Marcos Ambrose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcos Ambrose
Ambrose at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2012
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1976-09-01) 1 September 1976 (age 48) Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Championships	1999 European Formula Ford Champion 2003, 2004 V8 Supercars Champion
Supercars record
Car number	17
Current team	DJR Team Penske
Series championships	2 (2003, 2004)
Races	147
Race wins	28
Podium finishes	66
Pole positions	18
NASCAR Cup Series career
227 races run over 7 years
2014 position	23rd
Best finish	18th (2009, 2012)
First race	2008 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma)
Last race	2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead)
First win	2011 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Last win	2012 Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 46 3
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
77 races run over 7 years
2014 position	85th
Best finish	8th (2007)
First race	2007 Orbitz 300 (Daytona)
Last race	2014 Zippo 200 at the Glen (Watkins Glen)
First win	2008 Zippo 200 at the Glen (Watkins Glen)
Last win	2014 Zippo 200 at the Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles 5 18 4
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
22 races run over 1 year
Best finish	21st (2006)
First race	2006 Kroger 250 (Martinsville)
Last race	2006 Ford 200 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 4 1
Statistics current as of 16 November 2014.

Marcos Ross Ambrose (born 1 September 1976) is an Australian former racing driver. He is currently the competition director for Garry Rogers Motorsport. Marcos is famous for winning the Australian V8 Supercar series championship twice, in 2003 and 2004.

In 2006, Ambrose moved to the United States to race in NASCAR. He started in the Craftsman Truck Series. Later, he moved up to the Nationwide Series in 2007 and the Sprint Cup Series in 2008. He is well-known in NASCAR for winning six races at Watkins Glen International. He won two Sprint Cup Series races there (2011, 2012) and four Nationwide Series races (2008, 2009, 2010, 2014). Marcos Ambrose was the first Australian driver to win a race at NASCAR's highest level.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Marcos Ambrose grew up in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. His father, Ross Ambrose, was also a racing driver. Marcos started racing karts when he was ten years old. He won four state junior karting titles in Tasmania. In 1995, he became the Australian karting champion.

In 1996, he began racing in Formula Ford. He finished second in the Australian Formula Ford championship in 1997. In 1998, Ambrose moved to Europe to try and reach Formula One. He raced in British Formula Ford in 1998 and 1999. In 1999, he won the European Formula Ford Championship.

By the end of 2000, Ambrose did not have enough money to keep racing in Europe. So, he returned to Australia. In October 2000, he was invited to a special "Young Guns" race at the Gold Coast Indy 300. Marcos won this race against many other young drivers.

V8 Supercars Success

Ambrose in his Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon BA on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in October 2005

In 2001, Marcos Ambrose joined Stone Brothers Racing to drive a Ford Falcon AU. He surprised everyone by getting the "pole position" (starting first) in his very first race. He also got pole position at the Bathurst 1000, becoming the first rookie to do so since 1987.

Ambrose finished eighth in the championship and won the "Rookie of the Year" award. He won his first round at Hidden Valley Raceway, even though he didn't win any of the individual races in that round.

In 2002, Ambrose started the season strong by getting pole position at Phillip Island. He then won his first race there. He finished third in the championship, winning the final round at Sandown.

With a new Ford Falcon BA car, Ambrose had a great start to the 2003 season. He won the first race of the Clipsal 500 and another race at Eastern Creek. After 13 rounds, Ambrose won the 2003 V8 Supercar Series championship. He was 102 points ahead of the second-place driver.

In 2004, Ambrose won three pole positions and five rounds. He had a big lead going into the final round. He secured his second championship in the first race and then won all the races in that round. His teammate, Russell Ingall, finished second, making it a 1-2 finish for Stone Brothers Racing. Later that season, Ambrose was fined $10,000 for careless driving after an incident with Rick Kelly at the Gold Coast.

Ambrose also won the respected Barry Sheene Medal in both 2003 and 2004.

Marcos started the 2005 season by winning every race in the first round in Adelaide. He stayed in the championship lead for a long time. However, at the 2005 Bathurst 1000, he was in a crash with Greg Murphy. This crash, along with a tough performance at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, likely cost him a third championship. After that, he helped his teammate Russell Ingall win the title. Ambrose finished third in the championship that year.

Return to V8 Supercars in 2015

In September 2014, it was announced that Ambrose would return to V8 Supercars. He would race for DJR Team Penske, a new team formed by NASCAR owner Roger Penske and Dick Johnson Racing.

Ambrose started the 2015 season. He raced in the final round of the 2014 season in an Xbox-sponsored car. His 2015 season began with some challenges, as he often started near the back of the field. His best finish was 12th at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

In March 2015, Ambrose took a break from DJR Team Penske to improve his V8 Supercar skills. Scott Pye replaced him temporarily. Ambrose returned for three endurance races as Pye's co-driver. They finished eighth in one of the races at Surfers Paradise. Marcos did not return as a full-time driver in 2016.

After Racing

In 2017, Marcos Ambrose explained why he suddenly retired from V8 Supercars. He said, "My time was up," and that he was "putting the team first" when he decided to step away. He felt he wasn't the right person for the team during their rebuilding phase.

Roger Penske, the team owner, supported Ambrose's decision. He compared it to another famous driver, Rick Mears, who also knew when it was time to move on.

Ambrose made a short return to racing in 2023 at the Bathurst 6 Hour race. He drove a Ford Mustang but had to stop early because of a problem with the car's transmission.

NASCAR Career

Starting in NASCAR (2006)

In 2005, Marcos Ambrose announced he would leave V8 Supercars to race in NASCAR. Ford Motor Company signed him to race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2006. However, NASCAR didn't let him race on the faster oval tracks at first.

Ambrose made his Truck Series debut on 1 April 2006, at Martinsville Speedway. He started 20th but finished 33rd after being caught in an accident.

Marcos Ambrose was the first well-known Australian driver in a NASCAR event since Dick Johnson in 1990.

He made history by finishing third at Kansas Speedway on 2 July 2006. This was the first time a non-American driver finished in the top five in a Truck Series race since 1999. He also led laps in that race, becoming the first Australian to do so. The next week, he earned his first "pole position" (starting first) at Kentucky Speedway. He led most of the laps but finished 19th. Ambrose finished third again at Nashville Superspeedway.

He reached as high as 19th in the championship points. He finished the season 21st overall and third in the "Rookie of the Year" standings, even though he missed the first three races.

Moving Up (2007–2010)

Marcos Ambrose during the 2007 Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In 2007, Ambrose moved up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He drove the No. 59 Ford Fusion. In his first two races, he finished 16th and 25th on tracks he had never raced on before. In the third race in Mexico City, he finished eighth, which was his best result at that time. He also finished 10th at Las Vegas. His best Nationwide Series finish was sixth at Dover in May.

At the 2007 Nationwide Series race in Montreal, Ambrose led for 37 laps. Near the end of the race, there was an incident with driver Robby Gordon. NASCAR officials reviewed the situation and ordered Gordon to move back in line. Gordon refused and was disqualified. Later, Gordon apologized to Ambrose. Ambrose finished the 2007 season eighth in points. He was the highest-ranked driver who wasn't also racing in the Cup series.

2008 No. 21 Sprint Cup car

For 2008, Ambrose was planned to race in some Sprint Cup races. He ended up racing in 11 of the 16 planned races. He had a good start at Infineon, qualifying seventh, but had mechanical problems during the race. He also drove the full Nationwide Series schedule.

He nearly won the 2008 Nationwide race in Montreal again. He was leading when a thunderstorm hit the track. Ambrose tried to slow down for a pit stop, but his car slid too fast. He received a penalty and finished third.

On 15 July 2008, it was announced that Ambrose would race the full 2009 Sprint Cup schedule for JTG Daugherty Racing.

Ambrose got his first Nationwide Series win on 9 August 2008, at Watkins Glen. The next day, he finished third in the Sprint Cup race at the Glen, starting from 43rd position.

In 2009, Ambrose drove the No. 47 Toyota in the Sprint Cup series. He finished 10th at the 2009 Food City 500 despite having engine problems. He had four more top-ten finishes in the first half of the season. Ambrose won his second straight Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen. He finished second in the Sprint Cup race there. The next week, he led most of the Nationwide race in Montreal but lost the lead on the final lap. He also picked up a third-place finish at the 2009 Sharpie 500.

Ambrose's No. 47 car during the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350

The 2010 season had some challenges for Ambrose, including engine problems and crashes. However, he won his third straight Watkins Glen Nationwide race. After that win, he started to perform better, getting a top-ten finish at Atlanta and a top-five at Richmond. At the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Ambrose led for 35 laps and had a big lead. A caution flag came out, and he turned off his engine to save fuel but couldn't restart it quickly. NASCAR made him drop to seventh place for the restart, and he finished sixth.

Sprint Cup Wins (2011–2012)

Ambrose's No. 9 car at Pocono Raceway in 2011

On 17 August 2010, Ambrose announced he would join Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion. He finished 37th in his first race with the team at the 2011 Daytona 500 after being in a crash. In August, Ambrose won his first career Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen. He passed Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch with two laps left. Less than a week later, he won another emotional victory in the Nationwide Series race in Montreal. The 2011 season was his best year, with five top-five and twelve top-ten finishes. Ambrose finished 19th in the final points standings.

Ambrose (9) battling Jeff Gordon in the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400

Ambrose continued with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012. In February, he almost won the Budweiser Shootout. He finished 13th in the Daytona 500. In June, he won his first career Sprint Cup pole position at Michigan International Speedway. He set the fastest qualifying speed in NASCAR in 25 years, reaching over 203 miles per hour (327 km/h). He finished ninth in that race.

The next week, Ambrose won the pole at Infineon Raceway and finished eighth.

Returning to Watkins Glen, Ambrose started fifth and led part of the race. He was passed by Kyle Busch but then saw Busch slipping in oil. He and Brad Keselowski passed Busch. Ambrose then took the lead from Keselowski in the final turn, winning the race for the second year in a row. This win was very special to him because his father was watching from the hospital. His victory led to a multi-year sponsorship deal with Mac Tools. Ambrose has always wanted to prove he can win on oval tracks, not just road courses.

Later NASCAR Years (2013–2014)

Ambrose during the 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350

To start the 2013 season, Ambrose had 11th-place finishes in the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel. He finished 18th in the 2013 Daytona 500. He also had an 18th-place finish at Phoenix and 22nd at Las Vegas.

At the 2013 NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Ambrose crashed and finished a lap down. A few weeks later, his engine failed early at Richmond International Raceway, and he finished 42nd. He recovered with a 14th-place finish at Talladega.

In the 2013 Coca-Cola 600, Ambrose got a top-ten finish in an exciting way. On the final lap, Carl Edwards was about to finish tenth, but he lost control slightly, allowing Ambrose to pass him.

At Sonoma, Ambrose led the first laps and finished seventh. At Loudon, he was spun out by Kevin Harvick and finished 33rd.

At Watkins Glen, Ambrose won the pole position by breaking the track record. He led 51 laps but had to pit under caution. He restarted in 15th and couldn't recover. With three laps left, he got into an incident with Max Papis, ending his hopes of winning three races in a row at the Glen. Ambrose was very upset after the race. If he had won, he would have joined Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin as the only drivers to win three consecutive races at the Glen.

Ambrose returned to the Nationwide Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He started from the back and made it to third place but was spun out several times. He rallied to finish seventh.

Ambrose during the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350

Ambrose started 2014 with a seventh-place finish in the Sprint Unlimited and an 18th-place finish in the Daytona 500. At Bristol, he finished fifth, which was one of his best results for Richard Petty Motorsports.

At Richmond, Ambrose was racing for a top-five spot when Casey Mears bumped him wide. After the race, the two drivers had a confrontation. Ambrose was fined $25,000 and Mears $15,000. Both were on probation for a month. Despite this, both drivers said they remained friends.

Ambrose finished 10th at Daytona. He returned to the Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen and won his fifth Nationwide victory, holding off Kyle Busch. The next day, in the Sprint Cup race, he finished second after a close battle with former teammate A. J. Allmendinger.

Ambrose missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup. On 11 September 2014, he said he would not be returning to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2015. He confirmed he would leave NASCAR at the end of the 2014 season to return to Australia for "personal reasons" and to join DJR Team Penske.

When asked about leaving NASCAR, Ambrose said he felt he had achieved all he could. He wanted to raise his children in Australia and start a new chapter in his life. He was glad to leave with multiple wins and having raced for "the King" (Richard Petty).

In his final NASCAR race, the 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400, Ambrose finished 27th.

Personal Life

Marcos Ambrose is from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. His father, Ross Ambrose, is an Australian investor in Ford and co-founded Van Diemen, a company that builds Formula Ford race car chassis.

Marcos Ambrose is married to Sonja Ambrose. They have two daughters named Adelaide and Tabitha.

Awards

On 24 October 2000, Marcos Ambrose received the Australian Sports Medal for his achievements in motor racing.

Motorsports Career Results

Career Summary

International V8 Supercars Championship

¹ Wildcard entry ineligible for championship points

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

Year	Team	Car	Co-driver	Position	Laps
2001	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Falcon AU	Wayne Wakefield	DNF	42
2002	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Falcon AU	Paul Weel	21st	154
2003	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Falcon BA	Russell Ingall	6th	161
2004	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Falcon BA	Greg Ritter	4th	161
2005	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Falcon BA	Warren Luff	DNF	144
2015	DJR Team Penske	Ford Falcon FG X	Scott Pye	DNF	137

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

Daytona 500

Nationwide Series

Craftsman Truck Series

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

24 Hours of Daytona

(key)

24 Hours of Daytona results
Year	Class	Team	Car	Co-drivers	Laps	Position	Class pos.
2005	GT	Aussie Assault	Porsche GT3 Cup	Paul Morris Craig Baird John Teulan	271	53 DNF	28 DNF
2013	DP	Michael Shank Racing	Ford Riley DP	A. J. Allmendinger Oswaldo Negri Jr. John Pew Justin Wilson	709	3	3

See also

• List of foreign-born NASCAR race winners
• Team Australia