Ambrose enters 2008 with better feel for stock cars

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- One year ago, Marcos Ambrose was hoping he would be able to stay competitive.

The native of Tasmania had moved to the Busch Series from the Craftsman Truck Series and realized the task ahead of him was daunting.

• Complete Coverage
• NASCAR Acceleration
• SPEED Coverage
• Daytona Countdown
• Get your tickets
• Book your travel

The series was full of young upstarts, talented regulars and double-duty drivers who, mixed together, formed what he figured would be quite an impenetrable group for a first-year, former open-wheel driver who was humorously called "Kangaroo Meat" by Kevin Harvick in a television commercial promoting the series.

"I remember at this time last year all I was worried about was making sure the car stayed in the top 30 in owner points," Ambrose said Monday at Daytona on Day 4 of testing for what is now the Nationwide Series.

He did a bit better than that.

Ambrose was able to settle the No. 59 Ford into the top 30 in the rankings, guaranteeing a starting spot each race, but he also finished eighth in the driver standings and was second to David Ragan in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.

Ambrose captured his first career pole at Memphis in October and two months earlier nearly won his first NASCAR national series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, but was relegated to seventh due to his well-publicized, late-race tangle with Robby Gordon.

"I've got that race and Robby circled on my calendar for this year," Ambrose joked.

Entering 2008, he's more comfortable, more confident and more prepared. He's working with a new crew chief, fellow Australian Walter Giles, and also brought a couple of countrymen to assist with JTG Racing's engineering program. (read more)

"It's man versus machine," he said. "That's the same whether you're racing golf buggies or NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. The art of driving ovals and the art of racing on these high-banked asphalt tracks has been tricky and I'll be the first one to admit that I've got plenty more to learn.

"I'm learning you've got to run these cars on the edge just to run fast and be more competitive. That's what makes this sport so great -- the drivers make a real difference. That's all you can ask for as a racer; to be in a sport where you can make a difference on the racetrack and I feel like NASCAR's the perfect [opportunity] for me."