Wood Brothers/JTG Racing has decided that the team will again focus their attention on the team’s full-time #21 Cup entry [with Bill Elliott], putting on hold plans to run a second Cup [#47] entry for [Busch Series driver Marcos] Ambrose on the Watkins Glen road course. At the beginning of the season, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing announced its plans to enter Marcos Ambrose in both of the Nextel Cup road course races in 2007. Several circumstances have delayed Ambrose’s Cup debut and he will not be competing in Nextel Cup at Watkins Glen with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing this weekend, according to team co-owner, Tad Geschickter. We want to be totally prepared when we embark on Marcos’ Cup career, said Geschickter. We have no doubts that he will succeed at the top level of our sport. The combination of our #21 Cup car fighting to regain a guaranteed starting position in points and the unforeseen complexities of the new Car of Tomorrow’ introduction has forced us to rethink our earlier plans. Combine these factors with Marcos having a real opportunity to finish well inside the coveted top 10 in Busch Series points and we felt that stretching our resources to rush his Cup debut was the wrong thing to do at this time.(Wood Brothers/JTG Racing/BAM Media PR), but hearing Ambrose will drive a 2nd Ford for Robby Gordon in the Cup race at Watkins Glen.(8-7-2007) UPDATE: But ESPN has learned that Ambrose may yet get the chance to make his Cup debut — thanks to Robby Gordon. The owner/driver of Robby Gordon Motorsports has offered Ambrose the chance to qualify for the Centurion Boats at the Glen in a second RGM [#77] Ford. It’s not certain whether Ambrose will be cleared to accept the offer, but the offer has been made. An announcement could come as soon as Tuesday evening.(ESPN.com)(8-7-2007) UPDATE 2: Robby Gordon Motorsports will field Australian Marcos Ambrose in the Busch Series rookie’s Nextel Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen this weekend. After one of the most controversial incidents in NASCAR’s recent history last weekend, Ambrose has accepted a “peace offering” from Gordon to drive the #77 Camping World Ford Fusion, which will also carry some signage from Ambrose’s regular sponsor Kingsford Charcoal. Ambrose led 37 laps, more than any other driver in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal last weekend and was on course to record his first NASCAR Busch Series win when he was turned around by Gordon while leading at the second corner at a restart with two laps remaining. As a penalty, Gordon was eliminated from the following day’s Nextel Cup race, and while he strongly disagreed with the calls during the Busch race, he has accepted NASCAR’s decision and wants to put the incident behind him. Ambrose will continue his NASCAR Busch campaign on Saturday in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, but will now do “double duty” in the Robby Gordon Motorsports entry. Gordon will drive the #55 Verizon Wireless Ford Fusion in the Busch race and the #7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion in the Nextel Cup Series race. The Sunday event will be a joint effort between Robby Gordon Motorsports and Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, with Ambrose’s regular Kingsford crew doing the pit work and his new Crew Chief Ernie Cope calling the shots from the box on Sunday. Ambrose was originally scheduled to make his Nextel Cup debut in a Wood Brothers/JTG Racing entry this weekend, but several circumstances meant the team had to put their plans on hold. Ambrose currently sits eighth in the Busch Series points and second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.(RGM/Wasserman Media Group PR)(8-7-2007)
