Australian expatriate, Marcos Ambrose, has finally broken through for his maiden victory in NASCAR’s premier category, the Sprint Cup Series. But the real question is, is anybody watching?
The two-time (2003 and 2004) V8 Supercar champion, has been plying his trade state side since 2006, with little success. A couple of victories in the second-tier Nationwide Series have followed, but generally speaking, he hadn’t exactly endeared yanks to Australians.
Until now.
Victory at the famed, notorious ex-Formula One circuit, known affectionately as “The Glen”, makes Ambrose, the next big thing.
You would imagine that having won in the big league, he’d be the talk of the town, but I’m not exactly seeing streamers being popped and everybody doing shots like they were when Mark Webber enjoyed his long awaited victory in 2009.
Really, if anything, Ambrose’ triumph raises the question of whether the Apple Islander has been wasting his time these past six years.
I know I’m not an American, so I’m not caught up in the apparent NASCAR phenomenon that seemingly engulfs every individual in the nation, but for his success, there hasn’t been much fanfare.
Would he have been better to stick to the series which put him in the position to brazenly assault the American market?
Maybe.
As harsh at it sounds, Formula One, DTM, Le Mans and the like, seems to breed more of a name for an individual; even V8 Supercars.
But not NASCAR, IndyCar, or any American motorsport category for that matter.
A win in NASCAR, yeah baby high five, now we get on the truck and head for Utah, where we will quite possibly finish 30th.
There is every chance that this is a fate that Ambrose will suffer and by the end of the 2011 season, his breakthrough will be but a distant memory.
Something which isn’t the case in the aformentioned series, where there is genuine respect for those who have had success.
He wouldn’t get the same money, nowhere near it, if he were still racing in Australia. But Ambrose could easily be a five-time V8 Supercar champion by now, up there with the likes of Peter Brock and Mark Skaife, instead of a one-time NASCAR winner.
He is regarded as somewhat of a road circuit specialist by the Americans, somebody who salvages the odd top-ten finish on the endless oval circuits, which comprise 90 percent or so of the calendar, and only comes into his own at the rare anomaly event — venues such as Watkins Glen.
But maybe it is the money which motivates Ambrose. Nobody would begrudge him for being enticed by the tentacles of NASCAR. People have done a lot worse.
Ultimately, as long as it is he, Ambrose, who is content whenever his stint state side does come to an end, that it was worth it, because if there’s one motorsport where you can be successful and nobody notices, it’s NASCAR!
ronald.c.lee-harris
Guest
GREETINGS...WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY OF LIFE WE HAVE! every body gets a day in the sun,even in good old USA.MACOS is about to taste the exaulted style of americas best...and this is excellent motor racing...noticed how ALL the drivers join in,even an ex f/1 like montoya keeps us well informed when interviewed...from the DIGITY,DIGITY,DIGITY, thru the drafting, the sideswipes,the in car cameras,the interviews with the team captains,the super way they rattle off those wheel nuts,drivers down on their luck on the day accepting their fate promising a better return and they earn MONEY real good purses...EVERY MOTOR RACING VENUE/PROMOTER THRU OUT THE WORLD CAN LEARN FROM THESE GUYS...noticed how the 3 odd hours go oh!so quickly when on...THE comment of"CLASS ACT IS MARCOS" from another competitor surely says the TASMANIAN HAS GOT IT ALL BEFORE HIM...enjoy the fruits MARCOS...regards...r/c.
Christopher W Herbert
Guest
I must also add that I for one do rate Marcos Ambrose's drive at Montreal, Nationwide Cup race of 2011 as perhaps one of his best career drives in Marcos Ambrose's motorsport career to date ... The way he won that race goes beyond words of excellence and true talent ... and a great team on the day
Christopher W Herbert
Guest
I have been a big fan of V8 Supercars and ATCC for much of my life. I also viewed the NASCAR races of the past few weeks. To understand all too well that Australians may stand Ambrose on a mountain top. Only The US did not in my personal opinion show that in the same light. He's no Kyle Busch. While if it was not for Marcos Ambrose, I may not of put my own time into viewing NASCAR. So I all too well observed how little attention the racing of Marcos Ambrose gets in the USA. In relation to other (American) drivers in the series. As the headline states "Ambrose wins NASCAR. But is anybody watching?" .. and based upon what I have seen in my own opinion. Sure people who are aware of Ambrose are watching. People of Australia and New Zealand are watching. While few if any Tony Stewart fans and those of other NASCAR divers. In the American stance ... USA don't care about Ambrose ............. That is the sad part. Until with luck Ambrose may win on Ovals ... 2011 is showing promise for Ambrose ... Time will answer that other question
The Keeper
Guest
I don't know how much motorsport you watch but i watch alot and I can't think of any series where the coverage doesn't focus on the leaders. Marcos got fantastic coverage at watkins Glen and was given more than fair coverage in Canada considering that he was coming from last and there were four Canadians running up the front for the majority of the race. There were around 40 cars in these races, how much TV time do you think he should have. Marcos has been the special guest on every US racing show over the past two to three weeks and has dominated the NASCAR website over the same period. What more could you possibly expect. Gee, NASCAR now even has an aussie commentator thrown in the mix that all the fans are raving about.
Christopher W Herbert
Guest
obviously you were not watching the race on television (ESPN) or relating to the lack of coverage of Ambrose unless he was in the race lead. Or the fact that little interest was sparked in the USA by Ambrose in finally winning races. The American public don't care. And that is a true shame. (besides I live in NZ )
The Keeper
Guest
Sorry Christopher but you are being extremely naive. Firstly, you respond with "sure Marcos Ambrose may be a form of household name in Australia" which says you didn't even bother reading my post before your sudden bout of tall poppy syndrome. The extent of Ambrose's popularity in Australia is irrelavent to his career in the US because most race fans in the US would have never heard of the V8 Supercars. Talent alone will not get you anywhere in Nascar so if you honestly believe that it is Marcos Who? in the US then you clearly do not know a lot about the big business of American motorsport. Marcos, the little aussie from Tasmania, has a huge following in NASCAR and is a marketing dream for sponsors. He had to build a fan base and draw attention from sponsors before even getting a look at a Sprint Cup ride so your assesment is way off the mark. The average team value in Nascar is $119million and each car with sponsorship and the official value of the no9 car last year when Kasey Kahne was driving it with Budweiser sponsorship was $49million. Do you believe that RPM would let Kasey go and bring Marcos in if he couldn't generate that sort of revenue? As a comparison, I have been a major sponsor of a V8 Supercar and it cost the company $800k. So YES, Marcos has lots of people watching him and cheering him on. Its ludicrous to suggest otherwise.
Christopher W Herbert
Guest
in reply to 'the keeper' .. sure Marcos Ambrose may be a form of household name in Australia and New Zealand. Or once was. Since these days it could be Marcos who?. Aside from any diehard and perhaps Ford fans. When in the USA. He is just as much Marcos who?. And his wins in both the Nationwide and Sprint cups has passed in the USA with little attention in regard to the American public perception and NASCAR fans. Since the truth is the American's don't care. And for anyone to say any different. They would need to be Australian to make such a claim. - The Roar did not care either to post links to this article on their Facebook page .. such is the reality of interest.
The Keeper
Guest
Is anybody watching? Hmm let me see, he races in the richest, most watched saloon car series in the world and even before last weekends win at Watkins Glen he had become widely regarded as the best road course racer in the world. He drives one of two Fords in a team owned by the King, Richard Petty, the most succesful driver in Nascar history. Of all the drivers in Nascar he could have had the King chose Marcos. When Marcos finished in the top 5 earlier this year the king was asked if the result proved his decision was correct. The king responded by saying Marcos Ambrose doesn't need to prove anything, I already know how good he is. On the internatinal stage Marcos is now more famous than any of our great touring car champions including Brocky and Johnson. He is 1 of 3 international drivers to have ever won in Sprint Cup. If you were to ask Ford who they think is their most succesful aussie racing car driver it would be Marcos 1st and daylight second and that includes legends such as Dick Johnson. So is anyone watching- yes, possibly more now on any given weekend than the overall total of those who watched him during his entire V8 Supercar career. That is the scale of NASCAR.
Christopher W Herbert
Guest
It is fantastic that Ambrose had his break through with a Sprint Cup victory at Watkins Glen. While his crew chief thought they were still racing in the NEXTAL Cup. However had Ambrose stayed in Australia. He would of been much a has been by now. As his V8 Supercar form fell apart in 2005, and Stone Brothers Racing has not exactly been on top of things in the past few years. However 2010 and 2011 have returnned some of that promise of SBR to the forefront.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Good for Marcos Ambrose but i thought NASCAR wins were fixed ?
Qlder
Guest
NASCAR is extremely competitive so a win there is a wonderful achievement. It's also a more open comp than F1 where only a handful of drivers have a chance to win any race. NASCAR certainly doesn't have the popular support here that F1 or V8 Supercars have, but that shouldn't take anything away from a remarkable and determined performance by Marcos. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Prize earnings in excess of $3m this season. Doesn't sound like he's just spinning his wheels to me.
graeme
Guest
Depends on how you define success. Marcos earns millions per year and travels by private plane - a good lifestyle. Will he win a nascar championship? Unlikely. Would he have won multiple V8 Supercar championships? Probably. I applaud him for having a go - very Australian and he deserves congratulations for it.
Al from ctown
Guest
I think you are a bit harsh... There are plenty of us that have taken up watching NASCAR, purely because of Ambrose, and personally it has become a better group of cars to watch than the v8's, he could have stayed and won plenty of championships in the v8's but to become the first Aussie to win a top class NASCAR race is well worth the switch in my opinion... -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.