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Marcos Ambrose fourth in Nextel Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway
From correspondents in Talladega, Alabama
April 27, 2009
Marcos Ambrose claimed his best result in oval racing in one of the most frightening finishes in NASCAR history at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
The Australian finished fourth after running much of the race in the top ten in his JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota.
A multiple-car crash on the back straight in the closing stages set up a four-lap sprint to the finish for the field, with Ambrose restarting in seventh position.
When Brad Keselowski made contact with Carl Edwards on the approach to the finish line, Edwards' car became airborne, was hit by third-placed Ryan Newman and then catapulted into the catch fencing.
Seven fans were injured from debris that flew into the crowd.
Ambrose, lucky to miss the wreckage, crossed the line in fourth place to record his best Sprint Cup finish on an oval in what was his first Sprint Cup race at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Keselowski took victory ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Newman, Ambrose and former F1 driver Scott Speed.
Ambrose, who rose to 19th in the series points standings, is back in action next weekend in at Richmond International Raceway.
"That was a wild finish," said the Tasmanian.
"I just hope everyone is alright. It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen in my life coming across the finish line looking at a car upside down like that.
"This is crazy racing, it really is. We can try and legitimise as much as we'd like but it's insanity on four wheels.
"I probably made three good choices all day to get myself up there and from that point I was just hanging on."
Officials said seven fans sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and an eighth fan seated in the same section of the grandstand had an undisclosed medical issue.
Track doctor Bobby Lewis said two people in the crowd were airlifted from the track to avoid the heavy traffic. One woman had a possible broken jaw.
"We'll race like this until we kill somebody," Edwards said, "then (NASCAR) will change it."
The dangerous but dramatic restrictor-plate racing came under fire after Edwards' attempt to block Keselowski's winning pass triggered the last of several frightening accidents at one of the sport's most exciting tracks.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the sanctioning body will analyse the accident, as well as the safety fence, to determine if anything can be improved.
"If there were something that we felt we could do today to make it safer, it would be done," Hunter said. "This is a fast race track. It's wide. I saw guys racing five-abreast today, which I have never seen. We know the cars are safer than they've ever been."
Restrictor plates are used at Daytona and Talladega to combat the high speeds at NASCAR's two fastest tracks. The plates typically keep the field bunched tightly together, and one wrong move by a driver can cause a massive accident.
AAP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdzom_3tqUQ&feature=related
From correspondents in Talladega, Alabama
April 27, 2009
Marcos Ambrose claimed his best result in oval racing in one of the most frightening finishes in NASCAR history at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
The Australian finished fourth after running much of the race in the top ten in his JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota.
A multiple-car crash on the back straight in the closing stages set up a four-lap sprint to the finish for the field, with Ambrose restarting in seventh position.
When Brad Keselowski made contact with Carl Edwards on the approach to the finish line, Edwards' car became airborne, was hit by third-placed Ryan Newman and then catapulted into the catch fencing.
Seven fans were injured from debris that flew into the crowd.
Ambrose, lucky to miss the wreckage, crossed the line in fourth place to record his best Sprint Cup finish on an oval in what was his first Sprint Cup race at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Keselowski took victory ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Newman, Ambrose and former F1 driver Scott Speed.
Ambrose, who rose to 19th in the series points standings, is back in action next weekend in at Richmond International Raceway.
"That was a wild finish," said the Tasmanian.
"I just hope everyone is alright. It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen in my life coming across the finish line looking at a car upside down like that.
"This is crazy racing, it really is. We can try and legitimise as much as we'd like but it's insanity on four wheels.
"I probably made three good choices all day to get myself up there and from that point I was just hanging on."
Officials said seven fans sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and an eighth fan seated in the same section of the grandstand had an undisclosed medical issue.
Track doctor Bobby Lewis said two people in the crowd were airlifted from the track to avoid the heavy traffic. One woman had a possible broken jaw.
"We'll race like this until we kill somebody," Edwards said, "then (NASCAR) will change it."
The dangerous but dramatic restrictor-plate racing came under fire after Edwards' attempt to block Keselowski's winning pass triggered the last of several frightening accidents at one of the sport's most exciting tracks.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the sanctioning body will analyse the accident, as well as the safety fence, to determine if anything can be improved.
"If there were something that we felt we could do today to make it safer, it would be done," Hunter said. "This is a fast race track. It's wide. I saw guys racing five-abreast today, which I have never seen. We know the cars are safer than they've ever been."
Restrictor plates are used at Daytona and Talladega to combat the high speeds at NASCAR's two fastest tracks. The plates typically keep the field bunched tightly together, and one wrong move by a driver can cause a massive accident.
AAP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdzom_3tqUQ&feature=related
