Marcos Ambrose
Encyclopedia
Marcos Ambrose is a championship winning Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Sprint Cup Series. Ambrose is a dual Australian V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

 champion in 2003
2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series was a motor racing series for V8 Supercars. The series, which was the eighth V8 Supercar Championship Series, began on 22 March 2003 in Adelaide and ended on 30 November at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...

 and 2004
2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series featured the sixth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 21 March 2004 in Adelaide and ended on 5 December at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...

, having spearheaded Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

's rise in the sport which saw the team dominate for three years after a five-year drought for Ford teams in the championship.

In 2006 Ambrose relocated to the USA to pursue racing in NASCAR, starting with the Camping World Truck Series; driving a Ford for JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...

. He moved up to the Nationwide Series in 2007 with the same team; driving the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...

, before racing in the Sprint Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...

, first with Fords then Toyotas. Ambrose joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011 where after four years in the Sprint cup he scored his first race win at Watkins Glen, becoming the first Australian driver to do so.

Early years

Marcos grew up in Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

, in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, the son of another racing driver, Ross Ambrose and was educated at Scotch Oakburn College
Scotch Oakburn College
Scotch Oakburn College is an independent, Uniting Church, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.Although founded in 1886, the present school was established in 1979 with the amalgamation of the historically boys' Scotch College and girls' Oakburn College...

. He began racing karts at the age of ten. He won four Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

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
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 driving for Tony Kostelnak racing.

He moved into Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 in 1996. The Ambrose family have a rich history in this formula as Marcos' father Ross Ambrose, along with Ralph Firman Sr, co-founded Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 chassis builder Van Diemen
Van Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of...

. Ambrose finished second in the Australian Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 championship in 1997.

In 1998 Ambrose moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 in a bid to reach Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

, competing in British Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 in 1998 and 1999. In 1999 he won the European Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....

 Championship. In 2000 he began the season racing in the French Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

 Championship, before switching mid-season to the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

.

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
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

 road cars.

He also represented Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 in the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup
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...

 at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...

 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

2001–2005: V8 Supercars Australia

For 2001 Ambrose was signed by Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

 to drive the Pirtek Racing Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...

. Ambrose stunned the V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

 world when he qualified on pole for his first ever V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

 race, supporting the Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...

 (a non-championship event before the championship season). Qualified on pole again in round three at Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek International Raceway is a motorsports circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek , New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the...

, round 9 at Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway nicknamed "the paperclip" is a motor racing circuit located near Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.The circuit plays host to V8 Supercars, the Australian Superbike Championship, Drifting as well as club level racing and ride days....

 and round 11, the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

 at Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit
Mount Panorama Circuit is a motor racing track located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home of the Bathurst 12 Hour motor race, held each February, and the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October...

.

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
Hidden Valley Raceway
Hidden Valley Raceway is part of the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The race track is used as a round of the V8 Supercar series...

 in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

, although he did not win any of the three races in the round.

The 2002 season saw Ambrose start the season snaring the pole position at Phillip Island before recording his debut race win in the first race. He eventually finished third in the V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

 Championship, including winning the final round at Sandown Raceway
Sandown Raceway
Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately south east of the city centre. It is considered a power circuit with its front straight being 899m long and back straight 910m long.-History:...

.

With a new BA Falcon, Ambrose gave the Ford team a great start to the 2003 season with victory in the first race of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

. He followed this fantastic start with a third career win at Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek International Raceway is a motorsports circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek , New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the...

 where he led Ford home to a memorable 1–2–3 at the Sydney track. This was Ford's first clean sweep of the podium since Eastern Creek 1997 and Ambrose’s first round win for the season. 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 Ambrose claimed three pole positions and five round wins and went into the final round at Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek International Raceway is a motorsports circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek , New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the...

 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. This was the first time Ford had won back-to-back titles since 1988–89. Teammate Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall is an Australian V8 Supercar driver. Ingall won the V8 Supercar Championship for the first time in 2005, he was also the Championship runner up in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Ingall has also won the Bathurst 1000 motor race twice, in 1995 and 1997...

 also drove a superb final round to finish second in the championship, giving Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

 a memorable 1–2 Quinella finish.

Ambrose won the coveted Barry Sheene Medal
Barry Sheene Medal
The Barry Sheene Medal is an award dedicated to the memory of British motorcycle rider and Australian V8 Supercar commentator Barry Sheene. The medal is awarded to the driver who shows outstanding leadership, personality, fan appeal and sportsmanship throughout the season...

 in 2003 and 2004.

He started 2005 the way he ended 2004 with a clean sweep of the opening round in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

. He remained in the championship lead until Round 10 at the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

 when he was involved in a controversial crash with Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...

 approaching The Cutting on the way up 'The Mountain' late in the race. The two drivers, infuriated with one another, shared some heated words after the crash.
This crash, combined with a poor performance at the co-hosted (with the Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

s) round on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

 arguably lost him a third straight title. He thereafter supported teammate Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall is an Australian V8 Supercar driver. Ingall won the V8 Supercar Championship for the first time in 2005, he was also the Championship runner up in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Ingall has also won the Bathurst 1000 motor race twice, in 1995 and 1997...

'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, and good friend Craig Lowndes
Craig Lowndes
Craig Lowndes is a multi-championship winning Australian racing driver. He is a three-time V8 Supercar champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000...

.

Ambrose is still the only driver to have a round win in every V8 Supercar season he has participated in.

2006: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

At the first V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

 race of 2005, Ambrose called a press conference on the Saturday morning to announce that he would leave V8 Supercars at the end of the 2005 season to try and make a career in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

.

Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 signed Ambrose to participate overseas in the United States with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Camping World Truck Series in 2006. 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
Bobby East
Robert East, born in Torrance, California on December 17, 1984, is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in the United States Auto Club, the Auto Racing Club of American, and NASCAR...

, Ambrose was not cleared to start in the faster races. Ambrose made his Truck Series debut on 1 April 2006 at the Kroger 250
Kroger 250
The Kroger 250 is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that takes place at Martinsville Speedway in the spring.-Past winners:*1996, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2008, & 2009: Race extended due to a Green-white-checker finish....

 at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...

, 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
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 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
O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
The O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that takes place at Kansas Speedway.In 2007 the race was run on April 28, in hopes of cooler weather for race day. As in the past 6 years the race was run on very hot and humid July days, making it hard for the fans and drivers...

 at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...

 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
Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows is an accomplished Canadian SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, and American Le Mans Series driver, and a NASCAR Road course ringer.-Early career:...

 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
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

 for the Built Ford Tough 225
Built Ford Tough 225
The Kentucky 225 is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race held at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. The race, originally held in June or July moved to September in 2010. One year later, the race was moved to October...

 at Kentucky Speedway
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. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...

, and then leading the most laps in the race itself, though he finished 19th. Ambrose scored his second podium result of his debut Craftsman Truck Series season, finishing 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.

2007–2010: Nationwide Series & Sprint Cup Series

For 2007, Ambrose stepped up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the #59 Kingsford Ford Fusion fielded by Wood Brothers/JTG Racing. In the first two races of the 2007 season
2007 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 26th season of the NASCAR Busch Series began on February 17, 2007, with the Orbitz 300 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded on November 17, 2007, with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Carl Edwards clinched the Busch Series championship on November 3 during the O'Reilly...

, 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
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

 with another top 10, finishing 10th in the Sam's Town 300
Sam's Town 300
The Sam's Town 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been scheduled as either the third, fourth, or fifth race of the season for the Nationwide Series since it was first held in 1997....

 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

. He recorded a career best Nationwide Series finish of sixth after starting third at Dover in May.

At the 2007 NAPA Auto Parts 200
NAPA Auto Parts 200
The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since 2007. It takes place in August, replacing the Champ Car World Series and Atlantic Championship Grand Prix of Montreal...

 Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....

 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, 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
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...

 racer Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon
Robert W. "Robby" Gordon is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series...

 behind him. At turn 3, Gordon successfully made a pass on Ambrose 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 rejoined behind Ambrose. NASCAR officials ordered Gordon to move back to 14th position but he refused and was subsequently black-flagged. When they restarted, Gordon ran into the back of Ambrose at turn 2, spinning him around. Ambrose dropped back down the field but recovered to finish in 7th. Following this incident, Gordon made a peace offering to Ambrose in the form of a ride for the Watkins Glen road race, in Gordon's #77 Camping World Ford Fusion. However, qualifying was rained out and the field was set by owner's points, and the #77 did not make the race.

In September, Ambrose skipped a second opportunity to drive the #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
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...

, and finished second behind David Ragan
David Ragan
David Ragan, , is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He has previously driven the #6 Roush Fenway Racing ford, but is currently looking for a ride for the 2012 season...

 in the Rookie of the Year standings. On Sunday 20 April 2008 Ambrose was involved in a racing incident with Boris Said
Boris Said
Boris Said is an American race car driver from Carlsbad, California but considers his hometown to be Stamford, Connecticut. His father, Bob Said, was a Formula One race driver and US Olympic bobsled driver in 1968 and 1972. He drove the #26 Ford Fusion for Latitude 43 Motorsports in the NASCAR...

 in the Nationwide Series event in Mexico. Ambrose admitted "getting into the back" of road course 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 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. Though Ambrose has repeatedly apologised, 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) arse".
Prior to the 2008 season, Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...

 and JTG Racing split into two teams. Ambrose was scheduled to drive for both teams in Sprint Cup competition in 2008. He was going to run twelve races in the #21 car for Wood Brothers and another four in the #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 #21 spun through the famous Turn 11 hairpin and blowing his transmission, finishing a disappointing 42nd in the 43-car field. He said he felt like beating Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is one of only 23 drivers to have won in each of NASCAR's top three series...

's ass for his involvement in the accident. He attempted to make his second career Sprint Cup start in the Lenox Industrial tools 301 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. On 15 July it was announced that Ambrose would run the full 2009 cup schedule with JTG Racing with a new partnership with Brad Daugherty. The team will be renamed JTG Daugherty Racing.

Ambrose got his first Nationwide Series win on 9 August 2008 in the Zippo 200
Zippo 200
The Zippo 200 at the Glen is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at the Watkins Glen International circuit in New York.The race has been run every year since 2005 and marked the return of NASCAR's lower-tier series to the Glen...

 at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...

. The next day, he finished 3rd, after starting in 43rd position in the Centurion Boats at the Glen, behind winner Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

 and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

.

Ambrose is driving the #47 Toyota in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup series, after forming a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota Racing Development
Toyota Racing Development
Toyota Racing Development or TRD is the in-house tuning shop for all Toyota, Lexus, and Scion cars. TRD is responsible both for improving street cars for more performance and supporting Toyota's racing interests around the world. TRD produces various tuning products and accessories, including...

. Ambrose also drove the last 4 races of the 2008 Sprint Cup series in the #47 Toyota, after NASCAR agreed to change MWR's car number from #00 to #47. Ambrose entered Homestead with the #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
2009 Food City 500
The 2009 Food City 500 was the fifth race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. This 500 lap, race took place on March 22 of that year at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, and was telecast on Fox beginning at 1:30 PM US EDT, with radio broadcasting being handled by Performance...

, 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 Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

 for the win. He followed up with a 2nd place in the Sprint Cup race at the Glen and a 3rd in the Sharpie 500
Sharpie 500
The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two Sprint Cup races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two...

 at Bristol.

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 2010 Zippo 200 at The Glen, Marcos won his third straight Watkins Glen he held off Joey Logano
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...

 and Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...

 to win. Since the win, he started to gain some form, recording a top 10 at Atlanta and a top 5 at Richmond.

2011: Sprint Cup Series & Nationwide Series

Ambrose announced on 17 August 2010 that he signed a multi-year deal with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the #9 Stanley/Dewalt tools ford fusion. He finished 37th in his first race with the team, the 2011 Daytona 500
2011 Daytona 500
The 2011 Daytona 500, the 53rd running of the event, was held on February 20, 2011 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps on the 2.5 mile asphalt tri-oval. First race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, it was won by the Wood Brothers...

, after being involved in "the big one". 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. Ambrose, driving the #9 Stanley Ford Fusion, won the rain delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen on 15 August 2011 to rack up his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory by passing Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski
Bradley Robert Keselowski is an American auto racing driver currently competing in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in the Sprint Cup Series and the #22 Discount Tire Company/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing...

 and Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

 with two laps to go. Ambrose further vindicated his road course abilities, backing up under a week later by taking victory at Montreal
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....

 in the Nationwide Series, during the NAPA Auto Parts 200
NAPA Auto Parts 200
The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since 2007. It takes place in August, replacing the Champ Car World Series and Atlantic Championship Grand Prix of Montreal...

. 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 points.

Career results

Season Series Position Car Team
1996
1996 Australian Formula Ford Championship
The 1996 Australian Formula Ford Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It was the 27th national series for Formula Fords to be held in Australia and the 4th to be sanctioned as an Australian Formula Ford Championship...

Australian Formula Ford Championship
Australian Formula Ford Championship
The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series...

4th Swift
Swift Engineering
Swift Engineering is an American engineering firm, most notable for producing racing cars for a variety of open-wheel racing series, including Champ Car World Series, Formula Atlantic, and Formula Nippon.-History:...

 SC95K Ford
Swift Racing Cars
1997 Australian Formula Ford Championship 2nd Van Diemen
Van Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of...

 RF97 Ford
Marcos Ambrose
1998 British Formula Ford Championship
British Formula Ford Championship
The Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting...

5th Van Diemen RF98 Ford Van Diemen
1999 British Formula Ford Championship 3rd Van Diemen RF99 Ford Van Diemen
Formula Ford Euro Cup 1st Van Diemen RF99 Ford Tony Kostelnak Racing
2000 French Formula Three Championship
French Formula Three Championship
French Formula Three Championship is the name of a former French Formula Three racing competition.Starting in 1964, the series ended in 2003, changed, and became part of the Formula Three Euroseries.-Champions:-External links:*...

12th Martini
Martini (cars)
Martini Cars is a constructor of Formula racing cars from France, founded by Renato "Tico" Martini in 1965, when Martini and partner Bill Knight founded the Winfield Racing School at the Magny-Cours circuit...

 Mk.79 Sodemo-Renault
Mygale
Mygale
Mygale is a French racing car constructor and contractor that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. The company was established in 1989 by Bertrand Decoster and its factory is based in Magny Cours....

British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

16th Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...

 F300 Mugen-Honda
Alan Docking Racing
Alan Docking Racing
Alan Docking Racing is motor racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom. The team was formed in 1975 by Australian Alan Docking....

2001 Shell Championship Series
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

8th Ford AU Falcon
Ford AU Falcon
The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia...

Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

3rd Ford AU Falcon
Ford AU Falcon
The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia...

Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

2003
2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series was a motor racing series for V8 Supercars. The series, which was the eighth V8 Supercar Championship Series, began on 22 March 2003 in Adelaide and ended on 30 November at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...

V8 Supercar Championship Series
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

1st Ford BA Falcon
Ford BA Falcon
The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...

Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

2004
2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series featured the sixth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 21 March 2004 in Adelaide and ended on 5 December at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...

V8 Supercar Championship Series
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

1st Ford BA Falcon
Ford BA Falcon
The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...

Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

2005
2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the seventh running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 18 March 2005 in Adelaide and ended on 27 November at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit after 13 rounds.-Teams and drivers:...

V8 Supercar Championship Series
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...

3rd Ford BA Falcon
Ford BA Falcon
The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...

Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...

2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...

21st Ford F-150
Ford F-Series
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
2007 NASCAR Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...

8th Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion (North America)
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year. The 2010 model was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year and its hybrid version won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award...

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
2008
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series
The 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series began on February 16, 2008, at Daytona International Speedway with the Camping World 300, and ended on November 15, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 300. This was the first season in which NASCAR's second-tier series was known as the Nationwide...

NASCAR Nationwide Series 10th Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion (North America)
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year. The 2010 model was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year and its hybrid version won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award...

JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...

2009
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 61st season of professional stock car racing in the United States, which began at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a race for the top six teams of the four brands in the 2008...

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 18th Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...

JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...

2010
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 62nd season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at Daytona International Speedway, the season included 36 races and two exhibition races. The season concluded with the 2010 Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway...

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 26th Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...

JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...

2011
2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 63rd season of professional stock car racing in the United States. The season included 36 races and two exhibition races, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The...

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 19th Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion is a name used on two different models of cars from the Ford Motor Company.* Ford Fusion * Ford Fusion / Ford Fusion Hybrid...

Richard Petty Motorsports

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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