This weekend sees a return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, with Marcos Ambrose looking for a top result in the Emory Healthcare 500, set to be held on the high-speed oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway.Ambrose, who celebrated his 34th birthday during the week, is recharged after his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend off, even though battery and suspension issues drained his efforts during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.
While Ambrose is not in contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup end-of-season Chase, the Australian has nothing to lose heading into the 25th race on the 36 event calendar.
“Of course, Sunday’s Nationwide race was a heartbreaker because we had the fastest car, but you have to move on and focus on what lies ahead and let go of the past,” said Marcos Ambrose.
“Now, we’ve got the Cup race at Atlanta at our fingertips and that’s what we are really focused on right now.”
Ambrose has four Cup races under his belt at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In March, he finished in 11th-place and is optimistic about the 325-lap race under the lights.
“We had a good run there earlier this year, Atlanta has not been kind to us over the years, but we came close to a top-10 finish earlier this year,” said Ambrose.
“That gives us hope; we’ll see how this weekend goes.”
There are 12 races remaining on the 2010 schedule and Ambrose finished 20th in the most recent event at Bristol Motor Speedway.
His goal this weekend is to leave Atlanta with at least a top-10 finish after completing 500.5 miles.
“Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the toughest mile-and-a-half tracks we go to on the Cup circuit,” Ambrose said.
“The surface is older, it’s bumpy and your car can slide around a lot, the place definitely has a lot of character.”
Before each race, Ambrose usually has an outdoor adventure, but this time around he may stay indoors to check out his favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, who take on the Florida Marlins.
“I love the Atlanta Braves,” Ambrose said.
“I keep a watch on them and Aussie pitcher Peter Moylan.
“Peter, Tommy Hanson and Kris Medlen came out and watched me race last year at Atlanta.
“It’s a shame they are not playing at Turner Field this weekend because I would have liked to watch them play the Marlins.
“I wish the team the best of luck.”
This weekend’s race will be broadcast in Australia on Fox Sports 1 from 9:00am AEST on Monday, with replays hosted by Marcos Ambrose on ONE HD from Tuesday night, check your local guides for broadcast details.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Preview
Atlanta Motor Speedway- Emory Healthcare 500
Track Distance: 1.54 miles/2.48km
Track Type: Intermediate Quad-Oval
Crowd Capacity: 124,000
Last time at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Kobalt Tools 500- Kurt Busch
Marcos Ambrose finishing position- 11th
Other Marcos Ambrose Results at Atlanta Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2009 (2): 23rd
2009 (1): 38th (mechanical)
2008 (2): 29th
NASCAR Nationwide Series
2008: 11th
2007: 27th
NASCAR Truck Series
2006: 16th
NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings (after race 24 of 36)
1. Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet)- 3521 points
2. Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)- 3242
3. Kyle Busch (Toyota)- 3170
4. Carl Edwards (Ford)- 3113
5. Denny Hamlin (Toyota)- 3108
6. Tony Stewart (Chevrolet)- 3107
7. Jeff Burton (Chevrolet)- 3101
8. Matt Kenseth (Ford)- 3095
9. Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)- 3077
10. Kurt Busch (Dodge)- 3073
11. Greg Biffle (Ford)- 3055
12. Clint Bowyer (Chevrolet)- 2920
26. Marcos Ambrose (Toyota)- 2276
Australian TV Guide
Check local guides for regional viewing times
Happy Hour Practice
One HD- Sunday September 5th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Qualifying
One HD- Sunday September 5th, 11:15pm – Monday September 6th, 12:30am
Race Live
Fox Sports 1 (Plus Fox Sports 1HD)- Monday September 6th, 9:30am – 1:30pm
Race Replays
Fox Sports 1 (Plus Fox Sports 1HD)- Tuesday September 7th, 12:30am – 2:30am
One HD (Hosted by Marcos Ambrose)- Tuesday September 7th, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
One HD (Hosted by Marcos Ambrose)- Thursday September 9th, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
For further information on Marcos Ambrose, visit www.marcosambrose.com.au.
