NASCAR has named Montreal NAPA Auto Parts 200 top race of the year on the Nationwide schedule.
The choice was made from discussions with the national series directors, competition department and NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications managers.
The NAPA Auto Parts 200, held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last August, was a thriller. Australian Marcos Ambrose every year had continuously failed to bring home a victory for various reasons. He vowed to return to this event until he won.
His chances this year again looked slim after having to start at the rear for missing qualifying while traveling from his NASCAR Sprint Cup duties in Michigan – which took him from a plane to a helicopter to a boat to finally get to his spot on the starting grid – just before the race.
He also had to deal with the hometown favorites: Jacques Villeneuve (the polesitter), Patrick Carpentier (making his last start before retiring) and Alex Tagliani (also started on the front row).
Villeneuve led 29 of the first 44 laps but his chances went away when he and Ambrose tangled in Turn 1 after a restart with 26 laps remaining. Ambrose powered through the mishap and kept pushing through the field, finally taking the lead from Tagliani on lap 65. This time he held on around the final turn to take an improbable victory.
The choice was made from discussions with the national series directors, competition department and NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications managers.
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| The NASCAR Nationwide's cars on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
The NAPA Auto Parts 200, held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last August, was a thriller. Australian Marcos Ambrose every year had continuously failed to bring home a victory for various reasons. He vowed to return to this event until he won.
His chances this year again looked slim after having to start at the rear for missing qualifying while traveling from his NASCAR Sprint Cup duties in Michigan – which took him from a plane to a helicopter to a boat to finally get to his spot on the starting grid – just before the race.
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| Marcos Ambrose took the victory at Montreal. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
He also had to deal with the hometown favorites: Jacques Villeneuve (the polesitter), Patrick Carpentier (making his last start before retiring) and Alex Tagliani (also started on the front row).
Villeneuve led 29 of the first 44 laps but his chances went away when he and Ambrose tangled in Turn 1 after a restart with 26 laps remaining. Ambrose powered through the mishap and kept pushing through the field, finally taking the lead from Tagliani on lap 65. This time he held on around the final turn to take an improbable victory.