Marcos Ambrose started on the pole, led a career-best 49 laps and finished 19th at the Built Ford Tough 225 Saturday at the Kentucky Speedway.

• Ambrose has a unique sponsorship package with Team Australia and Aussie Vineyards before the race. Team Australia also is supported by RM Williams clothing, Tourism Australia and other progressive Australian brands.
• Ambrose is the first driver in NASCAR history from Tasmania.

Marcos Ambrose on Kentucky: "To get a pole, I've always been a pretty strong qualifier and I really don't know why. It scares me a little. It's just great for the guys and great for the team. I've got so many people to thank for getting me over here. Ford Australia and Tom Gorman, and Dan Davis from Ford of America in the racing department to drag me halfway across the world. The team bosses, the Wood Brothers and Tad Geschickter, I just want to thank them for giving me the chance to compete on the ovals over here. I've got some great equipment and a fantastic team behind me. They're making me look better than I could have possibly hoped for in my rookie year. We're just trying to get me used to oval racing, and to get a pole so early in my NASCAR career is more than I expected."

Marcos Ambrose on the season: "We're showing a lot of car speed out there, we've led a lot of laps, and we've come such a long way in a couple of races. You know, we'll forget about the Kentucky result in a couple of days and we'll look forward to the next race. I'm gaining experience with each race. I've got to get better at racing in traffic, and we've got to get better at setting the truck up for those conditions."

Crew Chief Gary Gogswell on Kentucky:  "The bad thing about pit strategy is it can make you look good or it can make you look bad. We had the best truck there. We started on the pole and led the most laps. We decided not to pit early in the race during a caution because we were convinced there would be more cautions. We didn't want to give up track position. The last thing we expected was a long green-flag run. We had to make our pit stop under the green and that put us a lap down. Given the same exact circumstances in the future, it probably would work out in our favor. It's all part of racing."

Marcos Ambrose's 2006 Season Highlights

• Best Starting Position: Pole (Kentucky)
• Best Finishing Position: Third (Kansas)
• Most Money Won: $25,325 (Kansas)