Asian Motor Sports

GATEWAY, Ill. Despite his success, Marcos Ambrose admits there’s a lot to learn during his rookie season with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing

A two-time winner of the Australian V8 Supercar Series and a Formula Ford Championship, Ambrose said the experience with the team’s driver development program has been one of learning

“You realize very quickly that no matter how much you know, there’s always a lot more out there,” Ambrose said. “It’s been a big adjustment so far, but we’ve come a long way. The racing part, I picked that up pretty quick. The way they race, the way they set up the trucks, that’s all new to me.”

The high-speed lesson will continue this Saturday in the Dodge Ram Tough 200 at the Gateway International Raceway. The 200-lap race will be Ambrose’s second career start in the popular truck series. “Although our finish didn’t show it, we accomplished a lot in our first race last month at Martinsville (Va.),” Ambrose said. “We consistently raced in the top 10 until we got caught up in somebody else’s wreck.”

“The important thing is I responded real well to the information the team was giving me; they responded real well to the information I was giving them about our Ford F-150. I just wanted to find my little hole and stay there so I can learn. I found out even when you do that, the racing here is completely different. I knew there would be some bumping and things like that, but I never imagined it would be that rough. Racing over here is very close, very fast and very competitive.

Ambrose said he will try to balance his desire to push his truck and his need to log laps and continue the learning curve. The important thing is to be on the track at the end of the race.

“I can’t wait until we get to the point of the year when we’re racing on a consistent basis because I’m so eager to learn,” Ambrose said. “I love this kind of racing. It’s new to me; completely different from what I know. The best way to pick it up is to find a comfortable place on the racetrack at Gateway, stay out of trouble and be around at the end. If we do that, it will be a success, regardless of our finishing position.”

Marcos Ambrose Fast Facts:

In his only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start, Marcos Ambrose started 20th at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and finished 33rd last month after being swept into a late-race accident
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