[ARTICLE=Ambrose: Shootout entry an advantage]

Wednesday 15th February, 2012 Author: SpeedCafe ©



Marcos Ambrose with 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne

Australian NASCAR Sprint Cup star Marcos Ambrose says that racing in this weekend’s Bud Shootout for the first time will provide a boost to his Daytona 500 campaign.

This year will mark Ambrose’s first start in the invite-only non-points event. The entry criteria has been opened up this year to include every driver that finished in the top 25 of last year’s Sprint Cup Series, in addition to previous winners of the Daytona 500, Daytona 400 and Bud Shootout.

The format for the race itself has been changed this year too, with a 25 and a 50 lap segment to be separated by a 10 minute pitstop in which crews can change tyres and fuel, in addition to making chassis adjustments.

Ambrose says he can’t wait to start the race aboard his Richard Petty Motorsport Ford.

“I’ve had to watch it from the sidelines for the past couple of years and was very jealous of all the guys that got to run in it,” said Ambrose.

“I think it is going to give me and my team an advantage having a race before the Duels and the Daytona 500. It’s going to give us a chance to get more comfortable and stay on the same page as the rest of the cars racing in the Shootout.

“I’ve got a chance to win it, so I’m very excited. It will be interesting to see how the drafting works with the new rules. It’s going to give us all a chance to really see it. It’s just going to be a fun all around race and I’m really looking forward to it.”

This year, Ambrose will also start the season’s other invitational non-points event – the All-Star race at Charlotte – for the first time, courtesy of having won a race during the 2011 season.

Bud Shootout entry list

# Driver Car Sponsor
1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats
2 Brad Keselowski Dodge Miller Lite
5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet Farmers Insurance
9 Marcos Ambrose Ford Stanley
11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express
14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Mobil 1 / Office Depot
15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 5-Hour Energy
16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M
17 Matt Kenseth Ford Best Buy
18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s
20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot
22 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Shell / Pennzoil
24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
27 Paul Menard Chevrolet Peak / Menards
29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Budweiser
31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar
34 David Ragan Ford MHP Power Pak Pudding
39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Wix Filters
42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target
48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s
51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet Tag Heuer Avante-Garde
55 Michael Waltrip Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine
56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew
99 Carl Edwards Ford Fastenal
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