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Despite the uncertainty about his future - most likely tied to Ford with Nascar in the USA from 2011 - the speed and commitment he showed at Watkins Glen was top-drawer stuff. His victory in the second-tier Nationwide series event was his hat- trick at the course and class and it took former F1 ace Juan Montoya to beat him in the Sprint Cup headline event.
Ambrose probably would have been a stronger contender in the Sprint event with a better car and crew, as he was only 11th in qualifying and his Toyota Camry was far from perfect on the final run to the flag.
“I really drove the car into the ground today, every lap was like a qualifying lap, it’s so intense at the front of the field, and it was a lot of fun dicing with Juan in the middle of the race," Ambrose says. “After the last round of pit stops, the handling of the car really went away, but it’s still a good result."
Ambrose knew he had the pace after the Nationwide win and admits his third win is a highlight of his time in the USA. “Yesterday was without doubt the most satisfying win of my career, we’ve had a really tough year, and the results we’ve had this weekend really put the disappointing aspects of the season behind us."
He was always the pace-maker in the Nationwide race after qualifying on pole position. He led 60 of the 82 laps and beat young gun Joey Logano, a regular oval-track winner in Nationwide.
“To win three in a row here is pretty sweet; it’s a huge result for the team," Ambrose says. “I’m saying goodbye to JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the year, so it’s nice to score a win for them.”
But, even after a first and a third, Ambrose is - as always - looking forward. “We’re back to Michigan next weekend, it’s a track that I really like competing on, and I hope that the momentum we’ve gaining this weekend can roll on.”
And it's not just about the next race, as he hints on a continued future in the USA despite rumours he might come home to resume racing in V8 Supercars. "The NASCAR Sprint Cup is the most competitive form of motorsport in the world, it’s a very hard deal to win races here, but that’s what I’m here for, and we’re going to keep at it," Ambrose says.
