Ambrose’s move pays off at Watkins Glen
A year ago Marcos Ambrose used pit strategy to win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The second time around he used a little aggression.
Ambrose passed series points leader Kyle Busch with a daring move through the chicane Saturday and won the Nationwide Zippo 200 for the second straight year for JTG-Daugherty Racing.
It was the 10th consecutive top-two finish in Nationwide for Busch, breaking the series record set by Jack Ingram in 1983. Carl Edwards was third, followed by pole-sitter Kevin Harvick and Canadian road racer Ron Fellows. Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, finished 24th in his Nationwide debut.
Busch started seventh and took the lead for the first time in the 82-lap race over the 11-turn, 2.45-mile road course when he passed Steven Wallace on a restart in Lap 49. It marked the 19th straight series race Busch has led, tying Sam Ard’s series record.
Ambrose, who started second, also moved past Wallace, and when Paul Menard brought out the fourth caution with a spin on Lap 52, Ambrose’s crew assured him he had enough fuel to make it to the end.
The caution also gave Busch the fuel cushion he needed, and he withstood Ambrose’s hard charge when the race went green on Lap 56.
Ambrose stalked Busch for 12 laps and finally passed him entering the chicane at the top of the high-speed esses.
Busch leads Edwards in the standings by 212 points.
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IndyCar
IndyCar points leader Ryan Briscoe will start from the pole today in the Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington.
Briscoe turned in a lap of 121.905 mph over the winding 2.258-mile course Saturday, just beating out Justin Wilson to take his third pole this season. Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal will start in the second row.
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American Le Mans
Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud raced to their fourth consecutive American Le Mans Series victory in the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio.
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Irwindale
Mike Johnson of Covina, who started in third position, took the lead in the first lap and went on to win the NASCAR Auto Club Late Model 40-lap feature race at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale.
Tim Huddleston maintained his division championship points lead by finishing in fifth place.
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