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Montreal: Ambrose post race interview

MARCOS AMBROSE -- No. 59 STP Ford Fusion -- (finished 3rd, qualified 3rd) TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE. "I'm bitterly disappointed. I feel like we really dominated today's race. I made an error down pit lane, I just couldn't see the pit exit and we ...

Edited: Aug 2, 2008, 11:59 PM

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MARCOS AMBROSE -- No. 59 STP Ford Fusion -- (finished 3rd, qualified 3rd)

TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE.

"I'm bitterly disappointed. I feel like we really dominated today's race. I made an error down pit lane, I just couldn't see the pit exit and we sped. I went down and had a look at it and it's still hard to see. I'm just really disappointed, I feel like the race was ours today and I tripped over myself. I'm real sorry for my team and STP and JTG Daugherty Racing for, I let them down, I guess. It's a shame."

ARE THESE THE WORST CONDITIONS YOU'VE DRIVEN UNDER?

"It was it tricky. For the first time, for these guys to have a race in the rain, we actually got a race in. That was a good thing. It felt really slow and the car was slipping around. Getting up to speed there when we first put the wets on, I thought I'm real trouble here because I've just got no grip. Obviously, I had no grip, better than everyone else because we did pretty well. It was treacherous, it was tricky but I think all the drivers kept of the race track for the most part and we got a race in, which is important. I think to NASCAR's credit for not running rain races very often, that they did a pretty good job."

WHAT TURNED THE RACE AROUND?

"We had a great day going. I just sped down pit lane. Actually, I took off too early. I couldn't see the end of pit lane. I just couldn't see it. The line on the race track, I couldn't see it. I couldn't see the cone. I waited until I got passed Pruett and counted to three and took off and I must have just jumped the line but 20 or 30 feet. I'm bitterly disappointed that I let everybody down with that. I feel robbed about it, to be honest with you. I feel like we just dominated today. We controlled the race from the front. It's just a real shame for STP and JTG Daugherty Racing. We've got great things on the horizon, but I just feel a little jinxed. I feel like I need to win a race. I've come here twice, dominated and came up short both times. So, I'm gonna have to have a few beers or something to reconcile myself tonight and hopefully, I'll wake up tomorrow with a hangover and feel a little better. Right now, I feel very disappointed and hopefully, that goes away."

BUT THE RAIN, YOU HAD NO CONTROL OF. IF THIS STAYED GREEN, COULD YOU HAVE WON?

"If the race kept going or the rain had stopped. They couldn't keep the race going, it was too wet. I commend NASCAR for making the call to stop that race because it was getting dangerous out there. We had a lot of car, whether Patrick [Carpentier] and the 5 [Ron Fellows] had to stop one more time, if they didn't, we would race them hard to the end. We still feel like we're in a good position, but I really let them down. I guess, I could be mad at NASCAR, but I'm not. I'm mad at myself for making a mistake. It's hard to see that cone, I guess a lot of guys got penalized for doing the same thing but it's just the way it goes."

DID YOU LEARN SOMETHING THAT WILL BE HELPFUL NEXT WEEKEND AT ANOTHER ROAD COURSE RACE? DO YOU LIKE HAVING THE ROAD COURSE EVENTS BACK-TO-BACK?

"I've learned that I don't want to race in the rain in a NASCAR again. It's really tricky. Maybe if there is inclement weather again down the road, NASCAR won't be so frightened to put us out there on wets because we got a race in. Everyone was safe and it was a decent show, I guess. The tires held up and the cars held up. I thought for sure we were going to have electrical problems with all the water that was coming in the car but anything that got wet was me."

DO YOU FEEL JINXED UP HERE?

"I feel jinxed full stop. I've come along way to be part of NASCAR and I'm two and a half years into this deal and haven't gotten a victory. I've got second, third, fourth, fifth, whatever, but that win has alluded me. I guess if you keep knocking on the door, it will come. I feel comfortable out there, I feel like I belong. I feel like if we keep at it, the win will fall our way, but right now, it's a bitter pill to swallow. I haven't had this good a race and not won twice in a row before at a track. It's usual. This place has been great to me. We're going to come back next year, I'm sure and try and break that win. Then we'll be off. But who knows. I'm disappointed but life goes on. I've got two health girls back home. I'm looking forward to getting home and seeing those girls tonight and play in the sandbox tomorrow and have a swim and forget about life."

WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF RACING CUP IN THE RAIN?

"I think it's okay. We demonstrated today that we can get a race in and the tires are decent and the cars run. Maybe some of those Cup guys don't want to run in the rain, who knows. I'd be happy to run a Cup car in the rain, not problem."

-credit: ford racing

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