Little Debbie re-ups #21/Ambrose in 12 races [Archive]

View Full Version : Little Debbie re-ups #21/Ambrose in 12 races

tassiedevilAB

20th November 2007, 22:30

Jaysky's is reporting that this will happen, i haven't seen anything about this on either of the sites official or unofficial. this has come out of the blue.
I wonder if FORD racing have something to do with it?

This company is a very strange sponsor, they have rules that no signage is allowed to be displayed at a certain time on the weekend, witch makes it hard for the cameras to get shots for the fans & media.

They must be paying a good price.

tassiedevilAB

20th November 2007, 22:59

Sparky1329

20th November 2007, 23:19

Unless there's been an official announcement Jayski reports rumors. Sometimes where there's smoke there's fire but it usually best to wait for the "official" word.

Jonesi

21st November 2007, 00:22

Unless there's been an official announcement Jayski reports rumors. Sometimes where there's smoke there's fire but it usually best to wait for the "official" word.

In this case Jayski credits Wood Bros PR so I think it is official. He's pretty good at saying if something is only rumor.

Sparky1329

21st November 2007, 05:45

In this case Jayski credits Wood Bros PR so I think it is official. He's pretty good at saying if something is only rumor.

Then I would say that's official.

djarumdudley

21st November 2007, 07:12

This is quality news. Ambrose appears as if he could breathe some life into the Wood's Cup operation. he's done far better than i expected in his transition from road racing.

on another note, wonder if Ambrose will ever get to run that race offered(owed) by Robby Gordon?

tassiedevilAB

21st November 2007, 08:49

Yep it is official & from his smilling lips, this is what he & the team have said?

INTERVIEW WITH MARCOS AMBROSE

Q: IT MUST BE A GREAT FEELING TO HAVE 12 CUP RACES ON YOUR SCHEDULE FOR NEXT YEAR JUST ONE WEEK AFTER THE 2007 SEASON FINISHED IN FLORIDA?

“This Cup deal with Little Debbie is really exciting. Little Debbie is a fantastic sponsor, the sort of company that really promotes NASCAR. I’ve already been getting to know the McKee family and the people at Little Debbie and they’re great people and I’m looking forward to representing them next season.”

Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET THE CALL-UP TO CUP?

“For me to get the chance to drive in Cup is huge. I am going to give it everything I’ve got and do our team and all our great sponsors proud. It’s just a fantastic opportunity for me. I’m not taking it for granted, I’m going to make every effort to reward the team’s faith in me.”

Q: YOU WILL ALSO BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF LITTLE DEBBIE.

“I’m looking forward to that, and I think my young daughters will enjoy that part of it as well. We already have Little Debbie cakes in our kitchen. Maybe we can produce an Australian snack cake for Little Debbie, one with Vegemite in it.

“Little Debbie is a brand that really gets behind NASCAR and it’s driver and team and that sort of support and confidence really gives you a boost, it really does. When our team is putting in the long hours and we are doing everything we can to get a good result, we know that we’ve got a great sponsor behind us and good people as well. It’s a privilege to be representing them next year.”

Q: NASCAR SPRINT CUP IS AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH FIELD. WHAT IS THE INITIAL APPROACH GOING TO BE FOR YOUR FIRST FEW RACES?

“I said after Homestead on the weekend that the Busch Series is tough. Cup is another level again. But we’ve achieved a lot as a team this year and the work going on behind the scenes is great. I’m confident we can achieve some good things in these races.

“Yes, it’s a big challenge to run against the biggest names in the sport in my third year over here, but it’s what I’m here to do. I’ve always said that I enjoyed running in Busch races when there were a lot of Cup guys running as well because you had a benchmark and you could compare yourself to them.

“Now I’ve got my chance to run some races in the big league and I am going to try my very best, see how we go and learn every step of the way.”

Q: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IT IS GOING TO BE LIKE RACING AGAINST ALL THE TOP GUYS IN CUP? YOU HAVE RUN WITH A LOT OF THEM IN THE BUSCH SERIES THIS SEASON BUT NOW YOU WILL GET THE CHANCE TO RUN IN THE TOP LEVEL.

“You can’t underestimate those guys that run at the front in Cup week in, week out. They set the bar very high and when you come into it you have to learn the ropes and keep your head down and work hard.

“I enjoyed racing against the Cup guys in Busch and a lot of times this year I was in a position where I could race them hard, very hard but clean, and it was great experience.”

MARCOS AMBROSE – COMMENT ON 2008 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

“It’s full steam ahead for us for next season with the #59 Kingsford car in the Nationwide Series,” said Ambrose.

“This year was our rookie year, we learned a lot and grew as a team. I’m proud of all the work our guys put in this year and they all deserve to be pleased.

“Kingsford and all of our sponsors on the 59 have been great this year and next year is set to be even better.

“We have worked hard and have big plans for next season. This year we developed as a group and now we are putting things in place to take the next step and be in a position to win races and continue to improve.”

FURTHER QUOTES ON LITTLE DEBBIE ANNOUNCEMENT

Marcos Ambrose – Driver, Little Debbie Ford Fusion

“It’s a great day for Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing as a whole,” said Ambrose.

“Any time you can continue to market a successful relationship going forward, we’re doing something beneficial.

“For me to have a part in all of this in 2008 and realise my goal to get to the top level of North American motorsports is nothing short of a dream come true. 2008 will be my third straight year of competition and I’ve been fortunate enough to get the promotions to the top level.

“I want nothing more than to make their relationship with us stronger, both on the race track with our results and in the stores with their increased sales. I have no doubt that we’ll continue to elevate their stature in the partnership game that is NASCAR.”

Chris McKee – Vice-President of Sales & Marketing of McKee Foods

“At McKee Foods, we’ve seen over the last two seasons that sponsoring a Nextel Cup car works for our brand and our customers,” said McKee.

“We look forward to working with Marcos Ambrose as he takes over the wheel of the Little Debbie car.”

Eddie Wood – Wood Brothers Racing Team Owner

“We’re very proud that we’ve been able to not only re-sign McKee Food’s Little Debbie brand on our No. 21 car, but that this represents the first multi-year deal of the relationship with these fine folks,” said Wood.

“We believe that our family values background matches very well with theirs and we approach our goals for success in a similar fashion. It now falls on our shoulders to put the best effort going forward to represent one of the most famous brand names in America today. And we intend to do it to the utmost of our abilities.”

tHIS IS ANOTHRE STEAP LEARNING CURVE that he & the team have to negociate carefully or full steam ahead lol

tassiedevilAB

21st November 2007, 09:16

Australian Marcos Ambrose will race the Little Debbie Ford Fusion in 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events in 2008 for Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing

millencolin

21st November 2007, 15:53

Will he still have the Team Australia connection or is it all Little Debbie?

Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left

21st November 2007, 16:05

RaikkonenRules

21st November 2007, 17:22

Anyone know who else will run the #21?

Sparky1329

21st November 2007, 18:10

on another note, wonder if Ambrose will ever get to run that race offered(owed) by Robby Gordon?

I hope they can still do that at some point.

I would like to see Marcos with a more competitive team than the Woods. The #21 hasn't been competitive in years. If Bill Elliott can't make the car race nobody can.

jeffconn

21st November 2007, 19:38

This company is a very strange sponsor, they have rules that no signage is allowed to be displayed at a certain time on the weekend, witch makes it hard for the cameras to get shots for the fans & media.

From the Little Debbie wikipedia article:

McKee Foods is run by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Because advertising is considered a form of business, and they believe that they should not do business on their day of rest, the company chooses to have the NASCAR team it sponsors cover up all logos from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

tassiedevilAB

22nd November 2007, 10:48

From the Little Debbie wikipedia article:

yep that's right, at least the signage can be seen in qualifying on a friday.

tassiedevilAB

27th November 2007, 03:30

Here is some more news we have just got overhere from a racing mag concerning his CREW CHEIF. Turn to page 4 to read it!

http://enews.mnews.com.au/

Robert Ryan

27th November 2007, 11:00

Yes Walter Giles who was Martin Truex's engineer. Walter started in local oval racing in Australia..then Aussie NASCAR, finally a crewchief for a few teams in the US.

tassiedevilAB

5th December 2007, 18:25

This article is by pete pistone, on a review he is doing on some teams.

Struggling Wood Brothers/JTG looks for boost from Aussie

Dec. 3, 2007
By Pete Pistone
Special to CBSSports.com
Tell Pete your opinion!

First in a series looking back on NASCAR teams' fortunes in 2007 and their prospects for 2008.

The Wood brothers have been a part of the NASCAR world since nearly the beginning. Founded in 1953, the team has fielded cars in NASCAR's top division piloted by a list of drivers that reads like a "Who's Who" of the sport.

Marcos Ambrose is scheduled to drive the entire Nationwide Series and 12 Sprint Cup races for the Wood Brothers. (Getty Images)
Names like David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Jarrett, Neil Bonnett and Ricky Rudd have driven the team's famous No. 21 to its 96 trips to Victory Lane.

But lately it has been a tough road for the family-owned operation as it tries to compete as a one-car team against the multicar giants of the sport. The 2007 season was a struggle, and a variety of drivers took their turn behind the wheel.

Season rewind
Veteran Ken Schrader started the year as the team's regular driver, but a dismal start dropped it out of the top 35 in the point standings, losing its guaranteed starting spot.

Schrader was replaced in early May by another old hand, Bill Elliott, the 1988 series champion, who brought his past champion's provisional and a guaranteed six starts.

Elliott didn't fare much better than Schrader, failing to score a top 10 finish.

At the end of the season, the combined finishes for the No. 21 entry wound up 36th in the final owners points standings, meaning the team will have to qualify its way into at least the first six races next season unless Elliott returns with his champion's provisional.

2008 outlook
Australian Marcos Ambrose, who drove the team's Busch Series entry last season and is slated to run the entire Nationwide slate in 2008, will step up to make 12 Sprint Cup starts next year in the No. 21. (Note: The Busch Series will be the Nationwide Series next year, while the Nextel Cup is changing its title to the Sprint Cup.)

Team review/preview
Date Team Date Team
Dec. 3 Wood Brothers Dec. 24 Penske Racing
Dec. 6 Petty Enterprises Dec. 27 DEI
Dec. 10 Waltrip Racing Dec. 31 RCR
Dec. 13 Gillet-Evernham Jan. 3 Gibbs Racing
Dec. 17 Yates Racing Jan. 7 Roush-Fenway
Dec. 20 Ganassi Racing Jan. 10 Hendrick Motorsports
But whether Elliott or Schrader returns in the remaining 24 races is still undecided.

"I've certainly enjoyed my role as a fill-in driver for the Wood Brothers," Elliott said. "You just can't find them any nicer than Eddie or Len Wood, and that's made this whole process worthwhile despite our struggles."

Also uncertain is the future of Jon Wood, the family protégé and son of team co-owner Eddie, who is still recovering from medical problems that plagued him last year.

The younger Wood ran both the team's Busch and Craftsman truck entries in '07 and made a handful of Cup starts in the team's part-time No. 47 entry. But it still remains to be seen just where the third generation driver lands in 2008.

The team will also need a new crew chief; veteran Michael "Fatback" McSwain resigned late last season.

Unless the team can work out a partnership with an existing small budget operation and reap the benefits of being part of a multicar operation, the Wood brothers/JTG Racing David vs. Goliath story will continue in 2008.

tassiedevilAB

16th December 2007, 23:38

here's a link to an article on Rcingone.com a q&a by them to Ambrose's future plans, there are some interseting lines to look at in this article?

http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=39480