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Marcos Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose was always destined to be a racing car driver, from an early age, it became apparent he would excel at it. Growing up in Launceston, Tasmania, Ambrose was born into a racing family, with his father Ross was a co-founder of Formula Ford constructor Van Diemen.

At the age of ten, Marcos was given his first go-kart, subsequently going on to win four Tasmanian Junior titles. 1995 saw Ambrose take out his first national championship victory, dominating the Clubman Heavy kart class. From there, Formula Ford was the natural progression, claiming fourth and then second in his two attempts at the national crown.

Europe beckoned, with Marcos’s quest to climb the motorsport ladder seeing him take on the cut throat world of British Formula Ford, where championship results of fifth and third had the Aussie racing against the best in the world. Marcos broke through in 1999, winning the Formula Ford Euro Cup. The win propelled him closer to his Formula 1 dream, which in 2000 saw a move into wings and slicks racing in the British and French Formula 3 titles.

Sadly, a lack of budget saw Marcos return to Australia, with his undoubted talent never fulfilling its full potential. At the end of the year, Marcos was invited to take part in the Young Gun support race to the Gold Coast Indy, which saw ten up and coming drivers take to the track in identical Honda Integra Type Rs. Against competition including Scott Dixon and Steven Johnson, Ambrose triumphed.

The win in front of all of the V8 Supercar teams raised the eyebrows of all, with Ross and Jimmy Stone taking a punt on the youngster, signing him up for the 2001 season. They would not be disappointed; Marcos remains to this date to be the only driver to win in every V8 Supercar season he has campaigned in. Marcos’s talent and determination brought Ford out of a slump, and back into a dominant position in Australia’s premiere division.

Marcos won pole on debut at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, before claiming his first round win at Darwin. Marcos also won pole at his first ever attempt at the Bathurst 1000. After more success in 2002 (finishing third for the season), Marcos dominated 2003 and 2004, claiming two consecutive titles, before finishing a close second in 2005.

At the start of 2005, Marcos was looking for a new challenge, and announced he would be moving to the USA to take on the world of NASCAR racing. With few contacts, Marcos took the gamble, stepping away from being a superstar in Australia, to being a small fish in motor racing’s biggest pond. Marcos had to start at the bottom, and work his way up through the ranks.

Marcos’s American odyssey began in the 2006 NASCAR Truck Series, and despite missing the first three races of the season, he came home third in the Rookie of the Year standings. The next step was into the second tier Nationwide Series for 2007/’08. Racing against the best in the business, Marcos claimed eighth and tenth place finishes in the series standings. His first race win came at Watkins Glen in 2008, and after 2010, Marcos has won three straight events on the famed New York road course.

Marcos made it all the way to the top in late 2008, with a part time season in the top flight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, prior to running full time from 2009 onwards. In only his third race, Marcos was on the podium. More success has followed, with further podiums at Bristol, Sonoma and at Watkins Glen. In the five years he has spent racing in North America, Marcos has forged a reputation of being one of the hardest racers, while at the same time winning respect from millions of NASCAR fans.

In 2011 Marcos takes on two new challenges in the US, firstly joining new team Richard Petty Motorsports, and secondly launching the Marcos Ambrose Motorsport team to help young Aussie hopefuls achieve their NASCAR dreams.

Marcos is back in a Ford for his third season in the premiere NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving for the man dubbed ‘The King’ of Stock Car Racing, Richard Petty. Marcos is behind the wheel of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion.

Marcos launched his own team in March 2011, Marcos Ambrose Motorsports, which has been set up to field late model stock cars in the UARA Stars Touring Series with the team’s first driver, 24 year old Australian George Miedecke, in the JELD-WEN Australia sponsored No.9 car.

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