Ambrose robbed of first NASCAR victory

UPDATE A reader writes, Ambrose robbed? What a crock. Robby and Marcus were side by side coming into the chicane when the yellow came out on TV and at the corners. Tell me, if you are racing, are you going to see that yellow flag that fast in a chicane and hear what your spotter/crewman is saying at same time? All 3? The yellow is clearly out when Robby got spun and put in him in 12th or 13th? Get real. This is another NASCAR political crap to stage a win, pole or whatever else they try to do to market their series. The field was frozen right at the chicane. Robby passed Marcus at first chicane, rule is reverse the order. Marcus kept racing and spun Robby. Now tell me the rule on that. The order should be Marcus and Robby 2nd. Did anyone not see Marcus spin Robby? Marcus raced 74 laps and now he runs in the back of him? He knew when to back off.

But no, beat on Robby cuz everyone classifies him as bad boy. Then make him go back to 12th or 13th wellllllll after yellow and others had passed him, who would not be pissed off. Kevin Harvick spun Scott Pruett with his aggressive move, and no stories or anything on him for that? His blunder caused his own teammate car to be smashed up. Come on! Be fair…. I give Kevin credit for respecting the understanding of Robby celebrating and etc. because he is a racer and he knows the rules and real evidence inside a car, not a NASCAR hauler and he had his opinions. Smart as he is he kept quiet and acknowledged what he saw and he also knew what he did regarding Scott Pruett, but kept quiet since the heat was on Robby.

Congrats Kevin, according to the rules, you won and pretty well deserved considering you started way back. Your crew was awesome. In no means do I degrade your win.

For anyone else to say poor Ambrose is a crock, he did the same thing Kevin did to Scott and he did that under the yellow whether he was in 1st, or 2nd. Then claim he lost it by not his own doing? Dude, piss someone off in NASCAR, whether you are Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr, Tony, you will get a pay back. NASCAR won't prove it to save reputation but, media will dig it up and prove you. Marcus blew his own win.

As for Marcus post race comment, I knew he was going to get black flagged so should I let him pass or not? Well duh….yes, let him pass…Blown chance to win number 2. Evidence? Jacques Villeneuve racing at Indianapolis 500. Jacques won the Indy 500 in 1995 but, it was Scott Goodyear who cross the finished line first. Jacques was penalized 2 laps earlier in the race for passing the pace car. Now fast forward to end of race, through strategy, Jacques made up the 2 laps. Scott passed the pace car shortly after 4th turn with just a handful of laps left. Jacques was 2nd. The pace car was nowhere near the white line of the pit lane and Scott was at start and finished line. Jacques stayed back till pace car passed line and then raced. Scott cross finished line 1st. Jacques won. Smart driver. Marcus, not. John Fletcher, Milwaukee, WI

08/04/07 Marcos Ambrose has been robbed of his first ever NASCAR victory when taken out while leading with two laps remaining in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada today.

The Australian led 37 laps, more than any other driver, in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion and was on course to record his first NASCAR win when turned around while leading by the black-flagged Robby Gordon at the second corner at a restart with two laps remaining.

Ambrose staged a remarkable recovery to still finish seventh, making up spots over the final two laps, but the damage was done and Ambrose was prevented from taking the checkered flag after dominating the race.

Ambrose qualified fifth and was in fourth place by the first corner at the start of the 74-lap race. After the first round of pit stops Ambrose was up to third and on lap 21 Ambrose passed Boris Said for second.

Six laps later Ambrose made a dive down the inside of race leader Scott Pruett to take the lead and from this point on absolutely dominated the race in a field full of the best road course drivers in NASCAR.

Ambrose and Gordon were vying for the lead when the caution flags flew with six laps remaining. Contact between the two saw Gordon spin exiting turn four. Under caution Gordon reassumed his position behind Ambrose despite NASCAR directing the #55 car to restart down the order.

As the green-white-checkered restart gave the field two laps to the finish, Gordon, who had disobeyed NASCAR’s instructions, drove into the back of Ambrose, turning him around in front of the pack.

“When I came over here I made a promise to myself that I was going to be happy no matter what I was dealt," said Ambrose.

“Today, I’m going to focus on being happy because the Kingsford car was the best car here today without doubt.

“Undoubtedly, today we had a bad end result and not through our own doing.

“But I am really proud of this team for giving me a car that was capable of winning and we showed a lot here today.

“When I came over here nobody knew who I was and today we were pulling away from the best road racers in America and were on our way to victory.

“I’ve got Watkins Glen to look forward to next weekend and we will have a point to prove."