Marcos Ambrose
Set for Mid-Ohio Nationwide Series Debut
RPM Development Driver Ryan Truex to Practice and Qualify
Concord, N.C. (August 14, 2013) – Marcos Ambrose will make his 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course while he completes “double duty” with partners STANLEY and DEWALT. Ambrose will compete in Saturday’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 and then return to the Michigan International Speedway to compete in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. Ambrose will practice at Mid-Ohio on Thursday before going back to Michigan to practice and qualify for the Cup race on Friday. He will then practice Saturday morning and fly back to Ohio for the start of the race.
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) development driver Ryan Truex will step behind the wheel of the No. 9 STANLEY Ford Nationwide entry on Friday and Saturday for practice and qualifying. He will play a key role in helping to set up the car for Ambrose and the team while continuing to gain valuable road course experience in a Nationwide Series machine. Seth Barbour will be the crew chief for the team and work with both drivers.
Ambrose will be making his 76th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start on Saturday. He is a four-time winner in the series, all on road course circuits. Ambrose has also collected four poles, 16 top-10 and eight top-five finishes. This will be his first race at the Mid-Ohio track.
“I think Thursday will be an important day for us to help get the car set up and get used to this track,” Ambrose said. “We will really take advantage of all the time we can get and then let Ryan take over on Friday and Saturday while I take care of my responsibilities with our STANLEY Ford Fusion in Michigan. I’ll then fly over to Ohio and be ready to go in time for the race. We have a good plan and now it’s time to go execute it.”
Truex, who was signed earlier this year as a development driver for RPM, has one pole in the Nationwide Series. He has 35 starts in the Series, including on a road course, giving him the knowledge to help Ambrose.
“It will be good for me to help out Marcos this weekend,” said Ryan Truex. “He is the best road racer in NASCAR and I think I can learn a lot from him. It will be cool to be a part of the weekend, get more seat time in a Nationwide Series car and especially get more time at a road course. I just want to make sure we have the car prepared as best as possible for Marcos when he gets into the seat on Saturday.”
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 will be televised live on ESPN.
About Richard Petty Motorsports:
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force and STP and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
