With time running out to make the Chase, a victory this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway would go a long way to help solidify Marcos Ambrose’s chance for a wild-card spot. With a win at Watkins Glen and two top-five finishes at Michigan and Bristol, Ambrose needs a victory this weekend to cap off what has already been an impressive month for Richard Petty Motorsports and the No.9 team.
Kasey Kahne still maintains the first wild-card position by virtue of his two wins, and heading into Atlanta Ambrose is 28 points out from clinching the second wild-card spot among drivers with one win this season.
Coming off of his third-consecutive top-five finish in Bristol last weekend, Ambrose has momentum on his side as he will make his seventh career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Australian native has two top-15 finishes at Atlanta. His best finish (10th) came in 2010 and his best start (11th) came in 2009. He has completed 1,816 of 1,971 laps attempted at the Georgia track. Ambrose enters this weekend’s 500-mile race in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.
Don’t forget to Tune into Sirius XM Radio on Channel 90, Friday, at 10 a.m. ET for the Morning Drive with Pete Pistone and Mike Bagley to listen to Marcos talk about his wild-card chances and this weekend’s race at Atlanta.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCOS: Saturday Marcos will turn 36-years-old. If you see him in Atlanta this weekend, don’t forget to wish him a very Happy Birthday!
Marcos Ambrose’s Thoughts on Racing at Atlanta: “I’m trying my hardest to get a wild-card spot in the Chase. It’s been great to have two top-fives in two weeks, but we need another win to have a shot. My whole No. 9 team and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports have been working really hard to give me the equipment I need to go out and win, and we just need to put ourselves in position at the end of the race to do so. We’ve only got two more chances to secure a spot, so these next two weeks are going to be crucial. I’m going to drive my hardest this weekend and hope that we see the DEWALT Ford in Victory Lane at the end of the night on Sunday.”
Comments from Crew Chief Todd Parrott on Going to Atlanta: “Atlanta is a track that is very fast. We start the race early in the evening and race late into the night, so the track temperature will change throughout the event. At Atlanta there are multiple racing grooves, so as the track conditions change, Marcos can move around to help the car’s handling. The biggest thing we’ll need this weekend is to have a good balanced DEWALT car with a lot of downforce and a lot of motor.
“We’ve had a great month of August with a win at ‘The Glen’, and we had a solid run in Bristol last weekend. We’ve got a good bit of momentum going into Atlanta and I’m feeling confident we are going to have another good run this weekend. We need a win to make the Chase and that will be our main focus on Sunday night.”
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