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Watkins Glen: Marcos Ambrose preview

Marcos Ambrose is ready to write his name in the history books this weekend, with the Australian poised to collect his third straight NASCAR Nationwide Race win at Watkins Glen International, as well as pick up his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup ...

Marcos Ambrose is ready to write his name in the history books this weekend, with the Australian poised to collect his third straight NASCAR Nationwide Race win at Watkins Glen International, as well as pick up his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.

Five visits to the New York road course have netted Ambrose four podium finishes, and a third straight victory in the Nationwide Series this weekend would equal Terry Labonte's record of three successive wins at Watkins Glen (1994-'96).

Competition however is expected to be tough on the fast and flowing circuit.

Tony Stewart is a five time Sprint Cup race winner at the venue, with luminaries such as Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon and Mark Martin also having visited victory lane.

As ever, road course experts have been drafted into the mix, with the Sprint Cup field also featuring Patrick Carpentier, Boris Said, P.J. Jones and Andy Lally, while the Nationwide field will include Said, Nelson Piquet, Jacques Villeneuve and Ron Fellows.

Ambrose however is confident of a strong showing in both classes.

"We are really excited about it... who knows how it's all going to play out for us, but we feel like we have got a possibility to win either or both races, and we're pretty pumped up about it," Marcos Ambrose said.

"We managed to win the last couple of road races at Watkins Glen with the Nationwide Series, (but) we haven't quite got it done in the Sprint Cup Series.

"We are going to be chasing Tony Stewart and the whole team down there at Watkins Glen, we feel like they are going to be the car to beat, as well as Jeff Gordon.

"We have to put ourselves in contention and do everything right and hopefully the race will work out in our favour.

"In road course racing, big, heavy too powerful race cars suit my style, and I've been fortunate that I've done well on the road courses in NASCAR, it really sets me up with a lot of confidence to know what I'm looking for in the race car.

"I've got a good base setup that I carry to all the road course races, and I really know what I'm looking for.

"We don't have to muck around with trial and error, and I pretty much engineer it from the seat because I have such a clear vision of what I need to do to get around these places well, and I guess I lacked that at some ovals and other places we go to.

"I think it's just a confidence thing for me, I know what I need to do to get out there to contend at the front... and I know what the car needs to feel like, and now with a good team around me, like I do right now, I'm able to get what I need."

Watkins Glen has one of richest histories out of all North American road courses, with the venue having hosted all levels of NASCAR competition, Indycar Racing, and Formula One, which visited the circuit 20 times from 1961.

In an ominous sign for the competition, the most recent Formula One race held at Watkins Glen in 1980 was won by Australian Alan Jones, while another Australian in Will Power won this year's Indycar race at the venue.

Ambrose will only be campaigning in two NASCAR Nationwide events this year, at Watkins Glen this weekend, as well as on the Montreal street course at the end of the month.

-source: marcos ambrose PR

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