Marcos Ambrose will be the centre of attention when he makes an early V8 Supercars return via a wildcard at the Sydney 500.
The former two-time champion’s first V8 Supercar outing following a nine-year stint in NASCAR comes as preparation for his full-time campaign with DJR Team Penske in 2015.
While the driver and team have been quick to downplay expectations for Sydney, neither party will head to the event simply aiming to make up the numbers.
As reported this morning, Ambrose will enjoy three full days in his brand new chassis before the event, while Penske will fly over up to five of its IndyCar Series mechanics to help run the car.
Ambrose won in his most recent V8 Supercars start, the 2005 season finale at Phillip Island, and has proven the class of the field on NASCAR’s road courses over recent years
Sydney however marks one of just two V8 Supercars tracks on which the now 38-year-old has not previously competed and will be his first race with one of the category’s Next Generation specification vehicles.
This year will see the Sydney 500 split into three races, with two 125km Saturday heats and a 250km finale on Sunday.
What will be Ambrose’s best result of the weekend? Vote now in this week’s Pirtek Poll.
