Aaron's 499 Report

AMBROSE'S FOURTH PLACE FINISH AT TALLADEGA EARNS HIM A TOP 20 SPOT IN POINT STANDINGS 

TALLADEGA, AL — Marcos Ambrose avoided a spectacular crash on the final lap of the Aaron’s 499 to finish fourth in his No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon. Ambrose’s first top-five finish of the season catapulted his JTG-Daugherty Racing team seven positions in the owner point standings to 19th-place.

“We had a really good points day and everyone did an awesome job,” Ambrose said. “But, man that was a wild finish and it was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen coming across the finish line looking at a car (Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Aflac entry) upside down like that. We fortunately escaped and were able to bring home our first top-five finish this year. I made three good choices today to get up there and we were able to capitalize in the end.”

Ambrose scored his fourth place finish during the dramatic final lap. Approaching the finish line, Carl Edwards’ No. 99 car launched into air and hit the fence after contact was made with Brad Keselowski - who had drafted with him to take the lead from Ryan Newman.

“I’m just glad everyone is alright,” Ambrose said. “This is crazy racing, it really is. It’s insanity on four wheels.”

Indeed things happen quickly at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Ambrose noted so only seven laps into the race. Contact made between Matt Kenseth's and Jeff Gordon’s cars set off a synchronized spin and wreck of 14 cars. Luckily, since Ambrose started 34th, he had time to react and escape the mêlée without hitting anything.

“We didn’t hit anyone, but we spun out trying not to,” Ambrose said.

Crew chief Frank Kerr radioed the team to have everything ready in case there was damage to the No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota. Ambrose thought the splitter was bent somewhat after he spun.

“I was trying to avoid the wreck,” Ambrose said. “It was a comedy act really, but we were okay.”

The JTG Daugherty Racing crew went to work on the Little Debbie® Toyota on Lap 9 to change four tires, add fuel and make sure the car was in good shape. Ambrose restarted in 11th place five laps later. On Lap 20, he drifted back and awaited his next pit stop that came at Lap 30 for four fresh tires and a chassis adjustment.

He took the green flag again on Lap 34 and was in 16th place. Riding around comfortably, Ambrose was just waiting for the right time to make his charge to the front. On Lap 42, Ambrose did a great job of keeping control of his car as Michael Waltrip’s No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota slid across his nose and went spinning around in the tri-oval.

Ambrose came in for the team to check for damage on Lap 43. They changed right-side tires and made a small repair. Ambrose returned to the track in 21st place for the restart.

On Lap 61 under caution, Ambrose was back on pit road for right-side tires again and a chassis adjustment. He was then in ninth place coming to the green four laps later.

Martin Truex Jr. led the way, and by Lap 67 Ambrose was running fifth. Six laps later, Ambrose found himself tightly packed in the middle and shuffled back to 19th by the next lap.

His next yellow flag pit stop at Lap 85 gave the team a chance to make sure Ambrose’s fenders were not bent and they also changed four tires. Restarting 18th at Lap 88, Ambrose hung out in the top 20.

Another caution at Lap 123 allowed the No. 47 team to change four tires. On Ambrose's next stop under caution at Lap 147, Crew Chief Kerr called for two tires only. The No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota restarted 15th.

Things started to heat up with 20 laps to go. Leading since Lap 154, Kyle Busch spun in Turn 4 on Lap 171 after Jeff Burton’s car made contact with his. Ambrose was in sixth place on the restart at Lap 175 with Matt Kenseth in the lead, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second, Jeff Burton in third, Kurt Busch in fourth and Joey Logano in fifth. With nine laps to go and everyone tightly packed together, the ninth caution of the race occurred and 10 more cars were knocked out of contention.

With four laps remaining, Ambrose was seventh and Ryan Newman was leading the field by drafting with Dale Earnhardt Jr. While Newman and Dale Jr. were down on the bottom, the two cars of Edwards and Keselowski blew by them up top. As they approached the finish line, Edwards broke loose when contact was made between him in Keselowski in front of Ambrose. Edwards' car went airborne while trying to block Keselowski from his first career win. Keselowski won the event, Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Newman was collected in Edwards crash, but still finished third. Ambrose was able to escape unscathed and almost match his career-best finish (third-place at Watkins Glen in 2008) with his fourth-place effort.

“He’s the real deal,” Kerr said. “He did a great job today. He was patient and was there at the end. We had a great points day. It was good to see him do so well with our sponsors at Talladega to see it firsthand.” Contributed by Chip Warren, JTG Daugherty Racing

Aaron's 499 Results:
1. Brad Keselowski
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
3. Ryan Newman
4. Marcos Ambrose
5. Scott Speed
6. Kurt Busch
7. Greg Biffle
8. Brian Vickers
9. Joey Logano
10. Jeff Burton

2009 Point Standings:
1. Jimmie Johnson — 6248
2. Mark Martin — 6064
3. Jeff Gordon — 6056
4. Juan Montoya — 6009
5. Tony Stewart — 5969
6. Kurt Busch — 5936
7. Greg Biffle — 5908
8. Ryan Newman — 5846
9. Kasey Kahne — 5834
10. Carl Edwards — 5811
11. Denny Hamlin — 5800
12. Brian Vickers — 5692
18. M. Ambrose — 3519