OzRacingWrap

Marcos Ambrose posted a strong performance to register his ninth top-ten finish of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season today, with a ninth place result in the AAA 400 from the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware.

Running within the top-ten for the majority of the race, Ambrose's Stanley Ford Fusion proved to be at its best on the long green flag stints, highlighted by a successful pass for position on new championship leader Kevin Harvick on the 400th and final lap of the race.

The result moves the Australian two positions further up the points ladder to sit in 21st after 29 events.

"We've been bashed up pretty good the last month, so it's just good to come back with a solid day," Ambrose said.

"We should have finished better than ninth, but we played it safe there and took four tyres at the end.

"I'm proud of the team, they've stood by me after a tough month and I'm looking forward to getting to Kansas."

After qualifying in 12th position, the race was barely started when the caution flags waved on lap five, with Denny Hamlin sending A.J. Allmendinger into a half spin at turn three.

A caution for rain was followed by a competition yellow on lap 40, with Ambrose sitting in 13th.

With some cars only taking on two tyres, Ambrose restarted the race from 20th position after taking a full compliment of four new Goodyears.

From the restart, Ambrose had the quickest car on the track for much of the next segment, driving his way up to eighth before making a green flag stop.

The next caution flew on lap 136 when Casey Mears struck trouble, with Ambrose still holding down ninth position when a caution for debris flew on lap 174.

The yellows flashed once again at the restart when Bobby Labonte slapped the wall on the inside of the back stretch, which was followed by a long stint of green flag racing.

After stopping under green flag conditions on lap 247, the skies opened once again, slowing the field on lap 256.

Restarting from eighth, Ambrose then went on a charge up the leader board, racing up to fourth before J.J. Yeley brought out the eighth caution of the day on lap 300.

From fifth position at the restart, Ambrose held station until Mike Bliss crashed with 48 laps remaining, with the Richard Petty Motorsports crew fitting four tyres where others opted for only two at the concluding service.

Restarting from 11th, Ambrose made it up to ninth before Greg Biffle crashed on lap 362, slowing the race for the final time.

Ambrose dropped back to 11th at the green flag, but picked off Brian Vickers, and finally Kevin Harvick on the last lap to be classified ninth.

The race was won by Kurt Busch over Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards.

Next week the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup continues with the running of the Hollywood Casino 400 from the one-and-a-half mile long Kansas Speedway.

AAA 400 Review

Race Results

1. Kurt Busch (Dodge)

2. Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)

3. Carl Edwards (Ford)

4. Kasey Kahne (Toyota)

5. Matt Kenseth (Ford)

6. Kyle Busch (Toyota)

7. A.J. Allmendinger (Ford)

8. Clint Bowyer (Chevrolet)

9. Marcos Ambrose (Ford)

10. Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings (After race 29 of 36)

1. Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet)- 2122 points

2. Carl Edwards (Ford)- 2122

3. Tony Stewart (Chevrolet)- 2113

4. Kurt Busch (Dodge)- 2113

5. Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)- 2109

6. Brad Keselowski (Dodge) - 2109

7. Matt Kenseth (Ford)- 2108

8. Kyle Busch (Toyota)- 2107

9. Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)- 2103

10. Dale Earnhardt Jnr (Chevrolet)- 2088

21. Marcos Ambrose (Ford)- 747