So, is Ambrose the real deal?

[pitlanenews]

Here's one for the Aussies and Busch supporters out there.

Marcos Ambrose finished eighth at the weekend's road course race, so what can we read into that?

Clearly, it shows he can steer a NASCAR, we already knew he could drive a road course. But how will it translate to ovals?

He's shown some promise to date, but can he really cut it in the top level of motorsport's greatest series?

Cheers
Greg Johnson

[Robert Ryan]

Well being 6th in the BGN pointscore after only 24 oval (having no prior oval experience) and one roadracing starts in Stockcars. Passing 16 cars from the back of the field at California Speedway in a car which was not set up for the oval. Coming from 24th to 8th in the same time as Scott Pruett in Mexico; having a qualifying speed which would have given P3 or P2 if he had not been baulked. I would say he is getting there.
He is improving faster in NASCAR, then he ever did in V8Supercar, the next ten races will show how much he has learned from the Truck experience(training wheels period)
If he get another top ten withing the next 5 races he is on his way.

[GayParis]

I agree. With anything in the world, he's getting there and will improve with more experience. As long as he can communicate to his race partners on what feels good and what doesn't, he'll have fun.

[Speedworx]

I think Marcos is performing brilliantly. Maybe better the JPM, who has a better team behind him.

[tassiedevilAB]

He is doing a better job than most aussies that actually had oval track experience & went over there to compete!
You guys havn't seen the best of him yet, Once he gets a handle on the short tracks or as i call them bullrings, he will improve out of site.
This is why Marcos got the nod over americans at Woodbros/jtg. he had the right attitude & willpower to succeed at driving something completely different to what he was use to. & that endorsement was from Eddie Wood!

[tassiedevilAB]

This is from his web site!


Marcos Ambrose has risen to fifth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings after a remarkable comeback to finish eighth in the Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 in Mexico City today.

Ambrose had the chance for an even better result slip away on lap 64 when he was spun while racing within the lead pack in sixth position, dropping him to 24th position and setting the scene for a remarkable comeback, culminating in Ambrose passing seven cars in the final two laps.

Ambrose collected US$53,820 (A$68,674) in prizemoney for his efforts in today’s Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 out of a total prize pool of US$2,512,372 (A$3,169,785).

Ambrose got off to a strong start in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion, muscling his way to seventh by the end of the first lap after qualifying in 12th position.

The two-time Australian V8 Supercar Champion made his first of two pit stops on lap 12 and from there on ran in about sixth or seventh position as he diced with NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers and fellow Ford stars Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Boris Said.

Ambrose was as high as fifth shortly after his second pit stop and was comfortably with the lead pack in sixth position when his chances of a top five result were taken away.

Ambrose was hit from behind by JJ Yeley in Turn Three on lap 64, Ambrose pointing out after the race that the car of Biffle directly ahead of him had slowed slightly, resulting in Ambrose checking up and that Yeley had little time to react and was not to blame – it was just one of those things that happens in NASCAR road course racing.

Both Ambrose and Yeley spun in front of almost the entire field, and the Australian dropped back to 24th, his #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion lucky not to be hit by another car as the field streamed past.

His progress back through the pack was sensational as his road racing talents shone, but a series of caution periods for late-race incidents thwarted his efforts.

Ambrose had reached 15th when the caution flag flew on the final lap, creating a ‘green-white-chequered’ finish, NASCAR giving the field an opportunity at two clear laps of racing before the finish.

In those two laps Ambrose passed an amazing seven cars to finish in eighth, gain his first NASCAR Busch Series top 10 result and finish as the second-highest Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender behind race winner Juan Pablo Montoya.

Ambrose rises to an outstanding fifth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, equal with defending series champ Kevin Harvick who did not race in Mexico, as well as maintaining his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

It was a strong road course result for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, with both Ford Fusions in the top 10 as Jon Wood drove a smart and consistent race to finish 10th.

Today’s Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 was won by former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya in front of an estimated crowd of 72,971 after a controversial incident with his team-mate Scott Pruett, with defending race winner Denny
Hamlin second and noted NASCAR road racer Boris Said in third.

That was a good result for him even though he knew he missed out on a top 5 result at Mexico!

[jslone]

Until he wins he is not the real deal.Good driver but the real deal give me a break.

[Cole_Trickle]

...and that win being on an Oval, same Goes for JPM really..

[Osella]

Well, as someone who saw Marcos race before he was a Touring Car driver (And had a lot more hair!), I wasn't really sure if he would make it in the Australian V8 championship, but he is a very talented driver, he showed a lot of UK drivers the way to go on circuits in the UK in Formula Ford single-seaters despite having much less experience of the tracks.

So he was able to won an open-wheel single-seater 2.0 Litre downforce-free championship in Europe and almost the UK series in the same season, move to Australia and be one of the very top drivers in the Tin-top, V8, big-wings Aussie V8's in a couple of years (unlike a lot of other drivers who came into Aussie V8's at the time like Max Wilson and Craig Baird) and not only that, but he's put in some damn fine performances in the Porsche Supercup (911 GT3's) on the odd occasion he's driven guest cars.

So yeah, I'd say he's the real deal! No question. As soon as he's learnt the track's he will really start showing some guys up I feel.

[Sparky1329]

I think Marcos is coming along pretty well. I like that he's approaching the learning process in deliberate steps up as opposed to the Trial by Fire that AJ Almendinger has been thrown into.