NASCAR’s Loss is V8’s Gain in Ambrose/Penske Deal

One of the very worst kept secrets was finally confirmed on Sunday with the announcement that three major forces of motor racing – Dick Johnson Racing, Marcos Ambrose and Team Penske – would be coming together for an assault on V8 Supercars in 2015. Who was surprised? Um, no-one. Who wins out of this? Pretty much everyone.

Except for one party – and we’ll get to that in a minute.

Firstly let’s look at the man himself. So high has his stock risen in the US that it’s easy to forget Marcos Ambrose the V8 Supercar superstar. On paper, sheer numbers do not do justice to his legacy. But put into context, his handful of wins in NASCAR is a major achievement. Already a two-time V8 Supercar champion, and leader of the Ford fightback against a previously dominant Holden Racing Team, how many other drivers would think ‘you know, I could stay here and continue to be the king of the hill, or I could move thousands of miles away from home to one of the biggest motorsports in the world in a discipline I am largely inexperienced in’? At least when Juan Pablo Montoya moved into the NASCAR world, he did so with some oval racing experience – Ambrose had zilch to his name. Yet he was often competitive on ovals, and when he hit the road courses he was almost unstoppable. Watkins Glen became a home away from home, and his two epic wins in 2011-12 as well as his monumental fight with AJ Allmendinger this year will be replayed in highlights reels for decades to come. Most crucially, he had the respect of the entire garage area. Ask any driver who they feared the most when the road courses rolled around – you’d get one answer.

Aug 9, 2014; Watkins Glen, NY, USA; NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Marcos Ambrose (09) celebrates in victory lane after winning the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

So now he returns to the place he calls home. A lot has changed in the V8 Supercar world since he left. Currently the series sees itself in a strange state of flux – on the surface all seems well, but negative rumours persist over the long-term health. Hence why the return of Ambrose is a huge shot in the arm. He brings star power, an international profile and an almost unmatched track record. The current pack features red-hot youngsters like Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin as well as veterans like Garth Tander and Craig Lowndes, but still Jamie Whincup remains invincibly at the top of the pile – and purists are already licking their lips at the prospect of Ambrose leading the Ford fightback once more. But like Alain Menu in this year’s BTCC, Ambrose has a lot of adapting to a much-changed landscape to do before he thinks about ascending back to the top of the mountain.

Difference is, Menu doesn’t have the backing of a legend of the series joining forces with one of the most successful motorsport teams in the world. Full stop. Team Penske win anything they enter, be it Indycars, NASCAR or chess competitions. The Captain will frankly not settle for anything less than front-running form, and will do anything in his power to achieve it. Linking with Dick Johnson Racing is a sage move – no-one has been around in the business longer and had more prolonged success than Dick Johnson, with his most recent championship coming in 2010. Much has changed since then, and the team nearly fell apart altogether last year, so it’s fantastic to see the old prizefighters back on their feet and ready to do damage once more. You do the math – Dick Johnson + Roger Penske = guarenteed success, surely?

There are on the other hand a few parties who might be less pleased with the announcement. Richard Petty Motorsports are loosing a top driver, although with Aric Almirola making the Chase, they might feel like now is a perfect oppurtunity to go for a more pure-bred NASCAR driver to compete more consistently across all circuits. This announcement also clouds the water regarding DJR’s current drivers, David Wall and Scott Pye – the latter of whom in particular has shown great pace in under-strength cars. At the very least though, it looks like one will have to go, and maybe both will be out on their ear if Penske decides to go for a bigger name? Someone like Van Gisbergen, currently tearing up trees for a single-car team? As it stands, young gun Pye alongside the wily Tasmanian Devil strikes me as a lineup with awesome potential.

Perhaps the biggest loser out of all this is NASCAR itself. Not only has the series lost a great personality, but international credibility goes with it; the series now has no overseas stars at all with Montoya’s departure last year. What’s perplexing is that if NASCAR is such a huge series with vast viewing figures and pioneering new features like the Chase, surely it should be attracting big stars to go and give it a crack? I’m not for one minute saying that NASCAR is lacking in talent – Kyle Larson is enough to dissolve that notion on his own – but seeing international stars scrap with NASCAR’s finest helped also do away with the outdated stereotypes about rednecks turning left. Perhaps the top brass’ stubborn refusal to add more road courses in the premier divisions (something that seems more and more ludicrous with every thrilling race we have on them) doesn’t help – at least in Indycar, oval novices have a large quota of road courses to compete strongly on whilst they work on turning left. Because it’s so easy, right?

Anyway, NASCAR’s loss is most certainly V8 Supercars’ re-gain. Ambrose comes back a more well-rounded driver, and having competed in the white-hot crucible of NASCAR competition, it’s not like he’s out of step with the biff and barge of touring car racing. Match sharpness isn’t a factor. And a lot of American eyes will be following him as he returns home and takes the Captain with him.

Stand by your beds, Australia. The Tasmanian Devil is back.