(WOMR file photo)
NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran, and experienced road racer, Marcos Ambrose won Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International.
Marcos Ambrose entered Saturday’s Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International the overwhelming favorite, and throughout the 82-lap event proved why that was the case.
Starting fourth, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver wasted no time getting aggressive and working his way to the front. While the Team Penske teammates of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano showed the way in the opening laps, Ambrose took the lead for the first time on Lap 10.
The race to the finish was not easy for Ambrose, however, as he was forced to work his way through slower traffic and hold off a hard-charging Kyle Busch. With five laps to go, Ambrose wrinkled the left front of the #09’s nose after getting into the back of Roger Reuse while Busch closed the gap behind him.
While Busch was able to close the gap, he had absolutely nothing for Ambrose as the Australian native scored his fourth consecutive Nationwide Series victory at Watkins Glen International, and became the all-time Nationwide Series winner on the road courses!
“This is a one race a year deal right here,” Ambrose said in Victory Lane. “We do one Nationwide race a year and just so thrilled for the guys. We’ve got a part-time crew chief, part-time car chief, we just threw this car together and here we are in Victory Lane.
Leading 48 of the 82 laps, Ambrose may have made it look easy, but the Sprint Cup regular had to work for his fourth-straight win.
“I had my tongue hanging out all day,” he said. “I had nothing left. I had to make up all the ground from the spin and Joey was super fast in the middle and I had to hold him back. Kyle really pressed at the end and came alive. Another lap and I would have been in real trouble.”
With this Nationwide Series road race victory tucked neatly under his belt, it sure makes Ambrose the leading favorite to win the Sprint cup race on Sunday! Ambrose is slated to start the Sprint Cup race Sunday on the outside of the front row, thereby giving Ambrose great track position from the drop of the green flag!
The Richard Petty Motorsports driver has won two Sprint Cup races in his career. Both victories came at Watkins Glen International. Will the stars and the planets line up once again Sunday for Ambrose?
TIL NEXT TIEM, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
