CONCORD, N.C. (October 13, 2010) – With six weeks remaining on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, Marcos Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Racing welcome a week at home thanks in part to Charlotte Motor Speedway hosting the Bank of America 500 on Saturday.
“It’s really nice to be home for a week,” Ambrose said. “As a driver, I probably travel over 150 days a year with races and appearances. So, it’s really a luxury for us to be home with our families for a week. With Tabitha being in school now, the girls are not able to travel with me like they used to. So, I’m maximizing my time at home with them this week.”
Not only are Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Racing in close proximity to the 1.5-mile quad-oval, so is one of their major sponsors Lance. Lance, a Charlotte-based company, has been dedicated to providing fresh snacks options for a busy lifestyle and has evolved into a multi-million dollar national company since 1913. Lance will prominently be displayed on the No. 47 Toyota Camry for a third time this season this time in front of a hometown crowd.
“Lance came on board with us for our second full-time season of competition and they are a great partner of ours,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing. “We’ve built a strong relationship and we look forward to complimenting their efforts by continuing to bring awareness to the brand.”
Ambrose is helping spotlight Lance as he is prepared to top his best Charlotte Cup finish of 22nd-place (10/17/09) in his fourth attempt at the Concord, N.C. track. He also has four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the venue.
“We’re looking to change our luck at Charlotte and I feel like we have a good shot at a solid finish there,” said Ambrose, who finished 33rd in the most recent event at Auto Club Speedway. “We’ll have a good package for this race. It will be interesting to see how the track changes throughout the weekend because it is going to get cold. It’s supposed to be in the upper 30’s Saturday night.”
“The weather conditions will change the track,” crew chief Frank Kerr added. “The speeds will change – – they will pick up. Then we will be concerned with the splitter hitting the ground.”
For the Bank of America 500, Kerr and his JTG Daugherty Racing team have prepped a car Ambrose finished fifth in the All-Star Showdown at Charlotte in May, 28th at Chicagoland Speedway in July and 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.
“It’s the same car we ran well with during the Showdown earlier this year,” Kerr said. “We’re looking forward to being back. I always like racing at Charlotte because it is the racing hub. Winning at Charlotte ranks pretty high on everyone’s list because its home and it gives you bragging rights.
“It’s a cool track like no other,” Kerr continued. “Charlotte has its own characteristics. The banking in Turn 1 is something else with a big drop like Dover International Speedway. The car loads up in that corner and carries a lot of speed. Once you get through Turns 1 and 2, Turns 3 and 4 are more of the handling corners. The place is amazing. It’s Charlotte, what more can you say.”
Live coverage of the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway airs on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET. PRN Radio will also carry the race.
