Marcos Ambrose (born 1 September 1976) is an Australian former racing driver and current
Garry Rogers Motorsport
Garry Rogers Motorsport is an Australian motor racing team. It is owned by retired racing driver Garry Rogers who began the team to further his own racing efforts. Based in Melbourne, originally out of a Nissan dealership owned by Rogers, the te ...
competition director. He won the Australian V8 Supercar series' championship in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...
and
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
.
In 2006, Ambrose relocated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
to pursue racing in
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
, starting with the
Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
. He moved up to the
Nationwide Series in 2007,
and later the Sprint Cup Series in 2008. In 2011, he earned his first Cup Series win at
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track located in the town of Dix just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the hom ...
, becoming the first Australian driver to win in the highest level of NASCAR, and repeated that win in the following year.
He is known in NASCAR for having won a total of 6 races at Watkins Glen. In the Sprint Cup Series he won at the Glen in 2011 and 2012. In the Nationwide Series he won 3 races at the Glen in 3 years 2008, 2009 and 2010. He won his last race during the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide series at the Glen. It was the only race he ran during that season.
Early life
Ambrose grew up in
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copie ...
, Australia, the son of another racing driver, Ross Ambrose and was educated at
Scotch Oakburn College
(I will find a way to higher things.)
, established = 1886 (MLC)1901 (Scotch)1979 (Amalgamation)
, type = Independent, co-educational, day and boarding
, denomination = in association with the Uniti ...
. He began racing
karts
Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on ful ...
at the age of ten. He won four
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
n state junior karting titles and was the Australian karting champion in 1995 in the Clubman Heavy class at the Dubbo circuit in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. He moved into
Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...
in 1996. Ambrose finished second in the Australian
Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...
championship in 1997.
In 1998 Ambrose moved to Europe in a bid to reach
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
, competing in British
Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...
in 1998 and 1999. In 1999 he won the European Formula Ford Championship. In 2000 he began the season racing in the French
Formula Three Championship, before switching mid-season to the
British Formula Three Championship.
At the end of 2000 Ambrose did not have the budget to continue in racing in Europe, and returned to Australia. In October 2000 he was invited to compete in a Young Guns invitational race held at the
Gold Coast Indy 300. Ambrose won against a host of young drivers in
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
road cars.
He also represented Australia in the
1996 EFDA Nations Cup
The EFDA Nations Cup, was a Country vs Country competition for Formula Opel cars between 1990 and 1998. It had always been Dan Partel's dream to stage a race that pitted drivers in equal cars racing for their country. The Formula Opel/Vauxhall o ...
at
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned b ...
in England.
V8 Supercars
For
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
, Ambrose was signed by
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) was an Australian motor racing team that competed in the International V8 Supercars Championship between 1998 and 2012. The team was formed in 1998 when Ross and Jim Stone bought Alan Jones's shares in Alan Jones ...
to drive a
Ford Falcon AU
The Ford Falcon (AU) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1998 to 2002. It was the sixth generation Ford Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (AU)—the luxury-oriented model range. The AU series replaced the EL Fa ...
. Ambrose stunned the
Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australia ...
world when he qualified on pole on debut, at the
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is an annual motor racing event which is under contract to host Formula One until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Grand Prix has moved frequently with 23 different venu ...
support race. He qualified on pole again for round three at
Eastern Creek
Eastern Creek is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Creek is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the Blacktown local government area and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
...
, round nine at
Queensland Raceway and round 11, the
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 (formally known as the Repco Bathurst 1000) is a touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most rece ...
, where he became the first rookie to take pole position since
1987.
Ambrose went on to finish eighth in the championship, winning the Rookie of the Year award. He won the fourth round of the season, at
Hidden Valley Raceway, although he did not win any of the three races in the round.
In
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Ambrose started the season winning pole position at
Phillip Island
Phillip Island ( Boonwurrung: ''Corriong'', ''Worne'' or ''Millowl'') is an Australian island about south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. The island is named after Governor Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, by explore ...
before recording his debut race win in the first race. He eventually finished third in the championship, including winning the final round at
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort and civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom with the resort of Shanklin to the south and the settlement of Lake in between. Together with Shanklin, Sandown forms a built-up area of ...
.
With a new
Falcon BA, Ambrose gave the Ford team a great start to the
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...
season with victory in the first race of the
Clipsal 500. He followed this up with a third career win at Eastern Creek After 13 rounds in the 2003 V8 Supercar Series, Ambrose was presented with the driver's series trophy, 102 points clear of second place.
In
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
, Ambrose claimed three pole positions and five round wins and went into the final round at Eastern Creek with a virtually unbeatable lead. In the end he collected his second championship in the opening Saturday night race and then went on to clean-sweep the round in record-breaking style in his Pirtek Falcon. Teammate
Russell Ingall finished second in the championship, giving Stone Brothers Racing a 1–2
Quinella finish. The late part of the season was highlighted by an altercation between Ambrose and
Rick Kelly when Ambrose appeared to have brake-checked Kelly on purpose after a race at the Gold Coast; Ambrose was fined $10,000 for careless driving.
Ambrose won the coveted
Barry Sheene Medal
The Barry Sheene Medal is an annual award honouring the achievements of a driver in the Supercars Championship, an Australian touring car series. Tony Cochrane, the chairman of the championship's organising body Australian Vee Eight Supercar Co ...
in 2003 and 2004.
Ambrose started
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
with a clean sweep of the opening round in Adelaide. He remained in the championship lead and was near to winning the championship until Round 10 at the
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 (formally known as the Repco Bathurst 1000) is a touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship, the most rece ...
when he was involved in a controversial crash with
Greg Murphy
Gregory Murphy (born 23 August 1972) is a New Zealand professional racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and James May presenting Top Gear Live, when it had its first intern ...
approaching The Cutting late in the race. The two drivers walked out and argued to applause from the fans. Both of them were infuriated with one another,
and shared some heated words after the crash. Murphy said "He's got an ego problem that we all know about and it reared its ugly head again, and I'm just not going to put up with it".
Ambrose was quoted after the race was finished with his title hopes;
This crash, combined with a poor performance on the
Surfers Paradise Street Circuit arguably lost him a third straight title. He thereafter supported teammate
Russell Ingall's title bid successfully, and the two helped Ford and Stone Brothers Racing take the Drivers, Teams, and Manufacturer's championships. Ambrose finished third in the championship behind Ingall and fellow
Ford driver
Craig Lowndes
Craig Andrew Lowndes (born 21 June 1974) is an Australian racing driver in the Repco Supercars Championship competing in the Holden ZB Commodore for Triple Eight Race Engineering. He is also a TV commentator.
Lowndes is a three-time V8 Sup ...
.
2015
In September 2014, it was announced that Ambrose would return to V8 Supercars to race a
Ford Falcon FG X for
DJR Team Penske, formed by
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
owner
Roger Penske
Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American businessman and entrepreneur involved in professional auto racing and a retired professional auto racing driver. He is most famous for his ownership of Team Penske, DJR Team Penske, ...
, who was interested in expanding his
Team Penske
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona ...
organization to start a team in Australia and as a result merged with
Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing (formerly DJR Team Penske), is Australia's oldest motor racing team competing in the Supercars Championship. The team currently fields the #11 and #17 Ford Mustang GTs for Anton de Pasquale and Will Davison respectivel ...
, becoming DJR Team Penske
Ambrose started in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
. He debuted at the final round of the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
season, driving the #66
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
-sponsored
FG Falcon
The Ford Falcon (FG) is a full-sized car that was produced by Ford Australia from 2008 to 2014. It was the first iteration of the seventh and last generation of the Falcon. Its range no longer featured the Fairmont luxury badge, replaced ins ...
.
He began the 2015 season on a low note, starting near the back of the field in every one of the race. His best finish was 12th in the 3rd race at the Clipsal 500 in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
.
In March 2015, Ambrose took a temporary leave from DJR Team Penske in order to improve his practice with V8 Supercar racing, being replaced with
Scott Pye. He returned for the three-round Pirtek Endurance Cup as Pye's second driver, claiming an eighth finish at Surfers Paradise race 1.
Ambrose did not return as a full-season driver in 2016.
Post-racing career
In a 2017 interview, two years after his abrupt retirement, a journalist for Motorsport.com interviewed Ambrose at his brand-new Lodge near
Launceston, over his shocking retirement from V8 Supercars. In the interview, Ambrose said that the ultimate reason was that, "My time was up," and that he was "Putting the team first" in making his decision to step aside from the car after only two races.
[Marcos Ambrose on retirement: My time was up](_blank)
/ref>[Roger Penske reflects on controversial Ambrose exit](_blank)
/ref>
In the interview, Ambrose stated, ''"The deal with Roger and Team Penske and Dick, it was really formulated a year and a half beforehand where a conversation occurs you say 'if you ever did that Roger I’d love to drive for you', and you kind of leave it at that. And then a year and a half later the phone call comes and it’s on. And it’s like 'oh shit, is this really what I should be doing now? Because I’m feeling pretty tired and worn out from my American thing'. I thought it’d be right, I’d come home and it’d work itself out. And then the situation that DJR was in at the time, where they were in this transition phase – and they still are, they’re getting better and better each race, you can see their progression, but it takes time. I knew it. So when you come back, and I’m struggling to adapt from NASCAR back into a modern V8, the testing restrictions, and the tires are hard, and I’m confused and tired from the States … and then you see 'Fuck, to get out of this is going to take three years, to dig yourself out of this hole'. And I realised that I’m not the right person for that team in the phase that they’re in. I need to get out of the way. And that’s what I did."''
In an interview with the same journalist for Motorsport.com, Roger Penske said, ''"It was a call that he made and we supported him; he was very gracious in the way he handled it, and quite honestly I respect him. It reminded me of Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is a retired American race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
when he told me in 1992 that he didn’t have it in his belly any more to go as hard as he needed to, and that it was time to move on. Marcos didn’t say it that way, but he realized the sport had moved on and maybe he was not able to make the commitment we needed over a longer period of time".''
NASCAR
2006
At the first V8 Supercar race of 2005, Ambrose called a press conference on the Saturday morning to announce to the top staff and fans that he would leave V8 Supercars at the end of the 2005 season to try to make a career in NASCAR.
In 2005 Ambrose signed his deal to compete under NASCAR and Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
signed Ambrose to participate overseas in the United States with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
in 2006 to start his career. However, Ambrose had to wait until part way through the 2006 season to begin. NASCAR did not clear Ambrose to race the NCTS' first three races, as they were held on intermediate to high-speed ovals, and like fellow Wood Brothers/JTG Racing driver Bobby East, Ambrose was not cleared to start in the faster races. Ambrose made his Truck Series debut on 1 April 2006 at the Kroger 250
The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that takes place at Martinsville Speedway in the spring.
In 2020, as part of schedule realignment, the fall race became the only Truck Series race at the track ...
at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in ...
, qualifying 20th and finishing 33rd after being caught up in an incident unfolding in front of him.
Ambrose is the first notable Australian driver in a NASCAR sanctioned event since Dick Johnson in 1990 and Australian based New Zealander Jim Richards in the mid 90s.
Ambrose made history by finishing third in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
The Heart of America 200 is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race held at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Since 2020, the race has been 134 laps and long.
From 2001 to 2019, the race was one of a few on the Truck Series schedule t ...
at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in the Village West area near Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It was built in 2001 and it currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also held races at the venue until 20 ...
on 2 July 2006. This was the first time a non-American driver has finished in the top five of a truck series event since Canadian Ron Fellows won on the Watkins Glen road course on 26 June 1999. He also took the lead in the opening laps, becoming the first Australian to lead laps in Camping World Truck Series competition. The next week, he made further history by scoring his first pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
for the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Before 2008 ...
, and then leading the most laps in the race itself, though he finished 19th. Ambrose finished 3rd in the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway after qualifying 11th.
Ambrose reached as high as 19th in the championship points, but finished the season 21st overall and 3rd in the Rookie of the Year standings, despite having missed the first three races of the year.
2007–10
For 2007, Ambrose stepped up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the No. 59 Kingsford Ford Fusion fielded by Wood Brothers/JTG Racing. In the first two races of the 2007 season, he finished on the lead lap, in 16th and 25th, on tracks he had never previously raced on. In the third race of the season, the Telcel-Motorola México 200, Ambrose finished eighth, his career best at the time. having gained several positions in the last few laps of the race. He followed up his 8th-place finish in Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
with another top 10, finishing 10th in the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
. He recorded a career best Nationwide Series finish of sixth after starting third at Dover in May.
At the 2007 NAPA Auto Parts 200
The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge (French title: ''NAPA Pièces d'auto 200 présenté par Dodge'') is a discontinued NASCAR Nationwide Series race that took place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 2007 to ...
Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, also spelled ''Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve'' (), is a motor racing circuit in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the venue for the FIA Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. It has previously hosted the FIA World Spor ...
in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
, Ambrose was the dominant driver of the day, having led for 37 laps. After a caution period had finished, Ambrose had well-known Sprint Cup regular and Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal ...
racer Robby Gordon
Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. He is active in top-tier off road motorsports such as BITD, N ...
behind him. At turn 3, Gordon successfully made a pass on Ambrose and then the yellow flag came out. At the next corner, Ambrose rammed the left-rear of Gordon's car, spinning him out under yellow. Due to a caution being brought out earlier because of a large crash behind them, Gordon sped back behind Ambrose. During the caution, NASCAR officials declared that Ambrose was actually leading at the moment of caution (even though video footage appeared to show otherwise) and that Gordon had not maintained cautious pace by stopping in the middle of the race-track after the spin. Therefore, officials ordered Gordon to move back to 14th position for the oncoming restart, but he refused and was subsequently black-flagged. When they restarted with 2 laps to go, Gordon intentionally ran into the back of Ambrose at turn 2, spinning him around. Although the win slipped away, Ambrose dropped down the field but recovered to finish in 7th. Following this incident, Gordon apologized and made a peace offering to Ambrose in the form of a ride for the Watkins Glen road race, in Gordon's No. 77 Camping World Ford Fusion. However, qualifying was rained out and the field was set by owner's points, and the No. 77 did not make the race.
In September, Ambrose skipped a second opportunity to drive the No. 77 car because his wife Sonja gave birth to their daughter Adelaide on the same day as the Cup race at Dover. Ambrose finished the 2007 season 8th in the points standings, highest of any driver not also competing in the Nextel Cup, and finished second behind David Ragan in the Rookie of the Year standings. On Sunday 20 April 2008 Ambrose was involved in a racing incident with Boris Said
Boris Said III (born September 18, 1962) is an American semi-retired professional racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 66 Ford Mustang for MBM Motorsports and in the Trans-Am Series, driving the No. 2 ...
in the Busch Series event in Mexico. Ambrose admitted "getting into the back" of road course
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
specialist, Said, causing Said to wreck and ruining his chances at a race where Said has consistently finished in the top 10. After the race Said claimed that he was not mad at Ambrose, but wanted to apologize to (Ambrose's) crew chief, Gary Cogswell because it was going to "cost him a car," implying that Said will wreck Ambrose intentionally next time they find themselves on a NASCAR track together. Even though NASCAR said that Boris just wrecked himself by getting loose, and that Ambrose has repeatedly apologized, in numerous subsequent public appearances, Said has not backed down in his threatening of Ambrose, at one point suggesting he would not apologize but preferred to "beat (Ambrose's) ass".
However, later that year at Watkins Glen when Ambrose was leading the NBNS race, in the final five laps he took the lead and with 2 laps left he raced behind the bumper of a lapped Boris Said. Ambrose's crew chief Gary Cogswell ordered Ambrose to not pass Said believing that Said still had a grudge against them after Mexico City. The fans, Ambrose, his team and among other NASCAR drivers were surprised when Boris Said did not commit his revenge before Ambrose later won the race. To this day Said has not explained why he did not crash Ambrose when he had a good chance and it still remains unknown why Said did not perform his revenge.
Prior to the 2008 season, Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 1950 by eponymous brothers Glen and Leonard Wood. From 2006 to 2008, the team was merged with Tad a ...
and JTG Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing (formerly ST Motorsports and JTG Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, ...
split into two teams.[Wood Bros Racing, JTG Racing split teams](_blank)
/ref> Ambrose was scheduled to drive for both teams in Sprint Cup competition in 2008. He was going to run twelve races in the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers and another four in the No. 47 car for JTG Racing. However, due to various issues he only ran 11 of the 16 planned races. He ran well in the Toyota-Save Mart 350 at Infineon, qualifying 7th out of 47 drivers and was running in the top three, but his No. 21 spun through the famous Turn 11 hairpin and blowing his transmission, finishing a disappointing 42nd in the 43-car field. He attempted to make his second career Sprint Cup start in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301
The Crayon 301 is a 301 lap ( annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Christopher Bell is the defending winner, having won it in 2022.
History
The race has been traditionally ...
at New Hampshire, but failed to qualify, qualifying 45 out of 45. Again, 43 cars would start, and again, he attempted to qualify the 21 car. He also drove the full Nationwide Series schedule.
He almost won the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200, dominating again like in 2007 but when a thunderstorm blew the track, Ambrose tried to slow for a pit stop. Nonetheless his car slid across pit road too fast unable to stop because of the waters; thus he earned a black-flag for a pass-through penalty. He ended up third in the final results behind race winner Ron Fellows.
On 15 July 2008, it was announced that Ambrose would run the full 2009 cup schedule with JTG Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing (formerly ST Motorsports and JTG Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, ...
with a new partnership with Brad Daugherty. The team was renamed JTG Daugherty Racing.
Ambrose got his first Nationwide Series win on 9 August 2008 in the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen after his heartbreak at Montreal the previous week (See above). The next day, he finished 3rd, after starting in 43rd position in the Centurion Boats at the Glen
Stock car racing events in the NASCAR Cup Series have taken place at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York on the road course annually since 1986. Since 2018 the 90-lap, race has been known as Go Bowling at The Glen for sponsorsh ...
, behind winner Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-tim ...
and Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is ...
.
Ambrose drove the No. 47 Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup series, after forming a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing
Michael Waltrip Racing Holdings LLC, doing business as Michael Waltrip Racing ("MWR"), was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The company was as a 50–50 partnership betw ...
and Toyota Racing Development. Ambrose also drove the last 4 races of the 2008 Sprint Cup series in the No. 47 Toyota, after NASCAR agreed to change MWR's car number from No. 00 to No. 47. Ambrose entered Homestead with the No. 47 in the Top 35, earning him a guaranteed start for the first time in his career. However, a bad finish at Homestead put the team back out of the Top 35, so Ambrose would have been required to qualify on time for the first five races of 2009. Eventually, the team earned a Top 35 exemption after a number of teams merged. Ambrose is ineligible for 2009 Rookie of the Year consideration because he ran 11 races in 2008. Ambrose finished 10th in the 2009 Food City 500, despite losing a cylinder with about 100 laps (50 miles) to go. Ambrose would back this Top-10 finish up by posting 4 more in the first half of the season. Ambrose got his second straight Nationwide Series win at Watkins Glen, his second in two years as he held off Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-tim ...
for the win. He followed up with a 2nd place in the Sprint Cup race at the Glen. The following week Ambrose dominated the Nationwide race at Montreal, but on the final lap, he was passed by Carl Edwards when Ambrose jumped over the curb too high, and Carl Edwards zipped past him for the win. Ambrose picked up a top ten finish at the 2009 Sharpie 500. Ambrose charged hard from being 1 lap down with less than 100 laps left, to finish in third place behind Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-tim ...
and Mark Martin
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series s ...
.
The 2010 season was a myriad of troubles for Ambrose. Engine problems, unlucky crashes and pit road troubles plagued his racing season. However, in the Zippo 200 at The Glen, Ambrose won his third straight Watkins Glen he held off Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990), is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Serie ...
and Kevin Harvick to win. Since the win, he started to gain some form, recording a top 10 at Atlanta and a top 5 at Richmond. At the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Ambrose led 35 laps, and held a ten-second lead over Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, t ...
. His lead got erased by a caution on lap 104. During the caution, Ambrose turned off his car's engine to conserve fuel, but was unable to restart it. As a result, Ambrose attempted to return to his spot, but was forced to fall to seventh on the restart due to not maintaining a particular speed during the caution, and finished sixth. After the race, Ambrose stated, "I was leading the race and had trouble getting the motor cranked back up a little bit there, and NASCAR made the call. I was trying to save fuel and the motor shut off. It didn’t recrank the way it should. I didn’t stop rolling, but it is what it is."
2011
Ambrose announced on 17 August 2010 that he signed a multi-year deal with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the #9 Stanley/DeWalt Power Tools Ford Fusion. He finished 37th in his first race with the team at the Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of thre ...
, after being crashed out of contention in a 15 car wreck in turn 3 on lap 29. He did finish the race. He went on to have an impressive race at Phoenix running in the top 10 for most of the day. In August, Ambrose won the rain delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen on 15 August to rack up his first career Sprint Cup Series win by passing Brad Keselowski
Bradley Aaron Keselowski (; born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, a team he also ...
and Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-tim ...
with two laps to go. Ambrose further vindicated his road course abilities, backing up under a week later by taking an emotional victory at Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
in the Nationwide Series, during the NAPA Auto Parts 200
The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge (French title: ''NAPA Pièces d'auto 200 présenté par Dodge'') is a discontinued NASCAR Nationwide Series race that took place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 2007 to ...
. The 2011 season continued to be his career best as he recorded 5 top 5 and 12 top 10 finishes. Ambrose finished the 2011 season 19th in the final point standings.
2012
Ambrose returned to Richard Petty Motorsports for 2012. In February he almost won the Budweiser Shootout with bump-drafting help from Keselowski; but lost the lead just as he took the white flag to Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is ...
and eventual race winner Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-tim ...
. Ambrose said after the race that despite losing the Shootout the race was his best performance on a restrictor plate track (although he also had several top-tens at previous plate races, such as a 4th-place finish at Talladega in the spring 2009 race).
Ambrose started the season with a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500, and in the spring races, collected six top-twenty finishes and two top-ten finishes. In June, he posted the fastest qualifying speed in NASCAR competition in 25 years, winning his first career Sprint Cup pole in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than approximately south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track ...
at a speed of , the third fastest pole speed ever in NASCAR. Ambrose finished ninth in that race.
The following week, Ambrose won the pole at Infineon Raceway but only led about 10 laps before he had to pit thus putting him in the top ten for the rest of the day. He finished 8th.
Returning to Watkins Glen, Ambrose started fifth and dominated part of the race but was passed in a three-wide move by Kyle Busch with 20 laps remaining. When the white flag was about to wave he saw that Busch was slipping in oil; in the entrance to the esses he and Brad Keselowski passed him; Ambrose then saw that Keselowski was slipping in oil too and he took the lead in the final turn, holding off Keselowski for the second time in a row and defending his win from the previous year. Ambrose was very emotional about his win due to his father seeing it on television in a hospital for an illness and due to his luck that day. The win moved Ambrose up one position in the standings from 18th to 17th. Ambrose still has promised the racing world for a future oval win since his #1 goal currently is to prove he can win at places other than road courses.
His victory caused local company Mac Tools to offer Ambrose multi-year sponsorship which Ambrose's boss, Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably ...
, approved of. Mac Tools sponsored Ambrose in a few races for 2012 and throughout 2013.
2013
To start the 2013 season, Ambrose had 11th-place finishes in both the Sprint Unlimited
The Busch Light Clash is an annual pre-season NASCAR Cup Series exhibition event held in February before the season-opening Daytona 500. The event was held each year at Daytona International Speedway since the race's inception in 1979 until 2022, ...
and the Budweiser Duel. Ambrose drove in the top ten for a part of the Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of thre ...
but when Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart crashed out of the race, Ambrose slowed down to avoid being involved in the accident, causing him to drive for the rest of the race further back in the field. He finished in 18th place. He recorded another 18th-place finish at Phoenix and a 22nd-place finish at Las Vegas.
Ambrose was on his way to a good finish in the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The reconfigured track measures with banked 20° in turns 1 and 2 and banked 24 ...
before crashing with Jeff Burton and finishing a lap down. Then, a couple weeks later he had a frustrating day at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Known as ...
when his engine failed early and he finished 42nd. He recovered for a 14th-place finish at Talladega, one of his top 2013 finishes.
In the Coca-Cola 600, Ambrose reached a top ten spot in an unusual style. On the final lap, Carl Edwards was about to hold off Ambrose for the tenth position, but got loose in the final turn to the finish line, causing Ambrose to slip by to steal the tenth spot and lock Edwards out of the top ten finishers. This fight for tenth place resembled a reverse style of Ambrose's race at Montreal in 2009, which ended with Edwards getting by him on the final lap.
At Sonoma, Ambrose led the first laps of the race getting by pole-sitter Jamie McMurray at the start of the race. He finished in 7th place. At Loudon, Ambrose fought Harvick in the opening laps for a top ten spot. In a corner, Harvick rammed Ambrose's right rear causing Ambrose to spin out; he would finish in 33rd.
At Watkins Glen, Ambrose won the pole after breaking the track record with a lap speed of , breaking the previous record held by Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver.
He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech ...
's speed of . Ambrose led 51 laps but on lap 60, he pitted under caution. He restarted in 15th and never recovered. With 3 laps left while running in 8th place Ambrose tangled with road-course rival Max Papis
Massimiliano "Max" Papis (born 3 October 1969) is an Italian professional motorsport driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories. He is the ...
, ending his hopes to win three races in a row at the Glen. Ambrose was visibly upset with Papis in the aftermath, furiously tossing his steering wheel at the in-car camera, tossing his helmet hard through his window, and pointing his finger at Papis when Papis came by under caution. Ambrose finished 31st. Had he won, Ambrose would have joined Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...
and Mark Martin
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series s ...
as the only drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive races at the Glen.
Ambrose made a Nationwide Series return at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region ...
's Nationwide Children's Hospital 200
The B&L Transport 170 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race that was held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, United States. The inaugural event took place on August 17, 2013, and was scheduled to be contested for 90 laps over a distance ...
. Ambrose had to start in the back as he did not qualify the car. Ambrose made it up to third, but was then spun out numerous times, falling to 16th. He rallied to finish in 7th place but was spun out by Parker Kligerman
Parker L. Kligerman (born August 8, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro for Big Machine Racing. Kligerman is a former development driver ...
after the checkered flag for previous contact during the race.
2014
Ambrose started with a seventh-place finish in the Sprint Unlimited, and an 18th-place finish in the Daytona 500. He then had 21st and 24th-place finishes at Phoenix and Las Vegas. At Bristol, Ambrose finished fifth in what was statistically one of Richard Petty Motorsports' best races to date, as teammate Aric Almirola
Aric Michael Almirola (born March 14, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. A graduate of Hillsborough High School in T ...
finished third. It was Ambrose's first top five finish in a race since the 2012 Irwin Tools Night Race.
At Richmond, Ambrose was running in the top five of the Richmond 400. While racing Casey Mears
Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR's three national series including 15 seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super ...
mid-way into the race, Ambrose was bumped wide by Mears that lost Ambrose multiple positions. The two drivers confronted each other post race, which saw Ambrose land a punch into Mears' face after Mears was seen pushing Ambrose. Ambrose was fined $25,000 and Mears $15,000 for the altercation. Both drivers were placed on probation for one month. Despite the feud, both Casey and Marcos said they remain buddies and will "have a beer together" with Ambrose promising to buy.
Ambrose finished 10th at Daytona for a top-ten finish while his teammate Aric Almirola won the race when rain had shortened the event.
Ambrose returned to the Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen in the No. 09. Ambrose dominated the race and won his 5th Nationwide victory holding off Kyle Busch in a performance reminiscent of 2009. The next day Ambrose started second and after leading some laps, came up short after a side-by-side battle with former teammate A. J. Allmendinger who beat Ambrose by 1.5 seconds after accelerating away from Ambrose on the final lap. Ambrose's crew chief Drew Blickensderfer protested the finish by saying that Allmendinger jumped the restart, but NASCAR officials and Ambrose both denied this, Ambrose saying "The restart had no influence on the outcome. We just raced and he won."
Ambrose missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup and on 11 September 2014 said he did not expect to be back with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2015. This was soon after sponsor Stanley-DEWALT pulled out of RPM to join Carl Edwards' car at Joe Gibbs Racing but it is unknown if Ambrose's decision to depart had anything to do with Stanley-DEWALT pulling out their sponsorship of the 9 team. Not long after it was announced that Ambrose would be returning to Australia after the 2014 NASCAR season ends for what Ambrose and Petty described as "personal reasons."
In September 2014, Ambrose confirmed he would leave RPM and NASCAR at the end of the 2014 season with a purpose to return to Australia. Ambrose stated that it was for both personal reasons for his children and because he had accepted an offer to join DJR Team Penske, co-owned by NASCAR owner Roger Penske.
When asked about his departure from NASCAR Ambrose stated: ''"I think I've accomplished all I can accomplish in NASCAR. When I came it was clear all I could do was win races and not have any chance at a championship. I've enjoyed my time here and I will miss my friends and the other drivers very much but this move is done mostly to help my children get raised in our native country and I feel like I want to start a new chapter in my life. I'm glad to leave with multiple wins in NASCAR and having raced for the King."''
In his final NASCAR race, the 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400, Ambrose qualified 17th. He struggled with a poor-handling car, and hit the wall on lap 195, but managed to finish 27th and on the lead lap.
Personal life
Ambrose is from Launceston, Australia. He grew up in Launceston and found racing as his hobby. He became a race-car driver and was noticed by team owners of the Supercars Championship
The Supercars Championship is a touring car racing category in Australia, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australia ...
series. His father is an Australian investor in Ford named Ross Ambrose. Ross was born in London but aged three years, moved to Australia.
The Ambrose family have a rich history in this formula as Marcos' father Ross Ambrose, along with Ralph Firman Sr, co-founded Formula Ford chassis builder Van Diemen.
Marcos Ambrose is married to Sonja Ambrose and has two daughters named Adelaide and Tabitha.
Awards
On 24 October 2000, Ambrose was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his motor racing achievements.
Motorsports career results
Career summary
International V8 Supercars Championship
Wildcard entry ineligible for championship points
Complete Bathurst 1000 results
NASCAR
(Template:NASCAR driver results legend, 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
Ineligible for series points
24 Hours of Daytona
(Template:American Open Wheel driver results legend, key)
See also
*List of foreign-born NASCAR race winners
*Team Australia
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambrose, Marcos
Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
British Formula Three Championship drivers
EFDA Nations Cup drivers
Formula Ford drivers
French Formula Three Championship drivers
Living people
NASCAR drivers
Sportspeople from Launceston, Tasmania
Racing drivers from Tasmania
Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
Rolex Sports Car Series drivers
Supercars Championship drivers
1976 births
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
Team Penske drivers
Meyer Shank Racing drivers
Dick Johnson Racing drivers
Stone Brothers Racing drivers
Michael Waltrip Racing drivers
Alan Docking Racing drivers
Garry Rogers Motorsport drivers