The Daytona 500 will give Ambrose his biggest American pay cheque.
Marcos Ambrose is safely settled in the middle of the pack for the biggest race on the Nascar calendar in the USA.
Marcos Ambrose is safely settled in the middle of the pack for the biggest race on the Nascar calendar in the USA.
The transplanted Australia qualified 30th yesterday for the Daytona 500, lapping the high-speed Florida oval at an average of 186.012 miles-an-hour (299km/h) in his V8-powered Toyota Camry stock car.
His qualifying run also gives him 14th spot for one of the twin Gatorade Duel 'heat races' which will be run later this week as part of the lead-up to the main even on Saturday.
Ambrose was only 0.512 seconds behind the pace set by the quickest qualifier, Martin Truex in a Chevrolet, and seventh of the Toyotas in the field.
It is a solid preparation for the raceas Ambrose has switched teams and cars during the off-season to prepare for his first full season in Nascar's top-line Sprint Cup.
"I think just the experience for me this first year is what it's all about," Ambrose said yesterday.
"I just want to settle in, do the right thing, and show everybody that I can do it."
Ambrose has moved up to the Sprint Cup after two years in the USA following back-to-back titles in V8 Supercars. He began in truck racing and moved to the second-level Nationwide series last year, where he won his first race on a road course in a Ford Fusion.
But Ambrose is still learning the skills of oval track racing and is not making any big promises.
"I never thought I'd be a driver or be talking about the Daytona 500 with my background and where I'm from," he said.
"I'm really looking forward to my first Daytona 500 because it is huge for me personally to be able to experience first-hand. For years, I have read about the race in magazines while living in Australia and it intrigued me. I want to be able to finish it and finish well."
Regardless of where he finishes, the Daytona 500 will give Ambrose his biggest American pay cheque.
He won A$221,734 last year for 18th place in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, but last year's Daytona winner Ryan Newman earned A$2,253,846 and the 43rd and last-placed runner took home A$382,509.
And he is also sure of a solid start as he has a guaranteed starting spot for the first five races of the Nascar season, based on the finishing position of his team in last year's Sprint Cup.
