MOTORSPORT: Ford hints at Ambrose upgrade

John Sazymanski, director of sponsor development for Ford Racing Technology, says he expects Ambrose to have at least a deal for part of the 2008 Cup, but that the Australian may get to do the whole series.

Ambrose had hoped to do some Cup races this year, but plans to do two -- and perhaps more -- races in the big league with the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing for which he is driving in NASCAR's secondary Busch Series have come to nought.

Ironically, he came close to getting a Cup start on the famous Watkins Glen road course recently, but that was going to be for Robby Gordon (pictured with Ambrose) -- who had punted him out of the chance of winning the initial Busch race in Montreal, Canada, a week earlier.

In any case, a rain-out of qualifying at Watkins Glen dashed Ambrose's Cup hopes there as the starting line-up was decided on the basis of series points.

It is significant that Ambrose's chances of graduating to the Nextel Cup next year, either part or full-time, are now being talked up by a Ford official, rather than a propaganda machine for a team or the driver.

Sazymanski says Ambrose has progressed enough through NASCAR's pick-up truck series last year and the Busch Series this year to move into the Nextel Cup.

"His work this year has been exceptional," Sazymanski has told The Charlotte Observer newspaper in the heart of NASCAR country.

"He's progressed, stayed within himself, stayed in the top 10 in points.

"He's good with sponsors, good with teams, good on the corporate side and good with the media."

Sazymanski told the paper that, while Ambrose's plans for 2008 are not yet set, he believes he will run at least a partial Cup schedule next season and could possibly run full-time "if the right sponsor and team situation" worked out.

In the weekend's Busch round on the short, high-banked Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee the Aussie qualified 12th in the 43-car field but had two crashes that made him an early retirement.

In the first incident Ambrose's Ford Fusion clipped Danny O'Quinn while trying to pass, spun, hit the outside wall and went a lap down.

While trying to regain that lap Ambrose went too high in the second turn, got on "the marbles" (balls of rubber off the racing line), spun again, and -- while stationary -- was rammed hard by Robert Richardson.

"I got a little high up into the marbles and couldn't save it when the rear broke loose, then copped a big hit there," Ambrose says.

"It's too bad, but no big dramas."

Ambrose was classified 37th and drops a spot to 9th in the Busch points.

Now it's on to California Speedway in Fontana next weekend, the Aussie having already earned more than A$870,000 in Busch prizemoney this year.

Busch Series standings after 25 of 35 rounds - Carl Edwards 3743 points, David Reutimann 3053, Kevin Harvick 3028, Jason Leffler 2921, David Ragan 2841, Bobby Hamilton Jr 2704, Stephen Leicht 2615, Greg Biffle 2585, Marcos Ambrose 2553,  Mike Wallace 2477.

And, with the Italian GP at Monza next on September 9, things are looking up for the red squad.

Ferrari now trails McLaren by only 11 points in the constructors' championship, but there is the matter of the 15 points that McLaren is appealing for from the Hungarian GP distorting the picture a little.

More importantly, for the fans, there is only 16 points between the four men in contention for the drivers' championship -- McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, Massa and Raikkonen.

Hamilton's puncture at two-thirds distance in Turkey relegated him to fifth place from what was going to be third, while Alonso -- who had qualified worst of the foursome and was sixth in the opening laps -- ultimately claimed that podium position.

The Spanish dual world champion has narrowed rookie sensation Hamilton's lead to five points, with five races remaining.

After Italy, the championship goes to Belgium, then Japan and China, and finally to Brazil.

Australian Mark Webber outqualified his Red Bull Racing teammate David Coulthard yet again in Turkey -- that's 11-1 now this season -- but was the first retirement from the race, after 10 laps, with an hydraulic failure that made his RB3 undriveable.

Relations between the McLaren drivers seemed at the weekend to be much better than they were in Hungary, but speculation persists that Alonso wants out -- with Renault team chief Flavio Briatore reportedly plotting to snatch him back, with the backing of Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica.

Hamilton has only been absent from the podium twice in 12 races and the 22-year-old wrote off the puncture and its impact as "just a little problem" on the way to a possible world title in his maiden season.

"There are some (McLaren) improvements coming for the next three races - I think in Monza we will be good," says Hamilton, although the fastest circuits seem to suit Ferrari better.

One worry ahead for Hamilton is that, unlike his three title rivals, he has not raced at any of the last three tracks in the championship.

F1 drivers' world championship standings after 12 of 17 rounds -- Lewis Hamilton 84 points, Fernando Alonso 79, Felipe Massa 69, Kimi Raikkonen 68, Nick Heidfeld 47, Robert Kubica 29, Heikki Kovalainen 19, Giancarlo Fisichella 17, Alexander Wurz 13, Nico Rosberg 9, Mark Webber 8, David Coulthard 8, Jarno Trulli 7, Ralf Schumacher 5,  Takuma Sato 4, Sebastian Vettel 1, Jenson Button 1.

F1 constructors' world championship standings - McLaren-Mercedes 148, Ferrari 137,  BMW-Sauber 77, Renault 36, Williams-Toyota 22, Red Bull-Renault 16, Toyota 12,  Super Aguri-Honda 4, Honda 1.

Although Prodrive is behind schedule in making announcements on its plans, McLaren chief has confirmed the imminent tie-up.

"The Prodrive project is moving gently forward," Dennis says.

"Any announcement really has to come from that organisation, but we are working towards a positive result.

"It's not there yet."

Malaysia is willing to accede to Ecclestone's wishes for its race in Kuala Lumpur to be run at night to increase the potential European audience.

KL race chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir says his organisation is just waiting to be given details of what lighting system will be needed, after Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) tests at Ecclestone's Paul Ricard circuit in France soon.

Malaysia has had its GP since 1999 and the contract extension was virtually announced four months ago, although only now signed.

The move might increase the focus on Melbourne's contract with FOM -- if and when that contract will be extended beyond 2010.

While Melbourne's race will start 90 minutes later next year -- at 3.30pm -- there has not been the same willingness as in Malaysia to agree to a night race -- and that may have a big influence on any contract extension.

Australia's Will Power started alongside Bourdais on the front row but finished a disappointed fourth, with Brazilian Bruno Junqueira and American Graham Rahal grabbing the other two podium positions alongside Bourdais.

The consolation for Power and his Team Australia is that he headed Robert Doornbos, the Dutchman racing for Aussie Paul Stoddart's Team Minardi USA and who is second in the series.

With Doornbos only seventh at Zolder, maintaining his record of finishing every race in the series in his debut year, Power is just nine points off second in the championship.

Minardi's other regular driver, Englishman Dan Clarke, was banned from the Zolder round after causing a multiple-car accident -- and lots of damage - at the start of practice on Friday.

Champ Car race director Tony Cotman called the crash "totally unacceptable and completely avoidable".

"Dan was already on probation after previous incidents in San Jose, which helped lead me to my decision," Cotman says.

Mexican Mario Dominguez, a former Gold Coast Indy winner, stood in for Clarke but lost a rear wheel in the race.

Another European round at Assen in Holland next weekend is the only race left before this year's Gold Coast Indy on October 18-21.

Champ Car World Series standings after 11 of 15 rounds - Sebastien Bourdais 283 points, Robert Doornbos 230, Will Power 221, Justin Wilson 211, Graham Rahal 196, Oriol Servia 189, Neel Jani 182, Alex Tagliani 174, 15 Simon Pagenaud 173, Bruno Junqueira 165.

Dixon's latest victory, his fourth this season, was helped by previous series leader -- and this year's Indianapolis 500 winner -- Dario Franchitti clipping the car of one of his Andretti Green Racing teammates, Marco Andretti, and spinning.

"It's a big victory for me, especially after last year when I should have won (but for an airjack failure in the pits)," says Team Ganassi driver Dixon, who heads Franchitti by a mere 4 points after trailing him by 65 just a few weeks ago.

Scotsman Franchitti ended up third, with Brazilian Helio Castroneves between him and Dixon, and another Brazilian, Tony Kanaan, who Dixon accused of unfair tactics, was fourth.

The remaining rounds in the series are another road race in Detroit, then the Chicagoland superspeedway.

Indy Racing League championship points after 15 of 17 rounds - Scott Dixon 560 points, Dario Franchitti 556, Tony Kanaan 498, Dan Wheldon 414, Sam Hornish Junior 409.

Mick Hone, who was the co-driver in the Daytona coupe in which Brock died, Brocky's brother Lewis, and Brocky's partner, Julie Bamford, will attend the start of the rally.

They will be at the prologue on Thursday, September 6, and the Friday morning rally start in Forrest Place in the heart of Perth.

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