Australian goes from fan to rising star

GLADEVILLE, Tenn. – Marcos Ambrose could have stayed in Australia, racing cars and earning nice paychecks. Maybe buy a boat, a farm and settle down with his new wife.

Instead, he came to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. His biggest problem? He should have emigrated sooner.

The 31-year-old Ambrose is sixth in the NASCAR Busch Series points standings after seven races and is the series’ top non-Nextel Cup driver. He’s the top rookie after finishing 17th at the Nashville Superspeedway last weekend, well ahead of former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who sat out the race.

“Now the goal posts have moved,” Ambrose said.

“I’ve got to build my experience levels, my confidence levels. I still don’t quite feel like I belong here. I’m such a fan and respect it so much. I’m really pleased to be here, pleased to be a part of it.”

Ambrose grew up a fan of racing. But for a boy from Launceston, Tasmania – the island south of Australia – becoming a fan of NASCAR, with its roots in the American South, took work and dedication.

Ambrose, who had followed NASCAR through magazines, started watching it seriously in 2000 when cable feeds finally came through. In 2003, he got a ticket through Ford to watch a NASCAR race in Bristol, Tenn., in person.

He’s had two top 10s in the Busch Series, including an eighth-place finish at the Telcel-Motorola 200 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico.

Ambrose has his wife and 16-month-old daughter, Tabitha, with him and a small home in Charlotte, N.C. The family travels with him to about 15 races a year, having fun as tourists in a country Ambrose never dreamed he’d visit.

If Ambrose wins, look for an Aussie twist to the celebration, perhaps a kangaroo hop or a reverse doughnut. For a guy who started out just hoping to hang around, he now has higher expectations.

“Now I want to win. It’s shifted very, very quickly,” he said.