Marcos Ambrose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcos Ambrose
Ambrose at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2012
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 a famous Australian former race car driver. He is currently a director for Garry Rogers Motorsport, a racing team. Marcos won the Australian V8 Supercars championship twice, in 2003 and 2004.

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

Early Life and Racing Start

Marcos Ambrose grew up in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. His father, Ross Ambrose, was also a race car driver. Marcos went to Scotch Oakburn College. He started racing small cars called karts when he was ten years old.

He won four junior karting titles in Tasmania. In 1995, he became the Australian karting champion. Marcos then moved into Formula Ford racing in 1996. He finished second in the Australian Formula Ford championship in 1997.

In 1998, Marcos went to Europe hoping to reach Formula One, the highest level of racing. He raced in British Formula Ford in 1998 and 1999. In 1999, he won the European Formula Ford Championship. In 2000, he raced in French Formula Three and then British Formula Three.

By the end of 2000, Marcos did not have enough money to keep racing in Europe. So, he returned to Australia. In October 2000, he was invited to a special race for young drivers at the Gold Coast Indy 300. Marcos won this race, driving regular Honda cars. He also represented Australia in the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup in England.

V8 Supercars Career

Ambrose racing his Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon BA in October 2005.

In 2001, Marcos Ambrose joined Stone Brothers Racing to drive a Ford Falcon AU car. He surprised everyone in the Supercars Championship by starting from the very front (pole position) in his first race. This was at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. He also started from pole position at other races, including the 2001 Bathurst 1000. He was the first new driver to get pole position at Bathurst since 1987.

Marcos finished eighth in the championship that year. He also won the Rookie of the Year award. He won the fourth round of the season at Hidden Valley Raceway.

In 2002, Marcos started the season strong. He won pole position at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and then won his first race there. He finished third in the championship. He also won the final race of the season at Sandown Raceway.

In 2003, Marcos raced a new Ford Falcon BA. He started the season with a win at the Clipsal 500. He then won his third career race at Eastern Creek. After 13 races, Marcos won the V8 Supercar Series championship. He was 102 points ahead of the second-place driver.

In 2004, Marcos continued his success. He earned three pole positions and won five rounds. He had a big lead going into the final race at Eastern Creek. He won his second championship in the first race of that weekend. He 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, Marcos had an argument with Rick Kelly after a race. Marcos was fined $10,000 for careless driving.

Marcos Ambrose won the special Barry Sheene Medal award in both 2003 and 2004.

Marcos started 2005 by winning all the races in the first round in Adelaide. He was leading the championship and close to winning his third title. However, at the 2005 Bathurst 1000, he crashed with Greg Murphy. Both drivers were very angry after the crash. This crash, along with a difficult race at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, likely cost him the championship. He then helped his teammate Russell Ingall win the title. Marcos finished third in the championship that year.

Return to V8 Supercars in 2015

In September 2014, it was announced that Marcos Ambrose would return to V8 Supercars. He would race a Ford Falcon FG X for DJR Team Penske. This team was formed by NASCAR owner Roger Penske, who joined forces with Dick Johnson Racing.

Marcos started racing in the 2015 season. He first raced in the final round of the 2014 season. He drove a special #66 Xbox-sponsored Ford Falcon.

He had a tough start to the 2015 season. He often started near the back of the field. His best finish was 12th in the third race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

In March 2015, Marcos took a break from DJR Team Penske. He wanted to practice more to improve his V8 Supercar racing. Scott Pye replaced him temporarily. Marcos returned for three races as Pye's co-driver in the Pirtek Endurance Cup. He 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 stopped racing V8 Supercars. He said his "time was up" and he was "putting the team first." He felt tired from his time in America. He also realized it would take a long time to make the DJR team competitive. He decided it was best to step aside.

Roger Penske, the team owner, supported Marcos's decision. He compared it to another great driver, Rick Mears, who also knew when it was time to stop.

Marcos made a short return to racing in 2023. He raced at the Bathurst 6 Hour event. He was a co-driver in a number 33 Ford Mustang. However, his car had a problem with its transmission and had to stop after two hours.

NASCAR Career

Starting in NASCAR (2006)

At the first V8 Supercar race in 2005, Marcos Ambrose announced he would leave V8 Supercars. He wanted to try racing in NASCAR in the United States. Ford Motor Company signed him to race with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2006.

However, Marcos had to wait to start. NASCAR did not let him race the first three Truck Series races. These races were on very fast oval tracks. Marcos made his Truck Series debut on April 1, 2006, at Martinsville Speedway. He started 20th but finished 33rd after being in a crash.

Marcos was the first well-known Australian driver in NASCAR since Dick Johnson in 1990. He made history by finishing third at Kansas Speedway in 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, becoming the first Australian to do so in the Truck Series. The next week, he won his first pole position at Kentucky Speedway. He led the most laps in that race, but finished 19th. Marcos finished third again at Nashville Superspeedway.

Marcos reached 19th in the championship points. He finished the season 21st overall and third in the Rookie of the Year standings. This was impressive because he missed the first three races.

Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series (2007–2010)

Marcos Ambrose during the 2007 Ford 300 race.

In 2007, Marcos moved up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He drove the No. 59 Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing. He finished well in his first two races on tracks he had never seen before. In the third race in Mexico City, he finished eighth, his best result at that time. He then got another top-10 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He achieved his best Nationwide Series finish of sixth at Dover in May.

At the 2007 Nationwide Series race in Montreal, Marcos was leading for most of the race. After a caution, Robby Gordon passed him. Marcos then bumped Gordon's car, causing him to spin. NASCAR officials decided Marcos was still leading and ordered Gordon to move back. Gordon refused and was disqualified. Later, Gordon intentionally crashed into Marcos during the restart. Marcos still finished seventh. Gordon later apologized.

In September, Marcos missed a race because his wife, Sonja, gave birth to their daughter, Adelaide. Marcos finished the 2007 season eighth in points. He was the highest-ranked driver who wasn't also racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings.

In April 2008, Marcos was involved in a crash with Boris Said in Mexico. Marcos admitted he "got into the back" of Said's car. Said was very upset and threatened to get revenge. However, later that year at Watkins Glen, Marcos was leading the Nationwide race. Boris Said was a lapped car in front of him. Marcos's team told him not to pass Said, fearing revenge. But Said did not crash Marcos, and Marcos won the race. It's still a mystery why Said didn't get his revenge.

Marcos Ambrose's No. 21 Sprint Cup car in 2008.

Before the 2008 season, Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing split into two teams. Marcos was supposed to race in 16 Sprint Cup races for both teams. However, he only raced in 11. He raced well at Sonoma, starting seventh. But his car had a problem, and he finished 42nd. He also raced the full Nationwide Series schedule.

He almost won the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal again. He was leading, but a thunderstorm caused his car to slide on pit road. He got a penalty and finished third.

On July 15, 2008, it was announced that Marcos would race the full 2009 Sprint Cup season for JTG Daugherty Racing. He drove the No. 47 Toyota. Marcos got his first Nationwide Series win on August 9, 2008, at Watkins Glen International. He finished third in the Sprint Cup race there the next day.

In 2009, Marcos finished 10th at the 2009 Food City 500, even though his car had engine problems. He got four more top-10 finishes that season. He won his second straight Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen. He also finished second in the Sprint Cup race there. The next week in Montreal, he was leading the Nationwide race on the final lap. But he went too wide, and Carl Edwards passed him to win. Marcos finished third at the 2009 Sharpie 500 after coming back from being a lap down.

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

The 2010 season was difficult for Marcos. He had many engine problems, crashes, and pit stop issues. However, he won his third straight Watkins Glen Nationwide race. He held off Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick for the win. After that win, he started to race better. He got a top-10 finish at Atlanta and a top-5 at Richmond. At the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Marcos led for 35 laps and had a big lead. But a caution flag came out. He turned off his engine to save fuel but couldn't restart it quickly. This made him lose positions, and he finished sixth.

Sprint Cup Success (2011–2014)

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

On August 17, 2010, Marcos 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 big crash. In August, Marcos won his first career Sprint Cup Series race. It was the rain-delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen on August 15. He passed Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch with two laps left. A week later, he won another emotional victory in the Nationwide Series at Montreal. The 2011 season was his best so far. He had 5 top-5 finishes and 12 top-10 finishes. Marcos finished 19th in the final points standings.

Ambrose (9) racing Jeff Gordon in 2012.

Marcos continued with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012. He almost won the Budweiser Shootout in February. He lost the lead on the last lap to Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch. Marcos said it was his best performance on a restrictor plate track.

He started the season with a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500. He had six top-20 finishes and two top-10 finishes in the spring races. 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, at 203.241 miles per hour. He finished ninth in that race.

The next week, Marcos won the pole at Infineon Raceway. He led about 10 laps and finished eighth.

Returning to Watkins Glen, Marcos started fifth and led part of the race. Kyle Busch passed him with 20 laps left. But on the final lap, Busch's car slipped in oil. Marcos and Brad Keselowski passed him. Marcos then saw Keselowski's car also slipping. Marcos took the lead in the final turn and won, defending his win from the previous year. Marcos was very happy because his father was watching from the hospital. His victory led to a sponsorship deal with Mac Tools for 2012 and 2013. Marcos still wanted to prove he could win on oval tracks, not just road courses.

Ambrose during the 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350.

To start the 2013 season, Marcos finished 11th in two exhibition races. He raced in the top ten for a while in the 2013 Daytona 500. But he slowed down to avoid a crash and finished 18th. He had other finishes of 18th at Phoenix and 22nd at Las Vegas.

At the 2013 NRA 500 in Texas, Marcos crashed and finished a lap down. His engine failed early at Richmond, and he finished 42nd. He recovered with a 14th-place finish at Talladega.

In the 2013 Coca-Cola 600, Marcos got a top-ten spot in an unusual way. On the last lap, Carl Edwards was about to finish tenth. But Edwards' car got loose, and Marcos slipped by to take the tenth spot. This was a bit like his 2009 Montreal race, where Edwards passed him on the last lap.

At Sonoma, Marcos led the first laps of the race. He finished seventh. At Loudon, Marcos was racing Kevin Harvick. Harvick bumped Marcos's car, causing him to spin out. Marcos finished 33rd.

At Watkins Glen, Marcos won the pole position. He broke the track record with a speed of 128.241 mph. He led 51 laps. But on lap 60, he pitted under caution. He restarted 15th and couldn't get back to the front. With three laps left, he crashed with Max Papis. This ended his hopes of winning three races in a row at the Glen. Marcos was very angry with Papis after the crash. He finished 31st. If he had won, he would have joined Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin as the only drivers to win three straight races at Watkins Glen.

Marcos returned to the Nationwide Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He started at the back because he didn't qualify the car. He got up to third but was spun out many times. He fell to 16th but rallied to finish seventh. After the race, Parker Kligerman spun him out again.

Ambrose during the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Marcos started 2014 with a seventh-place finish in the Sprint Unlimited. He finished 18th in the Daytona 500. At Bristol, he finished fifth. This was one of Richard Petty Motorsports' best races, as his teammate Aric Almirola finished third. It was Marcos's first top-five finish since 2012.

At Richmond, Marcos was racing in the top five. Casey Mears bumped him wide, causing Marcos to lose positions. After the race, the two drivers argued. Marcos punched Mears in the face after Mears pushed him. Marcos was fined $25,000 and Mears $15,000. Both were on probation for a month. Despite this, they said they were still friends.

Marcos finished 10th at Daytona. His teammate Aric Almirola won the race, which was shortened by rain.

Marcos returned to the Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen in the No. 09 car. He dominated the race and won his fifth Nationwide victory. He held off Kyle Busch, just like in 2009. The next day, Marcos started second in the Sprint Cup race. He led some laps but lost a close side-by-side battle with former teammate A. J. Allmendinger. Allmendinger won by 1.5 seconds. Marcos's crew chief thought Allmendinger started too early, but NASCAR officials and Marcos disagreed.

Marcos did not make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. On September 11, 2014, he said he would not be with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2015. His sponsor, Stanley-DEWALT, also left the team. Soon after, it was announced that Marcos would return to Australia after the 2014 NASCAR season for "personal reasons."

In September 2014, Marcos confirmed he was leaving NASCAR. He said it was for his children and because he accepted an offer to join DJR Team Penske in Australia.

When asked about leaving NASCAR, Marcos said he felt he had achieved all he could. He enjoyed his time and would miss his friends. But he wanted to raise his children in Australia and start a new chapter in his life. He was happy to leave NASCAR with multiple wins.

In his final NASCAR race, the 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400, Marcos started 17th. He struggled with his car and hit the wall. He finished 27th.

Personal Life

Marcos Ambrose is from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. He grew up there and loved racing. His father, Ross Ambrose, is an Australian investor in Ford. Ross was born in London but moved to Australia when he was three.

The Ambrose family has a strong connection to racing. Marcos's father, Ross Ambrose, helped start Van Diemen, a company that builds Formula Ford cars.

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

Awards

On October 24, 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 Results

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

Sprint Cup Series