AMBROSE QUITS JTG DAUGHERTY: NASCAR FUTURE UNCERTAIN

The NASCAR future of Australian Marcos Ambrose is up in the air after the announcement that the Tasmanian will leave JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. “It has been a great five year journey for me and JTG Daugherty Racing,” Marcos Ambrose said. “I am proud of being their driver and of what we have been able to accomplish together. " Ambrose said that the decision to leave had been his as “After five years, I personally felt it was time for a change. Ambrose said that he had no firm plans for next year and has not ruled out a return to Australia and V8 Supercar competition. “I would like to continue in NASCAR and finish off what I started, but I have not discounted returning to Australia.

DAYTONA NASCAR LIVE DOWN UNDER THIS SUNDAY

WHY MARCOS? ‘CAUSE HE’S AN AUSSIE, THAT’S WHY

It's been described as one of the worst mistakes in NASCAR history, In Australia it has prompted comparisons with Greg Norman's finest choking efforts. What Roy & HG will make of it I can't wait to find out. Yes our DNF Maestro Mark Webber has nothing on this one. Just as he looked set for his long awaited NASCAR Sprint Cup maiden victory, Marcos Ambrose blew the biggest win of his career by stalling his car during a safety car period. Called on to save fuel Ambrose coasted down hill with the engine off, but when he couldn't get the Toyota to restart, it was back to eighth place on the restart and a win for Jimmie Johnson. (As if he needs any more)

KAHNE ON POLE AS AMBROSE STARTS SIXTH

Kasey Kahne has put his Ford on pole for this weekend's NASCAR Road race at Sonoma. Kahne outpaced defending champion Jimmie Johnson in a Chev and Kurt Bush in a Dodge in third. Australian driver Marcos Ambrose, who had set the fastest time in practice, fell back to sixth place. Fellow road circuit specialist Juan Pablo Montoya will start back in 14th place just ahead of AJ Allmendinger, Robby Gordon and Boris Said. GT racer Jan Magnussen will start in 32nd with DTM star Mattias Ekstrom back in position 38.

AMBROSE ON TOP IN NASCAR PRACTICE. KELLY SHINES ON DEBUT

Marcos Ambrose has made the early running in this weekend's NASCAR Road Course race at Infinion Raceway, Sonoma. Ambrose took his Toyota to a fastest lap time of 76.375 at 93.800 MPH to edge out the Chevys of Clint Boyer and Ryan Newman. GT driver Jan Magnussen was off the early pace back in 26th place. DTM star Mattias Ekstrom also found his first taste of US stockcars quite a challenge ending the day in 40th place. Meanwhile in the Nationwide Cup at the spectacular Road America circuit, Aussie NASCAR debutante Owen Kelly has done well finishing the day in sixth position. Fastest time at Road America went to former Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. The Nationwide race from Road America can be seen in Australia on ONE HD early Monday morning, with a delayed telecast of Sprint Cup action also on ONE Tuesday night at 8.30 p.m.

KYLE BUMPS JEFF AT RICHMOND

BRISCOE TOPS WEBBER IN WORLD DRIVER “RANKINGS”

Indy Racing League driver Ryan Briscoe has topped Formula One star Mark Webber and 2009 Le Mans and ALMS winner David Brabham to be the top  ranked Australian driver in a new world driver ranking system. The Castrol Driver Ranking System claims to fairly compare drivers across a number of different race series and styles. The rankings analyse performances over 50 major National and International racing series, points are awarded based on a bewildering formula based on results from qualifying, racing and fastest laps. Events and series are also given a rating based on the number of rounds and the "importance" of the event or series. The rankings were revealed at the Autosport International Show in Great Britain by former F1 driver David Coulthard.

BUSCH WINS BRISTOL AS AMBROSE STARS

Kyle Busch made a statement Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. So did polesitter Mark Martin, who pressured Busch to the finish line of the Sharpie 500 during a four-lap run to the checkered flag but couldn’t make the pass for the win. But it was Australian Marcos Ambrose who had all the attention with his third place, the Tasmanian's best ever finish on an oval. Ambrose rated the third place finish at the daunting Bristol Motor Speedway as the most satisfying result of his NASCAR career to date. Ambrose started from 25th place in the 43-car field and never dropped lower than that position in his charge towards the front aboard his Clorox-backed #47 entry, exhibiting strong car speed all night in the 500-lap race.

KASEY KAHNES THEM AT SONOMA

How strange was it for Kasey Kahne to win a road-course race? The driver of the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge had to ask his crew chief for directions to victory lane after taking the checkered flag in a green-white-checkered finish in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Kahne held off road-course ace Tony Stewart through a succession of four late-race double-file restarts, the final time after Scott Speed’s spin on Lap 108 caused the seventh caution of the day. After starting from the rear because of an engine change, Marcos Ambrose chased the top two finishers to the line to claim third place, matching the best result of his Sprint Cup Series career. “Awesome—not too bad for a dirt-tracker from Washington!” Kenny Francis, Kahne’s crew chief, radioed after his driver crossed the stripe on Lap 113, three laps beyond the scheduled distance at the 1.99-mile road course. “Unreal,” replied Kahne, who gave owner Richard Petty his first victory since John Andretti in 1999. “Gosh, we had to hold him (Stewart) off for a while. We won a road-course race! Oh, my God, I can’t believe this.” Jimmie Johnson recovered from a pit-road speeding penalty to finish fourth. Denny Hamlin, who led 33 laps—second only to Kahne’s 37—came home fifth. Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon and Elliott Sadler completed the top 10....

WHINCUP GOING GLOBAL ?

Jamie Whincup  is well on his way to becoming a modern great of Australian Motorsport. He currently sits 12th on the all time round winners list, and if his current form continues he may jump to 7th by seasons end. If that occurs only the likes of Brock, Skaife, Lowndes and Co. stand in front of him.  So far in 2009, he has proven to be fast, precise and virtually mistake free. If you trace his results back to Bathurst last year, Whincup has won 14 out of 17 championship races contested, a winning percentage of over 80%. While domination isn't exactly a new concept to motorsport, V8 Supercars Australia had invested in a variety of changes to prevent the curse of predictability.  After the Holden Racing Team's domination of the mid 90's, Project Blueprint and a raft of format and championship points changes were implemented. Yet in the face of this, Team Vodafone and Whincup have been in a league of their own.  Not even his much fancied teammate Craig Lowndes has been able to keep up with the 26year old. In fact Whincup has proven to be the only teammate to consistently outpace Lowndes for over two seasons and with both Team Vodafone drivers out of contract at years end, Lowndes may be the only one feeling any pressure to perform.  But for Whincup, V8 Supercars may not be his only choice...