Marcos Ambrose Enjoys American Racing and Way of Life


Written by Arianne Hegeman
October 15, 2007

Marcos Ambrose scored his first victories thousands of miles away from the heart of stock car racing. However,  his Australian accent is the only way a reporter or race fan can tell the difference between him and a native short-tracker.   Since Ambrose’s move into NASCAR just last year, he took no time acclimating himself to life in the United States while making the most of his racing abilities on tracks all over the country.

And he is having fun doing so.  

He downplays the challenge that lay before him when he moved his family to America so he could race America’s most popular racing series. “Australians and Americans are just a like; we watch the same bad television.  I’ve enjoyed way too many burgers these days.  I guess that’s part of living in America”   Ambrose has also enjoyed the challenge of running against the big boys in NASCAR.  “It’s very, very competitive with all the talented Busch regulars and then we’ve got the Cup guys.  It’s so competitive, but I think we’re holding our own”

“Holding our own” may be a bit of an understatement. 

Marcos Ambrose and his #59 Wood Bros. Racing team have done more than just make races; the team sits 8th in overall points, with 5 Cup regulars and only 4 Busch Series regulars in the mix.  In his first season, Ambrose has posted 4 top tens, with his best finish coming at one of the most challenging tracks on the NASCAR circuit: Dover International Speedway.  “I do like Dover.  Unlike Bristol- I'm not too sure about Bristol just yet. Dover is very fast and bumpy.  It’s a lot of fun to race on.”  Marcos scored a 6^th place finish on the Monster Mile in the spring.  

Marcos Ambrose has a realistic grasp on what his team has been able to accomplish and where his team looks to be in the future. “It’s been a great first year; we’re getting better every week.  Being in the top ten in points comes from all the hard work but we’re not finished here yet. We’re just trying to survive in the sport, building a foundation for next year.”  Looking at their spot in the points, the team is not only surviving, they are thriving as well.

With the season coming to an end, Marcos still has goals for the 2007 Kingsford Bush’s Beans Ford racing team.  “We’re fighting for rookie of the year; we’re not out of that yet.  We want to finish really strong and try to topple (David) Ragan; he’s got an advantage out there with being able to practice his Cup car.  That helps him with qualifying and the experience.  We’ll fight for that and for the top ten in points.” 

With the birth of his second child on September 24th, Marcos will also be busy fighting for a good night’s sleep.  During the week of the Dover races, Ambrose’s wife was holding down the fort, waiting for the arrival of Adelaide Elizabeth at any time.  When asked about the decision to race or cut it close for the birth, Marcos admitted his wife, Sonja, was the one with the positive outlook. “She’s a trooper and probably wouldn’t want me to come back. I’ve been anxious and not quite myself.”  The third member of the Ambrose family took part in preparing for the new baby. “I have a daughter, Tabitha, she’s 20 months.  It’s real exciting for her.  She’s got her own baby she walks around with, so she’s been getting practice.”  

Family is important to Ambrose and he cherishes the time he gets to spend at home in North Carolina and those vacations back in Australia.  “I miss my family. It’s all the same.  Even if you lived in Baghdad, you’d still miss home I guess.  It’s where you grew up and where your family is.  I’m really excited about going back for Christmas, I need that break.  We’ll try to sneak back home for 6 weeks during the break.  It’s really important to balance between being with family back home and racing over here.”

So what does the 2008 have in store for Marcos Ambrose? 

“We’re locked into the Busch series next year and we’re looking forward to that.  We will take a look at a few Cup deals but I’m not pushing the idea.  I’m happy where we are and we’ll work to get even more competitive.  Someday, hopefully, I’ll get the chance to be up there in the top series”.

With the recent insurgence of international talent, that could become a reality sooner rather than later.  The addition of Marcos Ambrose has been a welcomed inclusion for NASCAR fans.  His intriguing personality and obvious talent is a breath of fresh air for the Busch series. 

For more information on Marcos Ambrose:  visit http://www.marcosambrose.com/or www.woodbrothersjtg.com

                  
 
Arianne Hegeman interviews Marcos Ambrose at Dover
Photo Credit:  M. Toomey