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AUSTRALIAN ON THE MOVE

NASCAR-literate reader Reese emails:

Six months after hearing about him for the first time, I watched Australian Marcos Ambrose perform well on ESPN in the next level above NASCAR Craftsman Trucks: the Busch Grand Nationals. He finished 16th in the Orbitz Daytona 300.

Just finishing this race is quite the accomplishment, especially on the lead lap. Considering there were over 20 “Cup” double duty racers in a field of 43, congratulations to Aussie star Ambrose!

Bring on the road courses. Hey, how was that finish to the 500? Do drivers score extra points for finishing the race upside down and on fire?

Posted by Tim B. on 02/19/2007 at 09:18 AM

  1. I don’t want to talk about it…choke, sob…the US Army sponsored car finished second by .20 seconds.

    Posted by Major John on 2007 02 19 at 10:30 AM • permalink

  2. Have you seen his “Kangaroo Meat” NASCAR ad?  Where all the other drivers’ merchandise teases him?

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 02 19 at 11:14 AM • permalink

  3. Major John—yeah.  Word in the pits was it was handicapped by a “slow bleed” in one tire…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 02 19 at 11:16 AM • permalink

  4. Do drivers score extra points for finishing the race upside down and on fire?

    No, but by god, they should.

    Posted by Mark V. on 2007 02 19 at 11:18 AM • permalink

  5. Actually, I think it was .02 seconds.  I culd swear I heard them say two hundredths of a second.

    Posted by Mark V. on 2007 02 19 at 11:19 AM • permalink

  6. Yep, it was .02 seconds. Less than the length of the front quarter-panel.

    I’m not a NASCAR fan, but I watch the Daytona 500. And I’m sufficiently knowledgable to know that Mark Martin is a great guy and it was disappointing to see him finish second. But the winner is apparently a class guy, too.

    Now that Tony Stewart fellow - geez, does he wear a Nomex skirt? All I ever saw on Sportscenter last year was him cryin’ and whinin’ about something or other.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2007 02 19 at 12:08 PM • permalink

  7. Better bitching on ESPN than trying to reprise old “destruction derby” episodes which he did for a good part of the second half of the season. Should have been fined or banned for some of his conduct last year.

    Was it just me or did it look like ESPN dumped Fowler and Musberger into a foreign “nation” without a passport?

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 19 at 12:42 PM • permalink

  8. Brent Musberger seems like he’s in a foreign nation when he’s covering American football games.

    I saw Marcos Ambrose put in a couple of dominating performances in the V-8 Supercars races I saw on cable TV, and was rather pleasantly surprised to read that he’d signed up for NASCAR before last season. At the beginning of the Craftsman Truck season it looked like his decision might’ve been a mistake, as he had a difficult time, crashing out of several events. He is certainly a quick study though: by midway through the season he was plenty competitive, with 2 polls and 2 third place finishes to his credit.

    Bring on the road courses.

    The March 4th event at Mexico City ought to be more what he’s accustomed to, but he’ll have plenty of company. Several of the NASCAR Nextel Cup regulars are accomplished road racers, plus, they’ll have the usual “road course ringers” Boris Said, Ron Fellows and Scott Pruett. On top of that, several Mexican road racers and Champ Car drivers will be there, and I assume Juan Pablo Montoya will be also.

    The race held at that venue last year was competitive and highly entertaining. Good luck to Marcos. It should be fun.

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 02 19 at 02:03 PM • permalink

  9. It appeared like Fowler had to ask Rusty Wallace what he had to say in order to look like he knew something about NASCAR. 

    I enjoyed the Mexico City race last year.  It would help if more of the Latin drivers in that race do better this year.  As a group, their performance wasn’t too good.

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 19 at 02:43 PM • permalink

  10. Here’s the finish to this year’s race (courtesy of youtube).  Compare it to the famous 1979 race here (also youtube).

    I wasn’t really watching the race, but my wife had it on and was actively rooting against Mark Martin-despite the fact that he drives the U.S. Army car-because apparently he is a big-time Democrat.

    Hey Tim, my house is almost equidistant between Bristol and Charlotte (less than 100 miles either way).  If you want to come see a truck race with Ambrose, we’d be happy to put you up (course you’d have to take me to the race).

    Posted by 68W40 on 2007 02 19 at 02:52 PM • permalink

  11. Hmm-I swear it was there a minute ago.  Well, you can still see the video at ESPN.

    Posted by 68W40 on 2007 02 19 at 03:01 PM • permalink

  12. It would appear that Ambrose will also step up and run Nextel at Sonoma in June and Watkins Glen in August.

    That would be in the #47 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia Ford.  Y’all better start drinking a great deal of wine down there.

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 19 at 03:06 PM • permalink

  13. #3…so that was Jack Murtha ambling away with pen-knife clutcheds in his hands!

    Posted by Major John on 2007 02 19 at 03:07 PM • permalink

  14. .02 seconds?!...now I feel even worse.

    Posted by Major John on 2007 02 19 at 03:10 PM • permalink

  15. #10 Ambrose left the truck series.  He will run Busch for Wood Brothers this year along with two Nextel Cup races.  Stacy Compton has taken over the Ambrose ride in the NCTS.

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 19 at 03:43 PM • permalink

  16. Hey, how was that finish to the 500? Do drivers score extra points for finishing the race upside down and on fire?

    Prolly not from their crews.

    However, the sponsors would appreciate the spectacle.

    Posted by kae on 2007 02 19 at 05:35 PM • permalink

  17. Maybe Maaco collision shops should get their sponsor sticker on the underside of the cars. Just in case.

    “Uh, oh, better get Maaco!” would have looked awesome on the undercarriage as he slid across.

    Posted by Dave S. on 2007 02 19 at 07:44 PM • permalink

  18. Once again, I get bored watching a major sporting event, so turn off ... just before the most exciting since whenever happens.

    Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 02 19 at 08:31 PM • permalink

  19. “NASCAR literate…” 

    There is either high praise or a veiled slight in that phrase.

    Posted by reese on 2007 02 19 at 09:26 PM • permalink

  20. My money is on high praise.  Many here do not make a “veiled slight” when they see NASCAR and literate in the same sentence.

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 19 at 09:37 PM • permalink

  21. Do drivers score extra points for finishing the race upside down and on fire?

    Well, no, but it scores a lot of points with the fans!

    I was hoping Martin would get the win. He’s a class guy, even though he drove that off-brand car for years. Seeing him win his first 500 in a real car would have been nice.

    Posted by rinardman on 2007 02 19 at 11:56 PM • permalink

  22. Extra points: Yes, the full 10 points for STYLE, baby!

    Posted by mojo on 2007 02 20 at 12:39 PM • permalink

  23. 25 days and nine hours to F1.  Just sayin’

    Posted by yojimbo on 2007 02 20 at 01:46 PM • permalink

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