Marcos Ambrose made up significant ground in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings in August. For a four week span he finished with top ten finishes with three of them being fifth or better including a win at Watkins Glen.
It appeared Marcos Ambrose had figured out NASCAR racing and was poised to be a threat weekly on oval tracks.
We jumped to conclusions. Ambrose is an amazingly talented driver. He can wheel a car at Watkins Glen and is capable of having a good run on some ovals but he is not at the point yet where we can say he is a constant threat to win.
Since his win at Watkins Glen he finished fifth at Michigan ad Bristol. Since then he has struggled. Over the last seven races Ambrose has a best finish of 15th. Since Bristol he has led a total of four laps.
The question now turns to whose fault is it that Ambrose has regressed. Ambrose is running his fourth full season at the Sprint Cup level. Others have had similar career stats to his and not been brought back by an organization for a fifth.
The nice run in August for Ambrose got him noticed this season but overall his numbers this year are behind the ones he put up last season. Over the seasons final five races Ambrose will need two top-fives and four top-tens just to match last seasons numbers. That will be a tough task for many drivers but seems impossible for a driver who has not recorded a top-ten in seven races.
Maybe the problem is that Richard Petty Motorsports still lags behind the competition. The organization appeared to be making up ground on the competition over the summer but has fallen back in recent weeks. Their failed attempt to land Dodge for next season does not speak well about the organizations future in regards to improvement.
With just five races remaining it is time for Marcos Ambrose to step up and compete on ovals or slide into the category of road course ringer.
