AMBROSE WINS BACK TO BACK V8 SUPERCAR TITLES
11/1/2005 16:01 (Press Release) -
Stone Brothers Racing’s Marcos Ambrose collected his second V8 Supercar Championship in two years when he won tonight’s opening race of the Bigpond Grand Finale at Eastern Creek in Sydney.
Ambrose became the first Ford driver since Dick Johnson in 1988-89 to win consecutive titles in his Pirtek Falcon.
Ambrose, who started from pole, only had to finish within 15 places of Greg Murphy in any of the weekend’s three races to clinch the series and the statistics were on his side when you consider that his worst result at Eastern Creek in nine previous races was 13th.
Ambrose’s SBR team mate Russell Ingall kept himself in the running for second place in the championship when he finished seventh in tonight’s 26-lap race in his Caltex Falcon.
Ambrose, who was born and bred in Tasmania, but who now lives on the Gold Coast, was relieved to notch his second title tonight and not have to wait until tomorrow’s final two 39-lap races.
It has been an anxious couple of weeks for Ambrose who was all set to clinch the title in the final race of the recent Tasmanian race, before an engine drama caused his first DNF (did not finish) in almost two years.
“I must admit that it is nice to have the title wrapped up tonight and to do it in style,” said Ambrose.
“This is a great reward for Ross and Jimmy Stone and all the team at SBR who have worked tirelessly for the last two years.
“It is also a nice way to repay Ford, Pirtek, Caltex, Bosch and all our other sponsors for their commitment.
“There is no doubt that I was able to approach this weekend a lot differently than I did last year and despite our little mishap yesterday (an opening practice crash) we managed to finish the job.
“There is no doubt that last year I was at boiling point coming into the final round, this year, by comparison, I have been as cool as a cucumber.
“It will be difficult to celebrate too long tonight with a couple of races still to come tomorrow, but I think the boys will have a good time tomorrow night.
“It will be nice to turn up here tomorrow knowing I have won the title and to go out and have some fun.
“While saying that, everyone at SBR will be as determined tomorrow as they were tonight because they want to win every race they compete in and that’s why the operation is as successful as it has been.
“I guess we will get tomorrow out of the way, have a good break over Christmas and then come back and see if we can do it again. A three-peat is definitely the goal and I cannot see any reason why we cannot achieve it.”
Tonight’s title win is another highlight in an impressive V8 Supercar record for Ambrose who is only in his fourth year in the category.
In that time he has finished with 16 poles, 19 race wins, 12 round wins and two championships.
Ingall managed to gain some ground on Murphy, who finished 13th, but lost some ground to Jason Bright, who now sits second in the championship.
Ingall is still well in the hunt for second place in the championship, despite his run being hampered today by a slow pit stop because of a jammed wheel nut.
“The car was pretty quick today, but the pit stop hurt us,” said Ingall.
“I lost several places in the pits and then had to fight my way back through the field.
“I think we had the car to be fighting for a podium position, but that’s the way things go some times.
“We have not given up the fight and will be going at it as hard as possible tomorrow.”
RESULTS
QUALIFYING
1: Mark Skaife (Holden) 1:31.7327
2: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 1:32.1841
3: Todd Kelly (Holden) 1:32.6206
4: Jason Bright (Holden) 1:32.6686
5: David Besnard (Ford) 1:32.6901
6: Max Wilson (Ford) 1:32.7007
7: Craig Lowndes (Ford) 1:32.7400
8: Paul Radisich (Ford) 1:32.7988
9: Garth Tander (Holden) 1:31:2.8125
10: Russell Ingall (Ford) 1:32.8876
11: Jason Bargwanna (Ford) 1:32.8995
12: Steven Johnson (Ford) 1:33.0055
13: Paul Morris (Holden) 1:33.0277
14: Steven Richards (Holden) 1:33.0473
15: Warren Luff (Ford) 1:33.1758
16: Steve Ellery (Ford) 1:33.1765
17: Jason Richards (Holden) 1:33.3783
18: Brad Jones (Ford) 1:33.4190
19: Cameron McConville (Holden) 1:33.4216
20: Simon Wills (Holden) 1:33.5182
21: Rick Kelly (Holden) 1:33.5267
22: Greg Murphy (Holden) 1:33.5724
23: Glenn Seton (Ford) 1:33.6160
24: Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1:33.8560
25: John Bowe (Ford) 1:33.9321
26: Paul Dumbrell (Holden) 1:33.9362
27: Alex Davison (Holden) 1:33.9882
28: Owen Kelly (Ford) 1:34.1488
29: Dale Brede (Holden) 1:34.3090
30: Anthony Tratt (Holden) 1:34.4987
31: Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 1:34.5383
32: Paul Weel (Holden) 1:35.1841
33: Christian D'Agostin (Holden) 1:35.7221
34: Garth Walden (Ford) 1:36.2883
35: Craig Baird (Holden) No time
TOP TEN SHOOTOUT
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 1:32.4345
2: Mark Skaife (Holden) 1:32.8835
3: Todd Kelly (Holden) 1:33.1843
4: Craig Lowndes (Ford) 1:33.6643
5: Jason Bright (Holden) 1:34.2743
6: Russell Ingall (Ford) 1:34.3121
7: Max Wilson (Ford) 1:34.4234
8: Paul Radisich (Ford) 1:34.4419
9: Garth Tander (Holden) 1:34.6899
Exc David Besnard (Ford)
2004 V8 SUPERCA R CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 13
RACE ONE
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 26 laps
2: Craig Lowndes (Ford)
3: Jason Bright (Holden)
4: David Besnard (Ford)
5: Rick Kelly (Holden)
6: Paul Radisich (Ford)
7: Russell Ingall (Ford)
8: Steven Richards (Holden)
9: Steven Johnson (Ford)
10: Jason Bargwanna (Ford)
11: Steve Ellery (Ford)
12: Cameron McConville (Holden)
13: Greg Murphy (Holden)
14: Glenn Seton (Ford)
15: Warren Luff (Ford)
16: Paul Dumbrell (Holden)
17: Jason Richards (Holden)
18: Mark Skaife (Holden)
19: Brad Jones (Ford)
20: Anthony Tratt (Holden)
21: John Bowe (Ford)
22: Max Wilson (Ford)
23: Alex Davison (Holden)
24: Lee Holdsworth (Holden)
25: Dale Brede (Holden)
26: Simon Wills (Holden) – 25 laps
27: Todd Kelly (Holden)
28: Mark Winterbottom (Ford) – 24 laps
29: Paul Morris (Holden) – 22 laps
DNF Owen Kelly – 21 laps
DNF Garth Walden – 2 laps
DNF Craig Baird – 1 laps
DNF Garth Tander – 0 laps
DNF Chris D’Agostin – 0 laps
DNS Paul Weel
SNAP SHOT OF A CHAMPION – MARCOS AMBROSE
Age: 28
Birthplace: Launceston.
Lives: Gold Coast.
Personal car: Ford F250 truck.
Hobbies: Golf, dirt bike riding.
First job: Builders labourer.
First race car: 1995 Swift Formula Ford.
Racing history: 1997 - Runner-up Australian Formula Ford championship, 1998
- 5th British Formula Ford series, 1999 - Won European Formula Ford series,
1999 3rd British Formula Ford series, 2000 - French Formula 3 with Mygale
(withdrew mid-season), 2000 British Formula 3 with Alan Docking Racing (last
4 rounds), 2001 joined Stone Brothers Racing V8 Supercar team, 2001 Won first V8 round (Darwin), 2002 3rd V8 Supercar Championship Series; 2003-2004 Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series winner.
MARCOS AMBROSE V8 SUPERCAR RECORD - (Before round 13)
Current Points: 1982 (1st)
Debut: 2001
Starts: 51
Poles: 15 – Queensland 300, Eastern Creek (2004); Sandown, Oran Park, Queensland Raceway, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003); Phillip Island, Oran Park, Winton, Qld 500, Sandown (2002); Eastern Creek, Qld 500, Bathurst (2001)
Race wins: 18 (Last win – Race 2 – Symmons Plains, 2004)
Round wins: 12 – Sandown 500, Oran Park, Queensland 300, Adelaide Clipsal 500 (2004); Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Hidden Valley, Barbagallo, Winton, Eastern Creek (2003), Sandown (2002); Hidden Valley (2001)
TRACK FACTS – EASTERN CREEK
Venue: Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney, NSW
2004 Race format: Top 10 Shootout; 1 x 26 lap race (Saturday night); 2 x 39 races with compulsory tyre stops (Sunday)
Circuit Length: 3.43km
Circuit Direction: Anti-clockwise
Average Speed: 154.2kph
Maximum Speed: 260-270kph
Qualifying Record: Mark Skaife (Holden Commodore, 1999) 1:30.6550
Lap Record: Mark Skaife (Holden Commodore, 1999) 1:31.7301
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (After race 1 - Round 13)
1: Marcos Ambrose (Ford) 2046
2: Jason Bright (Holden) 1876
3: Greg Murphy (Holden) 1865
4: Russell Ingall (Ford) 1826
5: Rick Kelly (Holden) 1757
6: Steven Richards (Holden) 1711
7: Todd Kelly (Holden) 1525
8: Jason Bargwanna (Ford) 1448
9: John Bowe (Ford) 1424
10: Garth Tander (Holden) 1322
Sunday December 5
10am-10.20am – Warm-up
12.30pm – 39 Laps (Race 2)
3.40pm – 39 Laps (Race 3)
TV TELECAST - NETWORK TEN
Sunday, December 5:
• 1.00pm - 5.00pm. Race 2 & 3
Release Date: 04/11/2004
Stone Brothers Racing
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