
4:00pm AEST

Please check local television guides to confirm times and see scheduled replays.