Tuesday, August 17, 2010

NASCAR: Ambrose signs with Richard Petty Motorsports

CONCORD, N.C. -- 

In preparation for the 2011 season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced Tuesday that Marcos Ambrose has signed a multi-year agreement with the organization to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series. Long-time RPM sponsor Stanley Black & Decker will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team.

"I'm very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports," Ambrose said. "It's an incredible honor to be able to race for a legend like the King and be a part of this organization. I'm also happy to be back with Ford Racing. The No. 9 team has been a very successful team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the support of Ford and everyone at RPM, I believe we can continue that tradition of success. I'm also excited to join forces with Stanley."

"We are very happy to have Marcos Ambrose join our team," Richard Petty said. "He's a very talented and passionate driver and will be a great addition to our team."

"We knew once Marcos became available that we wanted him to be a part of the RPM family," said Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "He's a fan favorite and he's proven to be a tough competitor on track. We're thrilled to have Stanley continue their partnership with our team and believe that Marcos is a great fit for the Stanley Racing program."

Ambrose cut his racing teeth in V8 Supercar competition before making the shift to NASCAR in 2006. Through a partnership with Ford Racing, Ambrose made his American racing debut in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. In 2007, the driver made the jump to the Nationwide Series where he competed for two seasons before his first full season in the Cup Series in 2009.

XS-Info:
This is a great move for Marcos Ambrose.  Having watched him in Cup races, Nationwide races, and in V8 Supercars I cannot say enough about how good this guy is at driving a race car.  JTG-Daugherty provided an okay car for him to drive and, when he wasn't stuck in the back of the pack and getting wrecked out of a race, he was always at the top of the pack.  Hopefully RPM can give him the equipment he needs to stay near the front and finish strong week in and week out.  The #43 car and the #9 car have shown this year that running strong is definitely possible at RPM - especially in recent races.  Once they have the "new" FR9 engine figured out they should be able to contend for top 10 finishes every week.  - XS_Admin

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