Bristol, Tenn. (August 19, 2009) – Tad and Jodi Geschickter started their NASCAR ownership career in 1994 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and celebrated their first victory at Bristol Motor Speedway with Jeff Fuller in March 1996. Now, JTG-Daugherty Racing is earning their keep as a serious contender in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Marcos Ambrose. This week they return to the site of their first NASCAR victory in the Nationwide Series looking to capture their first Cup Series win with the Australian driver in the No. 47 Clorox® Toyota Camry.
“We have come a long way in a short period of time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. My hat’s off to Marcos and the crew. The No. 47 car is starting to turn some heads,” Tad Geschickter said.
As owners of JTG-Daugherty Racing, this season the Geschickter’s and Brad Daugherty have three top-five, six top-10, 13 top-20 finishes and their driver almost delivered their first Cup victory at Watkins Glen International. Ambrose’s career-best runner-up finish at The Glen came on the heels of his second Nationwide Series career victory driving for JTG-Daugherty at the road course in the Zippo 200. Things are really coming together for the race team after 25 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With sponsorship deals gelling and a home for the organization in 2010 close to being inked, the future is bright according to Ambrose.“Everything is going great for our organization and we have some sponsor announcements around the corner,” Ambrose said. “Things are coming to fruition for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series program and I’m really looking forward to 2010. We’re close to having what we need for the future. It’s a lot of fun and I think we have a lot of blue sky in front of us.” More immediate, Ambrose has his first night race in the No. 47 Clorox® Toyota Camry at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) Saturday. Earlier this season, he admitted he did not know what to expect for his first time around the .533-mile concrete oval in the Cup Series.“We didn’t have any expectations and we ran in the top-five,” Ambrose said. “We were pleasantly surprised.”The 32-year-old was on path for a top-five finish at BMS until mechanical problems derailed his efforts, but the JTG-Daugherty Racing team rallied back to finish 10th. “We were a little disappointed with a 10th-place finish because we had a car capable of winning or at least finishing in the top-five,” Ambrose said. “But, I did have a blast racing there and I can’t wait to race at night. The Sharpie 500 is a special race and one of the biggest events of the year in my opinion. If we can stay out of harm's way, we feel like we have a shot this weekend.”Before Bristol, Ambrose took a detour for another outback adventure. Ambrose tested a Grand-Am prototype Sportscar for the first time in his career at Virginia International Raceway on Tuesday along with fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards. Ambrose tested the No. 77 Dallara of Doran Racing. Both Ambrose and Edwards set respectable lap times around the North Course at ‘VIR’, reaching competitive times aboard the 500-horsepower machine over the course of the day. Team Owner Kevin Doran's No. 77 Daytona Prototype has competed in all nine rounds of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Series, with a best finish of fifth at Virginia International Raceway in April, with Memo Gidley and Brad Jaeger at the wheel.
Live coverage of the Sharpie 500 on Sunday, August 22nd starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. MRN and Sirius PRN will also carry the event beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
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