Ambrose eyes off Bathurst
MARCOS Ambrose believes he can be a Bathurst contender despite his failed return to fulltime racing in V8 Supercars.
He is about to begin the build-up to The Big One in October with a short practice session at Queensland Raceway as Scott Pye continues to wheel the DJR Team Penske Falcon that Ambrose was originally planning to campaign in this season and beyond.
Ambrose admits he is still struggling to adapt to the latest V8 Supercars and the draconian restrictions on testing, but believes recent engineering progress with the car and some top-10 results by Pye point to a chance at Mount Panorama.
“I think we can be competitive at Bathurst. Anything can happen there,” Ambrose says.
“We’re going to have our best shot at winning those endurance races.
“Driving again is about getting back on track for the enduros, getting some seat time.”
Ambrose has spent a lot of the year close to the DJR-Penske base at Stapylton on the Gold Coast, planning a house he intends to build on the Hinterland property he has owned for more than a decade.
He admits he has not missed the rough-and-tumble of V8 Supercars racing.
“It hasn’t been bad for me at all. Moving on from NASCAR racing in America, I haven’t had any issues,” he says.
“It’s been very easy for me to move on. I’m not siting there on a Sunday and wishing I was driving the car.”
Ambrose has been working as an adviser and ambassador for the team, assisting Pye where he can, but there is clear frustration that his planned comeback was derailed by restrictions on the track time he needed to feel comfortable and competitive in V8s.
“My experience hasn’t been a good one. It’s a difficult series to break into. It’s tough, it’s tough for anyone to get in.
“It’s just the level it’s come to. That’s OK, that’s what we’ll do.”
Ambrose knows decision time is coming as the team plans for 2016, but he does not intend to be rushed into choosing his personal path once the long-distance races are done.
There are rumours that Ambrose could next year rejoin Ross Stone – the team boss who took him to his twin V8 Supercars championships – in a new GT sports car team he is establishing.
But Ambrose remains adamant that this option is not on his radar.
AMBROSE is the star drawcard for DJR Team Penske’s annual open day tomorrow. He, Dick Johnson and Pye will all be at the team’s race base at 10 Emeri St, Stapylton, from 11am.