The 2011 edition of the Napa Auto Parts 200 NASCAR event was a big success with Australian Marcos Ambrose taking his first victory Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Ambrose came all the way from the back of the pack to finally win the Montreal round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Australian was forced to start from the back as his No. 9 Stanley Ford since he missed all practice sessions and qualifying as he was also running the Sprint Cup race in Michigan.
Pole-sitter Jacques Villeneuve looked like the class of the field, leading 29 of the first 44 laps. However, on a restart after the race's second caution, the former Formula 1 champion locked up his rear wheels and went off course in the Senna hairpin. Villeneuve's race was over as he lost two laps in the pits while the Penske Racing crew worked on his No. 22 Dodge.
“I ran the first part of the race on a slow rhythm to save the car,” Villeneuve said after the race.
“The car was fantastic except on the restarts. On the second restart, I was not ready. I was sleeping. Ambrose was on the inside, and instead of being aggressive, I drove on the grey stuff and lost control of the car. That was a mistake,” Villeneuve added.
Villeneuve's teammate at Penske Racing, IndyCar Series regular and fellow Quebecois Alex Tagliani, came in second, followed by Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace and young Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick.
Rounding out the top 10 were Scott Speed, Carl Edwards, on whose plane Ambrose flew to Montreal, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler.
Ambrose came all the way from the back of the pack to finally win the Montreal round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Australian was forced to start from the back as his No. 9 Stanley Ford since he missed all practice sessions and qualifying as he was also running the Sprint Cup race in Michigan.
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| Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com |
Pole-sitter Jacques Villeneuve looked like the class of the field, leading 29 of the first 44 laps. However, on a restart after the race's second caution, the former Formula 1 champion locked up his rear wheels and went off course in the Senna hairpin. Villeneuve's race was over as he lost two laps in the pits while the Penske Racing crew worked on his No. 22 Dodge.
“I ran the first part of the race on a slow rhythm to save the car,” Villeneuve said after the race.
“The car was fantastic except on the restarts. On the second restart, I was not ready. I was sleeping. Ambrose was on the inside, and instead of being aggressive, I drove on the grey stuff and lost control of the car. That was a mistake,” Villeneuve added.
Villeneuve's teammate at Penske Racing, IndyCar Series regular and fellow Quebecois Alex Tagliani, came in second, followed by Michael McDowell, Steve Wallace and young Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick.
Rounding out the top 10 were Scott Speed, Carl Edwards, on whose plane Ambrose flew to Montreal, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler.
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