Roswell, GA (August 17, 2011) – Todd Parrott, crew chief for the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion driven by Marcos Ambrose, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following the rain-delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen on Monday morning.
With a race plan of pit strategy perfection by the veteran Parrott, Ambrose picked up his first career Sprint Cup Series win, muscling past Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski during a two-lap green/white/checkered finish.
Rain postponed the race originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon to Monday morning. Ambrose rolled off the grid in third, but quickly wasted no time getting up front by lap 12. Parrott called his driver in for unscheduled service on lap 17, putting him off sequence with the rest of field and playing out to his advantage.
During the first caution of the day on lap 28, as others funneled down pit road, while Ambrose stayed out, taking over the top spot again. The caution flag flew again on lap 65, allowing Ambrose to come in for quick work by the Parrott-led team. Restarting in the fifth position, Ambrose worked his way up to second on his fresh tires.
“We’re getting on great as a team. We’re all blending well. We understand each other. We’re good friends and have respect for each other and it’s very important when you get days like this because I can rely on Todd to make good judgment calls on the box and he can rely on me to go out there and do the job,” said Ambrose.
“Marcos has been so close to a Sprint Cup win on a road course so many times in the past, but today was his team’s day,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “Todd’s expertise paired with Marcos’ experience played out well for them.
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team finished a disappointing 38th after brake problems caused a tire to blow on lap 49.
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Keselowski wound up second, close to the heels of Ambrose.
“I’m really proud of my guys for giving me a fast Miller Lite Dodge Charger, said Keselowski. We were really good on long runs today. I’m proud of the day. I’m proud of the finish. It was a good points day for us.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Voting Team
Addington and Wolfe, along with Hammond and Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Claire B. Lang, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners.
Each weekly WYPALL Crew Chief Challenge winner will be a guest on Lang’s “Dialed In” program on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesdays throughout the season.
The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $10,000 check during the weekend of the WYPALL 200 Presented by Kimberly-Clark Professional Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, November 12, 2011.
About WYPALL Wipers:
Since 2004, Kimberly-Clark Professional’s WYPALL Wipers brand has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provides race teams with a number of products providing strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2011 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.
About Penske Racing
Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.
