Marcose Ambrose hoping to finally check Sonoma off his list

Marcos Ambrose's best Sonoma finish was third in 2009

CONCORD, N.C. (June 18, 2013) - If there was one track that ‘owes’ Marcos Ambrose, it is the Sonoma Raceway. And if there is one favorite going into this weekend, it’s also Marcos Ambrose. Behind the wheel of the No. 9 Stanley Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports, many eyes will be focused on the black and yellow machine as Ambrose tries to capture his first win at the track.

Ambrose has five starts at the road course. Beside a transmission failure in his first start, the road course veteran has finished in the top-10 in all events, including a best finish of third (2009). A win has been elusive, however, making Ambrose and the No. 9 Stanley Ford team thirsty for Victory Lane in wine country.

Ambrose has the records to back up why he is a favorite again this weekend. He has the second-fastest average green flag speed of 89.807 mph, the third-best driver rating (106.8) and an average running position of 10.9.

Comments from Stanley Ford Fusion Driver Marcos Ambrose:
“Sonoma has been one track where I felt we have had victory just slip away from us. But, we’ve always been competitive there and fast too. We won the pole there last year and just didn’t have enough for the race. We just came up a bit short. Our guys want to get that win this weekend, and we’re all pretty hungry for it.

“This is one of the hardest road courses I have raced on. It’s very technical and is pretty fast too. These cars are not made for this track, so you really need to wrestle them around a bit. I am not scared to do that but just need that little racing luck to get into victory lane. We’ve been so close that a win can’t be too far away.”

Comments from Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer on Sonoma:
“We really look at Sonoma as a track to not only run up front but to win. There is pressure every week, but this week, we’ll just have more eyes on us. We understand that, and I think Marcos does as well. It doesn’t change our plan of preparing the best car possible for Sunday.

Chassis History:
The No. 9 team prepared chassis No. 761 for Sonoma. The team tested this chassis at Sonoma in May.

About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force and STP and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Richard Petty Motorsports