Australian V8 Champ to NASCAR

[Joeyy]

The best program speed has is 5th Gear and they had to go to England to get that and they don'e play it enofe.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Joeyy

The best program speed has is 5th Gear and they had to go to England to get that and they don'e play it enofe.

Yeah, reruns of last years season of a british TV show is much better than live Formula 1.

[MattR]

BUMP!!!! Speed Channel, 12:05 Saturday, set teh DVR.

Marcos Ambrose to Make Debut at Martinsville

Originally Posted by Wood Brothers Racing website

MARTINSVILLE, Va. There are billboards in Australia emblazoned with Marcos Ambrose's face.

Television cameras can't get enough of his bubbly personality; fans can't get enough of his flashy style. And now, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing hope to transform all of that into a successful NASCAR career.

"I don't know if this sport is ready for Marcos Ambrose," said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Ambrose's Ford F150 in Saturday's Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. "He's something else. He's the biggest racing star the country's has known. We believe he's going to be all of that, if not more, here in America."

Ambrose will make his NASCAR debut this Saturday. NASCAR wanted him to skip the first three races until they were convinced his success in Australia would translate to its brand of racing.

"I got here in January and I've been ready to race since the day I got here," Ambrose said. "I've been eager to get behind the wheel and race. The one good thing about waiting for NASCAR is it gave me a chance to watch from the sidelines. I spent time in the shop to get a perspective of how these trucks are built, I spent time at the racetrack watching how Jon Wood worked as the driver. I learned a lot about how the truck changes during the race and how a driver and crew chief have to work to make it better.

"More important, I learned no matter what side of the ocean you're from, success always comes back to one thing ? people. It's people that build these trucks, people that perform pit stops and people that drive these trucks. I believe I'm surround by the best people in the business. I just want to do my part."

Ambrose is one of the most recognized athletes in his native country. He enjoys rock star status after winning consecutive Supercar Championships. He will bring his flamboyant personality to the sport, as well as international media attention.

He will be joining a race team with impressive credentials. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest team in the Nextel Cup Series and it's fielded the most winners in Ford Racing history. Wood Brothers partner JTG Racing has the longest current relationship between a driver, team and series sponsor in Stacy Compton and Kingsford Sure Fire charcoal.

"It's an honor to be chosen from a long list of drivers who would love to be with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing," Ambrose said. "The team provides a career path through NASCAR major series, all the way to Nextel Cup. I'm looking forward to the challenge and the next phase of my career. This is a big move in my career, but it's the next logical step. We've had a lot of success in Australia and it's going to be fun to see if we can carry some of that over here in the States."

Ambrose's toughest competition for rookie of the year honors probably will come from his Wood Brothers/jtg racing teammate, Bobby East. He will drive the No. 21 Ford.

Ambrose not only is the first driver in seven years to win back-to-back V8 Supercar championships, he is the first driver in 30 years to win four consecutive races. He became the flagship driver for Ford Australia, and it wasn't difficult for the car company to support a move to the United States.

"Marcos and Bobby are a very important part of our driver development program," Wood said. "It's going to be fun to watch Marcos grow as a driver in NASCAR. And it's going to be fun to see how his personality catches on. One thing's for sure, halfway around the world, everyone will be watching."

Pole qualifying for Kroger 250 is Saturday at noon. The race is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start on Speed later that afternoon.

Marcos Ambrose Fast Facts

• Born in Launceston, Tasmania

• First back-to-back Australia V8 Supercar Series champion since 1998

• Won the 1999 Formula Ford Championship

• Won the V8 Supercar Series rookie of the year award in 2001

• Will drive the No. 20 Ford F-150 for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in 20

[MattR]

Ambrose 12th on the speed chart after practice!!!!!!!! Very impressive.

[bruspeed]

I can't even Imagine the transition from v8 super car to Craftsman truck, at Martinsville no less. We'll see how he does in the pack.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by bruspeed

I can't even Imagine the transition from v8 super car to Craftsman truck, at Martinsville no less. We'll see how he does in the pack.

The transition's gotta be like 100 times easier than a Truck series driver trying to take up V8 Supercars.

[MattR]

Well, Marcos has shown to be very competitive in his debut season in the truck series, and it looks like his path to the cup series is intact. Marcos Ambrose was named to drive the Wood Brothers Busch Series car next season. I can not wait to see Marcos in the road races at Mexico City, Watkins Glen and Montreal!!! Awesome. Congrats to Marcos...

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/busch/nascar/33123/

Originally Posted by Speed Tv

The Wood Brothers/JTG racing team has announced its driving lineup for ’07, which will retain Ken Schrader and add Jon Wood in what will become a full-time two-car effort in Nextel Cup.

The squad has shuffled its Busch and Truck operations, however. Former Australian V8 Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose will step up from Trucks to Busch, after a positive debut season in the NCTS that saw the Aussie clinch one pole position and two podium finishes. He currently lies 24th in the points standings.

"It's a huge change, and definitely a step up in performance," Ambrose said about the move. "The schedule is much more hectic and rewarding, the workload is higher and the prestige is much greater.

"Running in Busch is a huge opportunity because you have so many Nextel Cup drivers coming in to the category from week to week," he added. "Even to run in the top 20 will be a big effort."

[MattR]

It's so on!!!!

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/nextel/34532/

Australian V8 Supercar Series veteran Marcos Ambrose, who raced in the Craftsman Truck Series this year, will compete in up to 10 NASCAR Nextel Cup events in 2007 under the Team Australia and Aussie Vineyards banner.

“Team Australia” program creator and Australian businessman Craig Gore has finalized a deal with Wood Brothers-JTG Racing which will see Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards branding on the back quarter panel of Ambrose's No. 59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for all 35 rounds of next year's NASCAR Busch Series. Part of the agreement will also see a full Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards entry in a minimum of two, and up to 10, NASCAR Nextel Cup events.

Ambrose will campaign the full Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards entry in Nextel Cup road course events at Infineon Raceway at Sonoma, California on June 24 and at Watkins Glen on August 12. An extension of the two-race Nextel Cup program will be evaluated by Gore and Wood Brothers-JTG Racing and will be influenced by results and further involvement from Australian companies looking to increase their U.S. and global branding. Marketing plans have already been put in place which will see Aussie Vineyards wine packaged with bags of Kingsford Charcoal in outlets across the US.

“It is great that Craig (Gore) and his Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards program will not only be continuing with me as secondary sponsors on the No. 59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford next season, but that we will be flying the Team Australia colors in a minimum of two Nextel Cup events,” said Ambrose. “Our learning curve continues to be a steep one in the US and I am certainly looking forward to working with the team at Wood Brothers-JTG Racing and Craig Gore as we take the next step forward in my NASCAR career.

“There is no doubt that NASCAR has become the pinnacle of world motorsport and I am enjoying the journey.”

Ambrose joined the NASCAR ranks this season after a successful V8 Supercar career in Australia, where he won two championships for Ford. He had not driven an oval race before his Truck debut at Martinsville in April, but he finished the season with two third-place finishes (Kansas and Nashville) and a pole (Kentucky) in his Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards entry