Ambrose road show nets Nationwide win
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — With The King atop the pit box at Watkins Glen International, Marcos Ambrose wasn’t about to disappoint.
The aggressive Australian dueled early with Kyle Busch to fall off the pace in the NASCAR Nationwide race, then was flawless the rest of the way Saturday, holding off a hard-charging Busch to win the race for the fourth time in his past four starts.
“It’s just something special. I’m just so thrilled for the guys,” Ambrose said. “I had my tongue hanging out the whole day. There was nothing left. I tried to hold him back. Another lap and I would have been in trouble.”
Ambrose raced to three straight victories at the track (2008-2010), then missed the 2011-2013 events after failing to find a sponsor.
Ambrose’s future in NASCAR with Richard Petty Motorsports remains in doubt, and he desperately needs a victory in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race to have any chance of making the Chase for the championship.
“There’s a lot at stake, a lot of stuff going on in my mind,” Ambrose said. “If I can repeat my performance today, I’ll be happy.”
At least Ambrose will start from the front row alongside Jeff Gordon, so the catbird seat will be up for grabs as soon as the green flag waves.
“Maybe this will give him a little more incentive,” Petty said. “He’s just unreal. He’s doing his job, for dang sure.”
Joey Logano finished third, followed by Penske teammate and pole-sitter Brad Keselowski. Matt Kenseth was fifth as Sprint Cup drivers dominated on the 2.45-mile road course.
Points leader Chase Elliott finished sixth, Ty Dillon was eighth, and Regan Smith had a difficult race and came home 17th. That boosted Elliott’s lead in the standings to 12 points over Smith and 13 over Dillon and Elliott Sadler, who was seventh. Sprint Cup qualifying: Gordon shouted, “Oh, yeah boys! Yoo Hoo!” over his radio, then punched his right arm skyward when he emerged from his No. 24 Chevrolet as his resurgent season continues.
Gordon turned a fast lap of 129.466 mph to win the pole for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, edging Ambrose and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson in the second and final round of knockout qualifying.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five. AJ Allmendinger was sixth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth, Keselowski and Ryan Newman.