Carfax 400

MARCOS AMBROSE POSTS ANOTHER TOP-15 FINISH AT MICHIGAN

BROOKLYN, MI — Marcos Ambrose matched his best Michigan International Speedway finish when he crossed the finish line 15th in his No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota Camry Sunday afternoon.

"We hung in and around the top-15 all day," Ambrose said. "We didn't qualify well, but we were able to drive our way up into the top-15 and we ran in the top five for a few laps.

“We started off tight in the center and loose off,” continued Ambrose. “When we had a bit of cloud cover, we were tight center off. The crew made some air pressure adjustments, which seemed to help. A little over halfway we were really free. With about 35 to go, we were tight in the middle before we took two tires. All in all, we had a respectable finish and look forward to Bristol Motor Speedway this week."

Once the 200-lap event was underway, the Australian driver took off from the 37th starting position as polesitter Kasey Kahne led the field. At lap 10, Ambrose gave his first report to crew chief Frank Kerr communicating that he was tight in the center and loose off the corners. Still, Ambrose marched his way forward and entered the top-20 by the time the first caution of the race came out at lap 31 for oil on the track.

On pit road a few laps later, the JTG Daugherty Racing pit crew made an air pressure adjustment and bolted on four fresh Goodyear tires. The No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota restarted 21st.

Precipitation caused the next caution at lap 59. Ambrose had positioned his Camry in the 17th spot before heading to pit road again for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. Ambrose continued his top-20 run. On lap 90, he was passing Joey Logano for 15th place.

While Tony Stewart was the leader at the halfway mark, Ambrose was back on pit road for four fresh tires under green.

“The car was really free at that point,” said Ambrose, who also pitted for four tires and minor adjustments at lap 137.

Keeping inside the top-15, Ambrose told Kerr that his machine was pushing the center. At lap 147, an incident involving Logano and Ryan Newman in Turn 4 brought out the caution flag. Kerr called Ambrose back in for only two fresh tires this time. Restarting 13th, Ambrose was sliding the front a little. The team addressed his handling issues and changed four tires under yellow at lap 156. When the green flag waved again at lap 159, Ambrose was 19th.

A caution for debris at lap 167, gave the JTG Daugherty Racing team one more chance to make a routine pit stop. This time, Kerr called for only two tires giving Ambrose great track position. Taking the green flag in eighth place, Ambrose took over fifth place two laps later. He stayed in the top-five for a couple laps.

Then he maintained a top-10 run until lap 180. With 15 laps to go, Ambrose had slipped outside the top-10, but was holding on to a top-15 position. Ambrose would cross the finish line 15th in race number 23 of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Kevin Harvick led 60 laps and won the Carfax 400. Denny Hamlin, who won the race in June, finished second. Carl Edwards was third, Greg Biffle was fourth and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Courtesy Jennifer Chapple, JTG Daugherty Racing

Carfax 400 Results:
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Carl Edwards
4. Greg Biffle
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Tony Stewart
7. Juan Pablo Montoya
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Elliott Sadler
10. Joey Logano

Next Race — Irwin Tools Night Race:
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
Time: Saturday, August 21, 2010
Network & Time: ABC Television, 7:30 p.m. / PRN Radio, 6:30 p.m.
All Times Eastern

2010 Point Standings:
1. Kevin Harvick — 3585
2. Jeff Gordon — 3366
3. Kyle Busch — 3325
4. Tony Stewart — 3302
5. Carl Edwards — 3288
6. Jeff Burton — 3261
7. Jimmie Johnson — 3247
8. Kurt Busch — 3228
9. Matt Kenseth — 3225
10. Denny Hamlin — 3147
11. Greg Biffle — 3110
12. Clint Bowyer — 3066
25. M. Ambrose — 2410