MOTORSPORT: Agony for Ambrose; boom boom for Brabham

Ambrose had set a qualifying speed record at NASCAR’s Sprint Cup round at the Watkins Glen circuit in upstate New York and was on the way to a third straight victory at that famous circuit, leading 51 of the first 61 of 90 laps. Indeed, he could have become only the third driver, along with four-time series champion Jeff Gordon and veteran Mark Martin, to have won three straight Cup races at the Glen… But it all went wrong – and how we’ll get to later.

It’s all going right, though, for Brabham – the 19-year-old grandson of Australia’s triple Formula One world champion, Sir Jack Brabham.

In only his second year on the North American open-wheeler scene (and second year out of school) Brabham already has clinched his second title and is headed rapidly towards IndyCar racing – and perhaps ultimately F1.

The young Aussie won both the weekend’s races in the Pro Mazda Championship on the Quebec street circuit that hosted the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Already having won a record number of races in the series, Brabham stretched that to 11 as he claimed his second North American title – after last year’s success in the US F2000 Championship.

He is the first driver to win these two titles in succession.

Brabham now has the record for the most consecutive wins in a Pro Mazda season at seven, the record for most podiums in a season at 13, and has tied the record for fastest race laps in a season at 11.

Last year he won a “scholarship” worth about US$400,000 for winning the F2000 title which enabled him to land the plum Pro Mazda drive with Michael Andretti’s, Andretti Autosport. Now he get another package for his Pro Mazda success that will allow him to advance next season to the Indy Lights series – from which he could progress within a year or two to IndyCar.

His father, Geoff, eldest son of Sir Jack, drove about 100 Indy races as well as winning four IMSA championships with Nissan and the Le Mans 24-Hour sportscar classic in France with Peugeot in 1993 – the latter feat equaled by his youngest brother, David, with the same manufacturer two decades later.

Matthew Brabham competed in Australian Formula Ford races while still at school but made the move overseas immediately he finished his schooling on the Gold Coast.

In Quebec at the weekend, he quickly adapted to a new circuit in the only practice session for the Pro Mazda field, clocking the fastest time. In qualifying he took pole position by 0.271 seconds from championship rival Diego Ferreira, of Venezuela.

Brabham had no problem with only the second standing start of the season, shot into the lead and pulled away from the field, crossing the finish line 10.815 seconds ahead of Ferreira. The Aussie only needed to finish second in the later race to the clinch the championship but he led every lap and crossed the line 5.582 seconds ahead.

Reflecting his still tender years, Brabham said he was “absolutely speechless” – then proceeded to make a short speech!

“To get two wins and the championship makes this just an unbelievable weekend, and I couldn’t think of a better place to win the championship -- it has been so much fun here in Trois-Rivieres,” he said.

“I can’t thank everyone who supported me enough: Mazda, for giving me the opportunity to have this wonderful year, Cooper Tires and AFS Racing for coming in at the end. Andretti Autosport has been fantastic all year, so a big thanks to them.

“At the start of the season I couldn't have predicted that I would have a year like this. I am just so, so happy.”

Brabham’s last North American race weekend for the year will be at the Grand Prix of Houston IndyCar race on October 5-6, although it will be no surprise if (like last year) he does a couple of races in Europe, most probably Britain.

Meanwhile, the Marcos Ambrose fairytale that had turned awry two-thirds of the way through the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen got even worse when the dual V8 Supercar champion from a decade ago crashed his Ford Fusion.

Having started as an overwhelming favourite after his pole position record and dominating so much of the race, Ambrose was caught out when his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Aric Almirola crashed.

Several drivers already had pitted for their final stops but Ambrose had to complete another lap under caution before he could pit, relegating him to 14th.

He got back up to 12th with six laps to go but was struggling when nudged from behind by Max Papis, substituting in the injured Tony Stewart’s Chevrolet.

That sent Ambrose into a crash barrier and out of a race that had become a demolition derby.

Kyle Busch in a Toyota and Brad Keselowski in a Ford – the two drivers Ambrose saw off on the way to last year’s victory at The Glen – raced on to finish first and second.

Keselowski, the reigning Sprint Cup champion resisted the temptation to punt Busch in the last two laps and now has been runner-up at Watkins Glen three years in a row.

Ambrose’s fellow Australian (and Tasmanian), Owen Kelly, finished 24th in his Cup debut in a Chevrolet, after several starts in the second-tier Nationwide Series.

Kelly felt he might have finished about 15th had he not lost a host of spots in the wake of Ambrose’s disaster. Ambrose was classified 31st – but he remains the most successful NASCAR driver at The Glen in recent years.

Respected NASCAR commentator Jeff Owens said on Sporting News in the hours after the race: “Marcos Ambrose, a road-course ace, has two good chances to win each year [at Watkins Glen and the only other road course in the Sprint Cup, Sonoma in California] and they are both now gone for this season.

“Not only did Ambrose miss out on a third straight victory at Watkins Glen but he lost a race that he dominated. Ambrose led a race-high 51 laps but fell behind on an untimely caution flag and never recovered. A late crash only added insult to injury. Ambrose handled the bitter disappointment with typical class. Too bad he isn’t a contender more often.”

And Ambrose himself said: “It’s not the way we wanted our day to finish. Something was wrong with the car there. I could feel it on the roll around lap [before a restart]. Something had broken. I just fell so sorry for all the guys that got caught up in that mess. We had a great, fast car. I just wasn’t our day.”

Busch’s win was his third this season and he is fifth in the championship – behind clear leader Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick.

Keselowski is winless this season but jumped four places to eighth after his second place at The Glen, while Ambrose dropped a place and is now 23rd – immediately behind Juan Pablo Montoya.

Ambrose and Kelly will compete in next weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Mid-Ohio while Ambrose also will commute to the Cup round at Michigan – the first of four races that will determine the dozen drivers who make The Chase to decide the title over the final 10 rounds.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...

Don't forget to register to comment on this article.