Is Ambrose "scared" to race for the title?

Dave HRT Moy · 9 Nov 2003, 23:51 (Ref:778305)

Without Ingall biffing and barging his way through, Ambrose may have finished Puka in even worse shape.

Has Ingall simply become the "sacrificial lamb"?

He pushed through on several drivers (some passes were brilliant whilst others were very borderline) and basically held Marcose' hand.

Ambrose has been tentative at several rounds now and doesn't appear to be willing to "race" for the title, rather he seems more content to defend his lead, rather than take his main opponents on head to head.

I know that Skaife and Murph have had more to lose (particularly Skaife), but at least they are racing and not hiding behind their team mate...

shelleybgood · 10 Nov 2003, 00:38 (Ref:778325)

I was at Pukekohe and he was just consistently slower than a lot of other drivers through the first corner & the esses. I think he had trouble setting up his car right.

Joe5619 · 10 Nov 2003, 01:06 (Ref:778335)

In one word "yes"!!!!! Have a go Ambrose!!!

jetsetter · 10 Nov 2003, 01:31 (Ref:778343)

I don't know if scared is the right word to use but i think he is getting very nervous about winning the title & the pressure Ford have placed on him about being their first champion since '97, he should've put out of his mind the championship & raced to win as the quickest way to become champion is to take points off the other contenders.

harderfaster · 10 Nov 2003, 04:06 (Ref:778398)

Dave, what are your thoughts on Skaife's careless driving in race 1?

Dave HRT Moy · 10 Nov 2003, 04:18 (Ref:778404)

Quote:

Originally posted by harderfaster
Dave, what are your thoughts on Skaife's careless driving in race 1?

"Careless" is your word for it. My view is that he ran hard into the turn and probably expected Wilson to back off. He didn't, they hit and I'd call it a racing incident. Skaife could have pulled out a little earlier and tucked in behind the DJR car, but like I've said, he's a racer and was trying to get to the front.

I think his drive back through the field in race one and subsequent efforts in the other two races (with the exception of his little moment on Johnson's oil) were brilliant bits of driving and a highlight of the season.

Conrod Kieron · 10 Nov 2003, 04:22 (Ref:778407)

I'd say its a combination of a few things.

Ambrose going into defend mode
SBR appear to have come of the boil a little with car setup
sloppyness in the pits
plain bad luck when shuffled down the pack.

I think jetsetter hit the nail on the head. Pressure from Ford which may be implied or real is causing cracks to appear. SBR are going to have to come out with all guns blazing at EC as they don't have the benefit of mega umbrella organisations to effectively protect them.

**GTRMagic** · 10 Nov 2003, 04:26 (Ref:778414)

She'll be sweet... the man with the batphone will call out all his boys to help. Or Mr (Im)Polites will really start chucking the toys out of the pram!!

Dave HRT Moy · 10 Nov 2003, 05:43 (Ref:778441)

Quote:

Originally posted by GTRMagic
She'll be sweet... the man with the batphone will call out all his boys to help. Or Mr (Im)Polites will really start chucking the toys out of the pram!!

I'd suggest a few discreet calls might be made this week to various teams that run the blue oval's products.

Maybe they might be told that a win to Ambrose is a win to Ford and they all will benefit from that.

I might be wrong offcourse?

Problem is that there just isn't that many Falcons that are consistently up the pointy end of the field to render much assistance to Mr Ambrose.

Maybe Ingall, possibly Lowndes, but DJR, BETTA, Ozemail and the other FPR cars jut don't seem to show consistent speed and reliability enoug to really worry the Holdens.

On the Lion's side you have Murph, Skaife, T Kelly, R Kelly, Richards and Bright. All ofwhich will likely qualify near the pointy end....

Ambrose must be feeling a little like

craig1 · 10 Nov 2003, 06:01 (Ref:778447)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave HRT Moy
I'd suggest a few discreet calls might be made this week to various teams that run the blue oval's products.

Maybe they might be told that a win to Ambrose is a win to Ford and they all will benefit from that.

I might be wrong offcourse?

Problem is that there just isn't that many Falcons that are consistently up the pointy end of the field to render much assistance to Mr Ambrose.

Maybe Ingall, possibly Lowndes, but DJR, BETTA, Ozemail and the other FPR cars jut don't seem to show consistent speed and reliability enoug to really worry the Holdens.

On the Lion's side you have Murph, Skaife, T Kelly, R Kelly, Richards and Bright. All ofwhich will likely qualify near the pointy end....

Ambrose must be feeling a little like

My god your right Dave, I'm glad it was you that brought up the parity problem

six · 10 Nov 2003, 07:03 (Ref:778464)

Dave, you would be pretty naive to believe that the red teams aren't doing same.

Biggest difference being that five of the six drivers you listed as being able to qualify near the top don't need a phone to converse.

Mattracer · 10 Nov 2003, 07:27 (Ref:778475)

You won't see any Holden team playing every man for himself at ths time of the year, if they know what's ggod for them.

What a pity Ford doesn't do the same. I guess that puts to bed any rumour of either Ambrose of Ingall going to another Ford team for next year.

yes, it is a race but come on, with only two sides to bat for, it can't be hard to see the benefits of coming out in front. Holden has Bathurst so Ford needs the Championship and badly otherwise to the great unwashed and even the hard core, this season will look just the same as the last six on the pages of the history books, Holden series cahmpion and Bathurst champion.

Wizzby · 10 Nov 2003, 07:27 (Ref:778477)

I feel really sorry for Russell, he's the one who did all the hard work and the only person to benefit from it is Ambrose... You'd think a bloke who is supposedly "The best touring car driver in the world" (Mnews) could pass any car on his own merits, it shouldn't matter what badge they bear! I cannot believe that he just expects other Ford teams to jump out of his way, and if Mr Polites or whoever does get on the phone this week I reckon they should be punished for bringing the sport into disrepute!

On the other hand, it was great to see The Enforcer back in town

Shame about the car he drives

FatBoy · 10 Nov 2003, 07:41 (Ref:778487)

I'm a Holden fan, and a Murph fan, but to be perfectly honest i'd be happy to see Marcos take the title at the Creek...
He has been brilliant this year, and his humility is great for the sport... Good luck to him and Murph, may the best man win !!

Oh, and Dave, before you insinuate that someone is "scared" maybe you should get out there and have a go yourself... then you would realise that there's a lot more to just jumping into a perfect car and cruising around for a few laps...

Just because the guy was down a little doesn't mean he has lost his nerve - as someone suggested earlier it could have been more a car set up problem, who knows ?? Just a thought...

Cheers,
Paul...

stido · 10 Nov 2003, 08:38 (Ref:778541)

Well, in my personal opinion, Who in there right mind, is going to put the pedal to the metal with a car that is chewing up the rear tyres and all sorts of other probs, when it is most likely going to put him in the wall??

he would look a hell of a lot more stupid p[itching it in the wall than taking a conservative/safe racing line.

the 2 SBR cars will be strong in the last round

jetsetter · 10 Nov 2003, 08:42 (Ref:778544)

If the same thing happens at EC than Ambrose is going to have to keep going for it as it's no good dawdling round as 23rd will do him no good at all.

stido · 10 Nov 2003, 08:43 (Ref:778545)

neither will pitching it into the wall :P

Nevermind · 10 Nov 2003, 22:50 (Ref:779285)

Does anyone know what position ambrose was in when he needed to make a second pit stop due to Johnsons oil?

Dave HRT Moy · 11 Nov 2003, 00:18 (Ref:779352)

Quote:

Originally posted by FatBoy
I'm a Holden fan, and a Murph fan, but to be perfectly honest i'd be happy to see Marcos take the title at the Creek...
He has been brilliant this year, and his humility is great for the sport... Good luck to him and Murph, may the best man win !!

Oh, and Dave, before you insinuate that someone is "scared" maybe you should get out there and have a go yourself... then you would realise that there's a lot more to just jumping into a perfect car and cruising around for a few laps...
Just because the guy was down a little doesn't mean he has lost his nerve - as someone suggested earlier it could have been more a car set up problem, who knows ?? Just a thought...

Cheers,
Paul...

Paul,

I didn't "insinuate" that Ambrose was scared. I posed it as a question.

I have an opinion on politics too and international events and other types of sport. I don't have to have been a politician, army sergeant or football player to say what I think...

V8 Superdave · 11 Nov 2003, 01:56 (Ref:779392)

Yes, Dave, you DID insinuate exactly that.... when you place something in quotation marks when writing it, there's the inference that what your'e actually saying might not be all there is to the comment/question. Go ask an english teacher if you don't believe me.

Just putting it in quote marks does not make your comments any less inflammatory (on those occasions when they are or can be seen to be) or full of innuendo.

For my money, no, marcos is obviously not scared in any way, but i will concede that they had perhaps not the best cat out there, making his job harder.

DAVID PATERSON · 11 Nov 2003, 02:33 (Ref:779410)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave HRT Moy
Paul, I have an opinion on politics too and international events and other types of sport. I don't have to have been a politician, army sergeant or football player to say what I think...

Dave, you're right, this is a free country and you're entitled to have an opinion. Whether or not we need to know what it is, is an other matter.

However, Paul's point, and it's a good one, is that a casual observer from the sidelines and not someoone who's actually had a go himself, may not have enough knowledge to formulate an opinion that's actually worth airing.....

Dave HRT Moy · 11 Nov 2003, 03:30 (Ref:779445)

Quote:

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
Dave, you're right, this is a free country and you're entitled to have an opinion. Whether or not we need to know what it is, is an other matter.

However, Paul's point, and it's a good one, is that a casual observer from the sidelines and not someoone who's actually had a go himself, may not have enough knowledge to formulate an opinion that's actually worth airing.....

David,

Once again, you are entitled to your view. But I would counter that the vast majority of posters on here would have no more (and many, far less) direct contact with any V8 teams and how they operate than I do.

We all formulate our views based on different and widely varying levels of experience, information and personal beliefs.

Just as you have made an assumption about my knowledge and past experience and questioned the value of my views. You have never met me, worked with me or even spoken to me, yet you still form an opinion and express a view with little if any basis for your remarks.

You have offered an opinion without all of the facts.

So we are all guilty to some degree David....

FatBoy · 11 Nov 2003, 09:20 (Ref:779605)

Ahhh, but Dave Mr. Patterson does not ram his opinions down everyone elses throats though...

I stand by what i said - you did "insinuate" that Marcos was scared. You know it, i know it, and so does everyone else that has read it.

As you correctly pointed out, everyone is entitled to form an opinion - so in mine i think you've overshot the runway with your brash statement inferring Mr. Ambrose is scared...

Cheers,
Paul...

Dave HRT Moy · 11 Nov 2003, 10:30 (Ref:779658)

Quote:

Originally posted by FatBoy
Ahhh, but Dave Mr. Patterson does not ram his opinions down everyone elses throats though...

I stand by what i said - you did "insinuate" that Marcos was scared. You know it, i know it, and so does everyone else that has read it.

As you correctly pointed out, everyone is entitled to form an opinion - so in mine i think you've overshot the runway with your brash statement inferring Mr. Ambrose is scared...

Cheers,
Paul...

No problem...

Onlooker · 11 Nov 2003, 21:58 (Ref:780316)

Maybe Marcos just knows when to hold em and when to fold them,Ambrose had good pace at EC last round and probally felt that he didn't have to so anything stupid as he can finish well at EC and win the tittle.It is good to see the Skaife of old return and give his team a rateing at the endof each round,didn't quite get the one from NZ but I am sure all the boys that left Gibbo's because of him apreaciated the big B+ at indy

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Forum's 2005 "Indy 500" RACE "Pick 'Em" Contest	Tim Northcutt	IRL Indycar Series	26	31 May 2005 08:36
Is there an Australian "Tall Poppy" being started on Ambrose	mmciau	Australasian Touring Cars.	33	8 Mar 2005 10:57
Milka Duno to Race in "one off" Porsche Supercup race	SALEEN S7R	Sportscar & GT Racing	13	4 May 2003 05:53
Can Ruben Xaus do an "Edwards" and take the WSB title down to the wire this year?	Yoong Montoya	Bike Racing	7	26 Mar 2003 18:40
Jos "Dead Loss" Verstappen & Enrique "Not Piquet" Bernoldi	I Ate Yoko Ono	Formula One	16	9 Oct 2001 14:44