Marcos Ambrose has one more chance to make his way into the Chase for the Sprint Cup via the wild-card bid this weekend. Ambrose needs a victory on Saturday night if he wants to keep his Chase hopes alive and that is exactly what he and the Mac Tools crew are looking for at Richmond International Raceway.
If Ambrose were to win he would be mathematically eligible for the second wild-card sport in the Chase. Ambrose is vying for a second win this with Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman. If Ambrose does not win he would be eligible if Tony Stewart remains in the top 10 or if Kasey Kahne supplants Stewart in the top 10 and Ambrose finishes 41 points ahead of Busch and 29 points ahead of Gordon. Kahne is the only driver with two wins, guaranteeing him the first wild-card spot.
Ambrose will make his eighth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Richmond International Raceway. The Australian native has two top-10 finishes at Richmond. His best finish (fifth) and his best start (13th) came in 2010. He has completed 2,795 of 2,800 laps attempted at the Virginia track. Ambrose enters this weekend’s 300-mile race in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.
Ambrose’s car will have a different look this weekend as Mac Tools will return as the primary partner of the No. 9 Ford Fusion.
Marcos Ambrose’s Thoughts on Racing at Richmond: “We had a rough weekend in Atlanta and we can’t let that get us down. We’ve got to stay on your game and keep moving forward. This weekend’s race at Richmond is huge for us, and we have a lot at stake. We have ourselves in a position to make the Chase if we can pull off a win this weekend, and we really have to deliver on that. You never know what’s around the corner, but we are hoping this weekend it’s a trip to Victory Lane in our Mac Tools Ford.”
Comments from Crew Chief Todd Parrott on Going to Richmond: “Our No.1 goal this weekend is to go out and win. Anything less isn’t going to be acceptable when we are trying to get a wild-card position in the Chase. This is our last chance to make it in, and we are going to do everything in our power to do so. The entire team has worked really hard to give Marcos a fast Mac Tools Ford at Richmond. We are just going to have to wait and see how everything plays out this weekend.
“We didn’t run all that well at Richmond in the spring race this year, but I feel like we have learned a few things on the short tracks that will help our performance this weekend. I’m going into Richmond with positive thoughts.
“We’re going to need to have a good setup in the Mac Tools Ford this weekend, one that gets into the corner without getting loose in and turns in the middle well with good drive off the corner. The biggest challenge at Richmond is fighting a car that is loose in, tight in the center and loose off. We’re just going to have to work on having a car that is very balanced this weekend.”
RPM
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