Ambrose to Nascar in 06! (confirmed)

[Falcadore]

Its still not what the banner says..... ahhh stuffit you guys right what you want the english language is yours to mutilate......

[peckstar]

surely when he signed his new 5 year deal in november last year, this would have been part of the discussion

[TCR-028]

I wonder if one Craig Lowndes will somehow be shoehorned into the SBR seat.
Ford needs a proven winner with Marcos off chasing his "American Dream", and seeing as all the Ford teams are playing ball with each other maybe 888 will come to the party with Fords best asset ??

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by TCR-028

I wonder if one Craig Lowndes will somehow be shoehorned into the SBR seat.
Ford needs a proven winner with Marcos off chasing his "American Dream", and seeing as all the Ford teams are playing ball with each other maybe 888 will come to the party with Fords best asset ??

Mr Lowndes is not a proven winner in a Ford... his wins happened a whole century ago, in the other make... so long ago I am sure not even he can remember them... so I wouldnt think that this is the very best move to be made....

[TCR-028]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Mr Lowndes is not a proven winner in a Ford... his wins happened a whole century ago, in the other make... so long ago I am sure not even he can remember them...

Very true - but who else does Ford have that could potentially fill the seat that Marcos has so successfully ?? Most would have to think Lowndesy and NotSo are the next best of the Blue Oval brigade. Given the right car, i think Lowndes would do a similar job to Marcos and towel Rusty on a regular basis...

Or are you suggesting that CL has lost that killer edge after driving donkeys for the last few years Mr Magic ??

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by TCR-028

Or are you suggesting that CL has lost that killer edge after driving donkeys for the last few years Mr Magic ??

The jury is still out for me... I hope Mr Lowndes can deliver for Ford and 888, but this nagging feeling I have suggests that it might still not happen this year, despite the hype.

There is a poll/thread open to discuss who should replace Mr Ambrose Here

[peckstar]

the green eyed monster was no donkey (at least as far as other AUS were concerned) craig was quite competive in his first 3 years with FORD, it was really only last year he was a dud and alot but not all was car related.

im not convinced lowndes would towel ingall, when they were both at holden rusty was runner up to him twice (i think) thats not a towelling. If i was a beating man i would pick rusty as a likely winner of the championship this year

[retro]

looks like Ambrose reads forums.......

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/
0,5744,12462012%255E2722,00.html

Ambrose hits exit ramp to join NASCAR series
Peter Krupka
March 07, 2005

THE fight is on for the most coveted seat in domestic motorsport after champion Marcos Ambrose announced he would leave V8 Supercars at the end of the year to pursue a NASCAR career.

The Stone Brothers Racing ace will defend the V8 Supercar title he has won for the past two years, but the lure of competing in the world's biggest touring-car series has been too great for the Tasmanian-born racer.

Ford have opened doors for the recently married Ambrose to make a mark in NASCAR, which runs only second to the NFL in terms of sporting television ratings in the US.

Ambrose said yesterday he managed to get the break in the US series, which races largely on oval circuits, because of the high regard for V8 Supercar racing abroad and he insists his departure should not be taken as a slight on the Australian series.

"Without V8 Supercars I would not have even got this opportunity," said Ambrose, who finished second in the V8 pre-season round at Albert Park yesterday.

"That's how highly regarded this series is around the world. I have a profile in America and I've been able to use it. This is about my own career path. It's not that I feel I'm better than the (V8 Supercar) series.

"It's just a personal ambition to go over there and try something different."

Ambrose's decision, which follows two recent trips to the US where he explored the running of NASCAR and competed at Daytona, will open the door for drivers such as five-time champion Mark Skaife to return to the top of the field.

Skaife made a brilliant start to the 2006 season by winning the non-championship round at the grand prix, his first round win since the Sandown 500 in 2003.

He said he would miss the competition provided by the 28-year-old Stone Brothers racer.

"I'm always excited for any Australian driver to try to make it to the pinnacle," Skaife said. "For Marcos to go and have a crack at NASCAR is fantastic.

"I'm not saying that about the competition. I love the competition and would love to see him stay. But if he wants to go against those guys, my hand is up, saying all the best and get stuck into them. Any of the top guys in this series, in any category in the world, will win races if they are in the right car."

Ambrose's Stone Brothers team-mate Russell Ingall learned that Ambrose was bound for the US last month, but admitted he was not surprised by the move.

[jaytor]

I think you’ve got to admire the guy for his ambition, not content just to run around the top of this category. Good on him after a failed attempt at competing in Europe on the way to F1, maybe another way to get their, through the US/Nascar and may even end up back in open wheelers in IRL or something……

At least is ambition is still their, not like others in the category…..

[mac]

Originally Posted by jaytor

Good on him after a failed attempt at competing in Europe on the way to F1

Marcos didn't actually fail in Europe.

After being blindingly quick in Formula Ford, where he outqualified messers Button and Raikkonen at the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, his lack of mulah forced him to take a second-rate seat in the Mygale French F3 team.

He lasted about half the season before finishing the year off with Alan Docking in the British championship - where he recorded some strong results.

Alas, he ran out of cash at the end of that half-season at Docking and returned home.

Make no mistake, Marcos is one of the best talents Australia has EVER sent to Europe - if he had a Brazilian passport or a rich family I have no doubt he would currently be driving in a major open wheel series somewhere in the world right now.

[jaytor]

I was not saying that his results were failed, but the attempt to get to the big league failed, notably for the lack of $ and as he says bad decisions!

PS I have also read the Biography as well!

[retro]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Motorsport Is-Ambrose-loss-a-blow-or-V8-coup/
2005/03/07/1110160751887.html?oneclick=true

Is Ambrose loss a blow or V8 coup?
By Michael Lynch
March 8, 2005

When Australian soccer players leave their home competition to play in Europe, it's regarded as a setback for the local league. The same goes for basketball, and even cricket, where Cricket Australia officials discourage Test players from playing for English counties to augment their income during the off-season.

So is the highest-profile local motor sport category similarly "lessened" when its champion decides to quit to pursue an overseas career? Is Marcos Ambrose's defection from V8 supercars at the end of this season a blow to the category? Or does the fact he is being taken seriously as a potential driver by the people who run the American NASCAR series mean the V8 championship's credibility is enhanced, along with and Australian motor sport's status?

The most successful driver still in the V8 championship, Holden Racing Team boss Mark Skaife, believes Ambrose's ambitions speak volumes about the credibility of V8s and how well regarded the domestic championship is in the world's toughest markets.

"I would like to see him stay but if he wants a change and a challenge, I think that's fantastic. Any of the top guys in this series can win races anywhere in the world if they have a good car underneath them," Skaife said.

Ambrose's teammate, Russell Ingall, said there could only be upside for the whole series - and perhaps a fresh range of career opportunities for V8 drivers in a new marketplace - if he succeeded.

"There's no doubt this category has jumped up in class and it shows our guys are among the best in the world," he said.

Ambrose says he is motivated by the need to find a new challenge. At 28, he is young enough to mount a serious assault overseas and then return to race in Australia should he still want to.

"Without V8 supercars, I wouldn't have got this chance, that's how highly this series is thought of around the world," he said. "It is recognised as the premier touring car (series) in the world and its reputation has spread across the globe."

[mac]

What a ridiculous article.

The motorsport world is a lot broader than V8Supercars, despite what some people think.

Is V8Supercars lessened because Mark Webber didn't grow up to drive in the series?

Please.

[cavvy]

What is wrong with the article - on the money for mine & I am not a V8SC devotee and rue the fact that it makes it harder for our local stars to perform on the world stage allowing for the likes of Ambrose etc pumping up the tyres of their series.

[retro]

I see the Parramatta (NRL) jersey has Pirtek sponsorship on it - just speculating that the Pirtek sponsorship might be leaving v8 supercars. I know the NRL sponsorships are not cheap for the main sponsor, can't remember the exact figure but I think it's in the millions.

[ausracefan]

I dont think Marcus should have done this. I am not a NASCAR fan as i find most of the races boring when i watch them on Fox Sports ( I hope its different for all u at the venues), as all that seems to happer IMO is they go around in circles and crash into each other. Sure theres more money over there, but i think Marcus should stay down here.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by retro

I see the Parramatta (NRL) jersey has Pirtek sponsorship on it - just speculating that the Pirtek sponsorship might be leaving v8 supercars. I know the NRL sponsorships are not cheap for the main sponsor, can't remember the exact figure but I think it's in the millions.

The sponsor the Newcastle Knights had lined up (and let slip thru their fingers) was supposedly good for $700k a season (according to the fishwrappers).... while the one Russell Crowe lined up for South Sydney is worth $250k per year.

One of the largest Pirtek dealership/distributorship around is based at Rydalmere (in the Parramatta area) while the head office is at Seven Hills (which is also in the Parramatta area)

Most sleeve sponsors commitment on a major club exceed a $200k commitment a season...

[retro]

I thought the Main sponsor had to pay a fixed minimum (or above) for the sponsorship as set by the NRL.

[GTRMagic]

That's the theory... but the NRL never actually told the teams how to shake enough trees in the commercial world to make them hand over that kind of $$$$

[racer69]

Originally Posted by ausracefan

I dont think Marcus should have done this. I am not a NASCAR fan as i find most of the races boring when i watch them on Fox Sports ( I hope its different for all u at the venues), as all that seems to happer IMO is they go around in circles and crash into each other. Sure theres more money over there, but i think Marcus should stay down here.

So because you find NASCAR boring means that it is a bad move by Ambrose?

[ausracefan]

Originally Posted by racer69

So because you find NASCAR boring means that it is a bad move by Ambrose?

Basically. Anyway, if u get rid of Marcus the championship will lose on of its best drivers and it mite lose money because Marcus was Fords best hope and the championship could return to what it was like before he came, Holden winning every race.
Im a Holden fan, but even i want Marcus in competition hes a great racer and i think the championship needs him because otherwise it will be Ingall and Lowndes (hopefully the 888 is a good one) against the Holdens because it seems to be at the moment SBR vs Holden at the top of the leader board, remember SBR where th only Ford tem to win a round last year, Ambrose winning all but 1

[Chucky]

There is another.......

[Sultan]

LOL Chucky!

[Hapul]

Originally Posted by retro

Frosty????????

I reckon he deserves it

[Robert Ryan]

Like this comment from a viewer in Oregon about the V8Supercar series and NASCAR from the SPEED TV, Forums.
"If you morons in management pulled your heads out and promoted this series HALF as much as you do NASCAR talk shows and replays, Build or Bust, or UNunique Whimps, you might be surprised at the following these guys could get in the US. In this household Ambrose, Loundes, Scaife, even Borgwanna and Morris are houehold names!!!"