WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Marcos Ambrose missed his daughter's first day of school. She probably won't mind.

The snakebitten Ambrose, deprived more than once of a NASCAR victory, beat Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch on a two-lap dash to the checkered flag Monday to win the rain-delayed Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

It was his first victory in 105 starts in NASCAR's top series and atoned for a slip-up a year ago on the road course at Sonoma, when he stalled his car under caution while leading with six laps to go and finished sixth.

"I've tried for 2 1/2 years," Ambrose said. "We're going to onward and upward from here. It's a proud day."

Ambrose has won all three Nationwide races he's entered at Watkins Glen, and in three Cup starts here, he's notched one second and two thirds, including an impressive drive from last to third in 2008.

Finally pulling into Victory Lane was a feeling like no other.

"This is almost surreal," the affable Australian said in his No. 9 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports after crossing the finish line.

Ambrose signed a multiyear deal with struggling RPM a year ago to drive the No. 9 this season. That capped a tumultuous summer in which he opted to leave the No. 47 at JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of 2010 with one year left on his contract, even though he knew he was taking a big risk in difficult economic times.

"There were days, weeks when I was anxious," Ambrose said. "There were times I was sitting around the boardroom table and there was nobody else there. But you've got to roll the dice sometimes."

It was Ford's first victory at Watkins Glen since Geoff Bodine won here in 1996 and the 15th different winner in Cup races this year.

Boris Said touched off a wild crash that ended the race. He was looking to wreak some more havoc off the track afterward.

Greg Biffle, who finished 31st, confronted Said in the pits afterward and gave him a couple of quick hits while Said was still in his car.

"He wouldn't even let me get out of the car. He comes over and throws a few little baby punches and then when I get out, he runs away and hides behind some big guys," Said said. "He is the most unprofessional little scaredy-cat I've ever seen in my life. He wouldn't even fight me like a man after. He needs a whooping, and I'm going to give it to him. He won't hide from me long. I'll find him.

"I won't settle it on the track ... but he'll show up at a race with a black eye one of these days."

Busch, trying to win a second time from the pole at Watkins Glen, led the field to the green flag for the final two laps. But Keselowski, racing with a broken left ankle and trying for his second straight win and third of the season, dove from third to the lead entering the first turn with Ambrose also streaking past Busch.

"Those guys didn't care to give me any room," said Busch, who finished second to brother Kurt here in Saturday's Nationwide race. "There's only one corner you've got to make, and as soon as you make it through that corner and can keep everybody behind, it's smooth sailing from there."

Ambrose then closed on Keselowski in the chicane after zooming through the high-speed esses and passed him for the lead before the final lap.

"I wanted to win," said Keselowski, who has the first wild card for the Chase and moved up four spots in the standings to 14th. "We had a shot at it, and that's all you can ask as a driver."

Busch finished third, and Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.

Kevin Harvick was sixth, followed by defending race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson.

Kurt Busch, who won at Sonoma in June, crashed early and finished 38th. He wasn't alone: Denny Hamlin, who entered the day 11th in points, also crashed and finished 36th; five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart, who ran up front all race, was taken out on the final lap in the chicane and finished 27th.

NASCAR

Sprint Cup

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen

Monday

At Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Lap length: 2.45 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (3) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 92 laps, 132.2 rating, 47 points, $217,741.

2. (12) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 92, 122.7, 43, $178,158.

3. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 92, 134.9, 43, $184,541.

4. (9) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 92, 112.3, 40, $120,350.

5. (13) Joey Logano, Toyota, 92, 100.6, 39, $106,450.

6. (23) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 92, 86.9, 38, $139,386.

7. (5) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 92, 108.8, 38, $120,708.

8. (2) A J Allmendinger, Ford, 92, 93.9, 37, $117,186.

9. (40) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 92, 88.7, 35, $92,675.

10. (4) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 92, 104.9, 35, $127,286.

11. (19) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 92, 91.4, 34, $116,533.

12. (8) Carl Edwards, Ford, 92, 85.1, 32, $117,216.

13. (17) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 92, 96.7, 32, $110,886.

14. (24) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 92, 79.4, 30, $109,286.

15. (25) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 92, 86.2, 29, $78,825.

16. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 92, 70.4, 28, $109,050.

17. (14) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 92, 67.6, 27, $104,589.

18. (20) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 92, 68, 26, $96,689.

19. (11) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 92, 70.5, 25, $95,445.

20. (26) Casey Mears, Toyota, 92, 55.6, 24, $69,975.

21. (36) Andy Lally, Ford, 92, 52.7, 23, $77,950.

22. (15) Boris Said, Chevrolet, 92, 55.8, 22, $84,808.

23. (10) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 92, 68.7, 21, $94,120.

24. (31) Robby Gordon, Dodge, 92, 55.6, 20, $82,608.

25. (22) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 92, 55.1, 19, $75,275.

26. (18) Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 92, 80.1, 18, $86,783.

27. (7) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 92, 96.2, 17, $109,833.

28. (16) David Ragan, Ford, accident, 91, 52.4, 16, $74,600.

29. (39) David Reutimann, Toyota, accident, 91, 43.6, 15, $91,483.

30. (38) Ron Fellows, Chevrolet, accident, 91, 52.5, 0, $75,472.

31. (28) Greg Biffle, Ford, 91, 60.9, 13, $81,625.

32. (32) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, accident, 85, 65.4, 12, $71,050.

33. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, brakes, 79, 37.3, 11, $63,850.

34. (43) Terry Labonte, Ford, transmission, 78, 33.3, 10, $62,775.

35. (35) Andrew Ranger, Ford, transmission, 75, 41.7, 0, $62,625.

36. (42) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, accident, 65, 61.6, 8, $110,475.

37. (34) T.J. Bell, Chevrolet, power steering, 58, 36.5, 7, $62,325.

38. (27) Kurt Busch, Dodge, accident, 48, 51.9, 6, $106,725.

39. (29) Scott Speed, Ford, suspension, 45, 30.1, 0, $61,975.

40. (21) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, brakes, 12, 29.5, 0, $61,845.

41. (33) Michael McDowell, Toyota, engine, 7, 29.9, 3, $61,680.

42. (30) J.J. Yeley, Ford, brakes, 5, 27.9, 2, $61,555.

43. (37) Mike Skinner, Toyota, brakes, 4, 28.3, 0, $61,930.

Top 12 in Points: 1. Ky.Busch, 752; 2. C.Edwards, 752; 3. J.Johnson, 746; 4. K.Harvick, 738; 5. M.Kenseth, 724; 6. Ku.Busch, 712; 7. J.Gordon, 700; 8. R.Newman, 686; 9. D.Earnhardt Jr., 670; 10. T.Stewart, 659; 11. C.Bowyer, 634; 12. D.Hamlin, 626.