TEAM REPORTS (FONTANA, CA.) - AMBROSE KEEN TO PUT DAYTONA DISAPPOINTMENT BEHIND HIM

Marcos Ambrose is determined to get his season moving in the right direction after a luckless start when the Australian races in the Stater Brothers 300 at California Speedway in Fontana, California this weekend.

A cut tyre sparked a series of unscheduled pit stops for the Australian at the opening race of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, resulting in Ambrose being classified in 39th place.

This weekend at the 2.0-mile California Speedway, Ambrose is focussed on putting Daytona behind him and showing the true potential of JTG Racing’s #59 team.

Ambrose finished 25th in the February event at the Fontana, California venue last season and then improved to finish 13th at California in September, when temperatures were around the 100 degrees Fahrenheit mark.

Ambrose’s JTG Racing team-mate Kelly Bires turned in a strong performance in the season opener at Daytona last weekend, finishing 12th in the #47 Clorox Ford Fusion and showing the potential of the JTG Racing team in 2008.

Marcos Ambrose – #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion

“I can’t wait to get over to California and get out there in the Kingsford car,” said Ambrose

“Daytona was very disappointing for us. I was very keen to get the season off to a solid start but things didn’t go our way.

“From the moment I got out of the car I started thinking about California. The best way to put a bad result behind you is to turn things around with a strong result, so California could not come soon enough. That’s the beauty of racing every week I guess.

“California is a big, fast track and one where it’s very important to have your car working well through the corner. I think we can run well there. We’ve improved our cars over the off-season and this will be a good test of where we are at with our development.

“One thing is for sure, it will not be as hot as last time we were there last September.