JTG Racing mulling 2009 Cup team with Ambrose

By SceneDaily Staff

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Rusty Jarrett
Getty Images for NASCAR

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – JTG Racing owner Tad Geschickter said Friday he hopes to move Marcos Ambrose to the Sprint Cup Series next season, in addition to having Nationwide and truck series teams in 2009.

The Australian Ambrose, in his second season in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, made his Cup debut at Infineon Raceway last month for Wood Brothers Racing. Ambrose is slated to drive four Cup races later this year under the JTG banner.

JTG currently fields two cars in the Nationwide Series, for Ambrose and Kelly Bires. Geschickter said Bires would stay in the Nationwide Series in 2009, with Coleman Pressley to drive for the team in the truck series.

Pressley is the son of former driver Robert Pressley.

The move to Sprint Cup is a logical one, Geschickter said, and has been talked about for some time.

“You race for a living,” Geschickter said. “I’ve been racing for 15 years now as a team owner. That’s always what you aspire to, to play with the best. The Nationwide garage, we’re racing against that technology. If you’re able to pull together the sponsorship and the people to do that, I don’t know why you wouldn’t try to do it.

“I’ve always tried to build my company a step at a time to get to that level. We’re working really hard to continue that goal. We’ve always had that vision. It’s nothing new.”

Ambrose, a former Australian V8 Supercar champion, has two top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 53 starts in the No. 2 series. Geschickter said he is ready to make the jump to Cup.

“Marcos is one of the premier drivers in the world,” Geschickter said. “He’s road-raced his whole life. He’s proven he’s very good at that. He’s adapting to the ovals quickly.”

All Ambrose wanted when he moved to the United States was a shot to prove he was one of the best, Geschickter said.

“The Cup series, you’ve got sponsors that are interested in committing those resources more so than in the other series in NASCAR,” Geschickter said. “He’s proven he’s ready to take the next step in his development for me to provide the equipment he needs to do that. Cup is where we need to be.”

Ambrose said that he would certainly be open to that possibility.

"I know that Tad would like to go Cup racing, I know I would like to go Cup racing,” Ambrose said. “I’m bound to JTG Racing because, a, I’m under contract, b, there’s a lot of loyalty there. He’s been good to me, and I’m going to stick with him. Whatever he chooses to do, I’ll follow suit.”

The team currently fields Fords but Geschickter said the manufacturer the team will be affiliated with next year is open.