Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen last year, where he finished first in the Nationwide race
and third in the Sprint Cup race the next day. (Photo: Getty Images)

 

BROOKLYN, Mich. – It’s hard to overlook an Aussie racing in the Sprint Cup Series.

The season to date has had its share of surprises. Tony Stewart is on top, which wouldn’t be a surprise if not for the fact that he is both owner and driver. David Reutimann is 11th in the standings, taking Michael Waltrip Racing where it has never been before.

But Ambrose left Tasmania – not just Australia, but an island off its southern coast – to seek his fortune, against all odds, in NASCAR. A week ago, he competed at Pocono Raceway, a track that is world class in weirdness, for the first time and finished sixth. Ambrose had a fourth-place finish at Talladega and a top-10 finish at Bristol.

The Aussie, at age 32, is 18th in the standings, which places him ahead of all the “Juniors” — Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Sam Hornish Jr. – as well as Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Elliott Sadler, Bobby Labonte, Robby Gordon and Waltrip.

Ambrose didn’t arrive on NASCAR’s shores with a record of international renown. His successes were mainly on his native continent. He knew what he was up against. There’s some evidence that other newcomers – men with names like Montoya, Hornish, Allmendinger and Speed – didn’t.

“I always knew that I was going to struggle to survive,” said Ambrose. “Never once did I think I deserved to be here. I had to work my way in and fight my way in to be here. I had to start from scratch, and I think that attitude helped me get through the tough times.

“I think what happens to high-profile racers is they come straight in at the top level.”

Ambrose found a ride where he could, apprenticing first in Trucks and then in the Nationwide Series. He won a race in the latter series just under a year ago at Watkins Glen, then took third in the Sprint Cup race the next day.

When Dario Franchitti and Patrick Carpentier couldn’t keep regular jobs in NASCAR, their plight was greeted with disbelief. Many of the same people have been flabbergasted that Ambrose has proved he belongs.

“It’s a natural reaction to not start on the bottom again when you’ve been on the top,” said Ambrose. “It’s been proven time and again how difficult it is for anyone to make the crossover into NASCAR, and I feel like I’m one of the lucky ones.

“I’ve had a chance to learn the ropes and grow into the sport. That’s a major reason why I’ve been able to make it and others haven’t.”

Ambrose targeted NASCAR years before he managed to work his way to “the States.”

“I really just had a dream,” he said, smiling in amusement. “To this day, I’m just trying to keep that dream alive. … I’ve always looked at NASCAR as the pinnacle, and what always motivated me was the fact that drivers make the biggest difference in these cars.

“You can see that Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, these guys are the best drivers they’ve got, and they consistently get to the front. It’s amazing that we can still call NASCAR a sport. I think Formula One is really just a technical exercise.”

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