Marcos Ambrose to leave V8 Supercars at the end of 2005

[F6 TORNADO]

Just found this on www.v8supercar.com.au

Champion Ambrose to step sideways from V8s to American series in 2006
Release Date: 05/03/2005
Back-to-back V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose is to pursue racing interests in North America in 2006 and plans to leave the V8 Supercar Championship Series at the end of the current race year.

Ambrose is discussing several opportunities with Ford USA and hopes to have a firm program in place within a few months. His eventual goal is a drive in the NASCAR Nextel Cup.

In the meantime, Ambrose is totally focused on winning his third consecutive V8 Supercar title in his Pirtek Falcon for SBR, Ford and their fans in 2005.

Ambrose is in the process of competing in three V8 Supercar support races at the Foster’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix this weekend and will start his “three-peat” championship campaign at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 17-20.

SBR co-owner Ross Stone said that Ambrose would move to the USA with the blessing of his team and sponsors and will release him from his contract a year early at the end of 2005.

“Marcos has been a terrific part of this team for five years and has played a major role in our development and success,” said Stone.

“We would never stop a talented driver like Marcos from pursuing other opportunities.

“We know Marcos is as focused as ever on winning a third consecutive title for Pirtek, Ford, SBR and our fans and we will be doing everything possible to make that a reality.”

Ambrose said it was important to make his intentions clear at this stage of the year to be fair to his fans and end any speculation with US testing expected to get underway in the near future.

“The V8 Supercar Championship is a fantastic series and has been very good to me,” said Ambrose.

“I have to thank Ross and Jimmy Stone, Ford and Pirtek for their tremendous support and hopefully we can all share some future success.

“While nothing has been finalised at this stage, it was important for everyone that my intentions were made clear before the start of the season so we can get on with the job of trying to win a third consecutive title.”

Ford Australia President, Tom Gorman, said Ambrose's ambitions were something that all Ford fans could share.

“Marcos Ambrose is an important part of the global Ford family,” said Gorman.

“He has done a fantastic job for us since joining the V8 Supercar ranks in 2001 and we are confident he can continue his success as he chases a third consecutive title this season.

“His decision to pursue a career path in the US is going to offer an exciting adventure which Ford Australia supports and will assist with where we can.”

At this stage Ambrose is set to test with a tier one Ford NASCAR Busch team over a two-day period in the near future. Further tests will be arranged as Ambrose’s V8 Supercar schedule permits, according to John Szymanski, Director, Sponsor Development, Ford Racing Technology.

“Dan Davis (Director Ford Racing Technology) and I both have the utmost respect for Marcos’ abilities on and off the racetrack,” said Szymanski.

“We feel Marcos’ move to America underlines the synergy among the different Ford racing programs around the world and we look forward to helping him with our vast resources and relationships to ensure a high degree of success.

“In the meantime we want to ensure that nothing detracts from Marcos defending his back-to-back V8 Supercar tiles in 2005.

“As a valued member of the Ford Racing "family" we look forward to welcoming Marcos to the newest chapter of his racing career.“

[fpv_gtho]

Dont know whats so special in NASCAR.......theres plenty left for him to achieve here still.

[bucko]

I really find driving around a big circle special

[2ndclasscitizen]

NASCAR has cool crashes...thats about it

[SlickHolden]

My mum told me this 5 days ago. And i said no way he is contracted to 2011 ?

She was right
Must be hard turning left all the time lol

[fpv_gtho]

Hes contracted to Ford till 2009 and SBR till the end of 2006, but that extra year SBR are letting him off early for. Many people think the way he's expressing himself about it, once he wins over there he'll come back. I can only hope so

[2ndclasscitizen]

i heard him talking about it and the way he sounded it made seem like he wasn't particularly happy about it. maybe ford is dragging him over there? are Ford having driver troubles in NASCAR?

[motorsportnerd]

And now the rumours will start as to who replaces Ambrose at SBR. That's the plum Ford seat. I know Lowndes has a contract for next year, but surely Ford wants their number 1 man in their number 1 car? Or perhaps some new talent should be blooded, since that's what SBR have been good at in the past (Bright, Ambrose and Besnard all got their starts at SBR).
Ambrose moving to NASCAR may generate some more interest in NASCAR racing in Australia. Hopefully he does well - but it is a somewhat tougher environment than V8 Supercar. And I don't think too many non- Americans have done well in NASCAR.

[85RX7]

wot a d**k! NASCAR sux! he will probably get seveatly mangled in his opening race! I hope not tho, he is my favourite driver.

[fpv_gtho]

And now the rumours will start as to who replaces Ambrose at SBR. That's the plum Ford seat. I know Lowndes has a contract for next year, but surely Ford wants their number 1 man in their number 1 car? Or perhaps some new talent should be blooded, since that's what SBR have been good at in the past (Bright, Ambrose and Besnard all got their starts at SBR).
Ambrose moving to NASCAR may generate some more interest in NASCAR racing in Australia. Hopefully he does well - but it is a somewhat tougher environment than V8 Supercar. And I don't think too many non- Americans have done well in NASCAR.

Luff and Youlden are doing the enduro's with them, so possibly they'll be thinking of giving Youlden a consideration for next year

[motorsportnerd]

There have been suggestions in both Auto Action and Motorsport News that Mark Winterbottom is the favourite for the seat. Also, Holden drivers Steven Richards (who won Bathurst for SBR in 1998) and Todd Kelly are apparantly possibilities. But with many months to go before the start of the 2006 season, it could be anyone.

[fpv_gtho]

Winterbottom's more than a strong possibility, he'd be doing his second year now at Orrcon and after starting at SBR and Orrcon now using their engines, this could be another piece to the puzzle of SBR IMO trying to rival HMS

[jpmckaye]

Some of us here in NASCAR are excited to see someone from a different series somewhere else in the world take a stab at our biggest series. After the CART/IRL split, it's become the best series for money, fame, and advancement. Ambrose is going to have a blast, but success won't come easy. We've had a ton of international drivers come into this series and fail. I'm convinced that because Ambrose was driving a somewhat similar version to the type of vehicles he's used to, he'll have success early on. I also think he'll enjoy the huge increase in horsepower under his foot. The truck series alone records speeds of nearly 190-200 mph at Daytona.

It's just different racing than he's dealt with. I'm excited. The stupid Speed Channel here in the US didn't carry one freakin V8 race this year. I'm a fan of the series. Big, heavy, overpowered cars on a road course = excitement.

I just hope NASCAR b'casts make it down under for everyone to see the same excitement on a major super speedway!

(But I'd rather own an HSV Coupe)