Marcos Ambrose by Scott Whelan

What do Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Scott Dixon and James Courtney all have in common? This man has defeated them all.

The list of scalps journeyman Marcos Ambrose claimed throughout his relatively short international career makes for impressive reading. Indeed, if it wasn't for a shortage of fortune and funding, who knows how high he may have climbed up the world motorsport tree.

Add to that above list the likes of Lowndes, Skaife, Radisich and a stack of other respected names in V8 Supercar racing now that Ambrose has stamped his indelible mark on Australian tin-top motorsport. It puts him in a class all his own.

It seems absurd that a man of Ambrose's obvious talent would have to first drive an Aussie Supercar before receiving the accolades he deserved. He was a giant-killer in Europe for a number of years (at least, many of those he slayed went on to become giants), winning the European Formula Ford championship.

Here, he quickly gained everyone's respect, overcoming inexperience with sensational qualifying pace and outstanding race performances - none better than his Hidden Valley triumph. Some thought he was too green to mix it with Australia's best, however the straight-shooting Tasmanian proved them wrong taking out the 2003 & 2004 V8 Supercar Series Championship for Stone Brothers and Ford.

Career Highlights

2004

- V8 Supercar Series Champion
- First place Clipsal 500
- First place Sandown 500 with Greg Ritter.
- First place at Queensland, Oran Park, and Eastern Creek Rounds.
- Pole Position at Eastern Creek (Round 2 & 13) and Queensland Rounds.
- 4th place Bathurst 1000

2003

- V8 Supercar Series Champion
- First place at Eastern Creek (Round 3 & 13), Winton, Barbagallo, Hidden Valley and Oran Park Rounds
- Pole Position at Eastern Creek (Round 3), Winton, Queensland, Oran Park and Sandown 500 Rounds.
- 6th place Bathurst 1000

2002

- Third place in V8 Supercar Series
- First place Sandown Round
- Race win at Phillip Island round

2001

- Pole position at the Grand Prix, Eastern Creek, Queensland and Bathurst V8 Supercar Rounds.
- Won Darwin Hidden Valley Round.
- V8 Supercar rookie of the Year.
- CAMS personality of the year.

2000

- Competed in the British Formula Three championship.
- Won the Honda Young Guns race at the Gold Coast Indy.

1999

- Third place in the British Formula Ford championship.
- Won the European Formula Ford championship.
- Pole Position for the Formula Ford Festival.

1998

- One win in British Formula Ford and gained enough points over the season to finish fifth.
- Pole Position for the Formula Ford Festival.

1997

- Finished second in Formula Ford championship.

1996

- Finished fourth in Formula Ford championship.

1995

- Australian champion.

1994

- Victorian and Tasmanian state champion.

JAN05

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