Ambrose, who won the Nationwide Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International on Saturday to become the first Australian to win a NASCAR race, drove the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford to an impressive third-place finish Sunday in the Centurion Boats at The Glen Cup race after starting last.
"It was just a real thrill," Ambrose said. "You don't get many chances in life to do something special like this, and today I'm going to look back very fondly. I've come a long way."
The win by the 31-year-old Ambrose, a native of Tasmania, was being called back home the biggest breakthrough in international motorsports by an Australian since Alan Jones won the Formula One crown nearly two decades ago.
Ambrose, who raced one year in the Craftsman Truck Series and is in the top 12 in the Nationwide Series, is slated to race full-time in Cup next year with JTG Daugherty Racing.
Eddie Wood will be sad to see him go.
"Marcos has done a heck of a job for the first time here in a Cup car," Wood said. "We needed this so badly."
It was the first top-five finish for the Wood Brothers since 2005 on the road course at Sonoma.
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POOR STRATEGY: Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the front row, gained the lead on the second lap from eventual winner Kyle Busch, and sailed away, leading 27 of the first 28 laps.
Then poor pit strategy doomed what could have been a breakthrough day. Earnhardt has never won a Cup road race, and when he was forced to give up the lead with 27 laps remaining by pitting under caution, he lost his track position and finished 22nd.
"What are we going to do to get a good finish?" said Earnhardt, who dropped two spots in the points standings to fourth. "I was happy we had a good car. Strategy got messed up there at the end."
"If the caution hadn't come out, we'd been sitting rosy," said Earnhardt's crew chief, Tony Eury Jr.
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RACING IN THE RAIN: Racing in the rain at the Sprint Cup level is not on the horizon, but some drivers think it would make sense and be very entertaining.
Using Goodyear's specially grooved wet-weather tires, the Nationwide Series made history a week ago in Montreal when Ron Fellows won NASCAR's first major points race in the rain.
"It's definitely a possibility," said Tony Stewart, a six-time winner on road courses. "Goodyear did an excellent job. I'm their biggest critic at times. They can do things right at times. You still got to see the race. You get to see guys who are a lot out of their element, and that's fun. It's fun to watch those drivers adapt."
Rain tires have not been an option for Sprint Cup Series teams on road courses since 2006.
Sprint Cup qualifying Friday at Watkins Glen was canceled because of rain for the fourth time in five years, but NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said that, despite those statistics, too many factors weigh against using rain tires for Cup events. But Pemberton added that NASCAR would always consider anything.
Goodyear had 600 rain tires on site at Watkins Glen for the Nationwide cars, and the tires would have been used if it rained. It didn't.
Rain tires were used for an official Craftsman Truck Series practice at Watkins Glen in 1999. At the 2000 Cup event at The Glen, NASCAR offered drivers the opportunity to test rain tires in an unofficial session and Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Todd Bodine, and Jeff Burton briefly tried them, though the tires were never used for an official practice.
Jeff Gordon isn't too fond of the idea, though. "I like to see where I'm going," he said.
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FRANCHITTI'S FUTURE: Dario Franchitti's first ride in a month served as a reminder that he's still available.
The former Indy 500 winner won the pole for Saturday's Zippo 200 Nationwide race at Watkins Glen International, led 18 laps, and finished fifth. He has six more scheduled starts in the series, but where he'll drive after that is still up in the air. Franchitti lost his Cup ride last month when Chip Ganassi shuttered it for lack of sponsorship.
"I figure with the Cup deal closing down, I might as well be in the car somewhere," said the 35-year-old Franchitti, who switched to stock cars after winning the 2007 IndyCar title. "I was planning to do these Nationwide races anyway. I figure get in the car, keep learning, keep working on how to drive a stock car properly. That's where we are now."
Franchitti said he wasn't ready to give up hope just yet.
"I'm going to talk to other teams in the NASCAR paddock, for sure," he said. "I'm going to talk to everybody and see what my options are for next year."
So far, he said he's sticking with trying to find a ride in a stock car, but his brother Mario races sports cars in the American Le Mans Series, and that could be an option.
"It's not a good feeling. It's the first time it's happened in my career," said Franchitti, who's made two trips back to his native Scotland with his wife, actress Ashley Judd, since he lost his ride. "It's just a sign of the times really."
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SPARK PLUGS: Richard Childress Racing drivers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick carried decals on their cars in support of the Childress Institute for Pedatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Medical Center. ... Harvick extended his NASCAR record to 66 consecutive races without a DNF. ... Kyle Busch has led 1,131 laps this season, the most in Cup. No driver has led every race. ... The point spread between first and second has varied between six following California and 262 after Chicago. Kyle Busch leads Carl Edwards now by 242. ... Toyota has nine wins, Chevrolet five, Ford four, and Dodge three.
Final Hall of Fame Game canceled because of rain
NASCAR uses rain tires in Montreal
Fellows wins in the rain in Montreal
