Shane van Gisbergen flew thousands of miles to reach a new land of racing. Leaving his home turf in New Zealand as a three-time Supercars champion, he wanted to try out his luck in American motorsport. Despite initial speculation, he drowned everybody’s doubts after winning his NASCAR debut race in Chicago. His victory was aided by another foreign racer who had entered America similarly years back: Marcos Ambrose.

Ambrose left Australia on a thunderous note in 2005, having the 2003 and 2004 Supercars championships under his belt. His heart longed to explore new land, and so American racetracks welcomed him into their fold. He made his way up through the three NASCAR tiers, leaving a mark in each one, as acknowledged by former veteran racer Kevin Harvick.

Fandom rally behind Harvick’s praise of Marcos Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose competed for nine years in NASCAR, the latter six at the Cup level. He secured two Cup victories and five trophies at the Xfinity level. Although his achievements can be described might not stand up in front of a seasoned Cup driver, Ambrose’s skills on track go uncontested.

Kevin Harvick recently heaped praise on Ambrose in a recent episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. Discussing with Shane van Gisbergen the art of right-foot braking, Harvick said, “Marcos used to be super-good at it, and Watkins Glen is really where Marcos Ambrose would stick out.”

The 60-time Cup winner further commended Ambrose’s stint at Watkins Glen. “But, when we would go to Watkins Glen, there wasn’t anybody even close to being able to do the things that he did and one of the years that he won in the Xfinity car there, the motor was literally hanging in the car by one bolt – all the motor mounts broke off of it – and he was still just throttling forward, because he had such a different technique.”

Reddit fans seconded Harvick’s appreciation of Marcos Ambrose, saying, “Marcos is usually my pick whenever someone posts a “which driver would have been a star in better equipment”. Another fan said,“Best driver of the #9 in the last 15 years!”

Harvick: “If Marcos [Ambrose] had the quality of car that he needed, he’d still be here, because he was just that good”
byu/1-800-DADJOKE inNASCAR

Some fans also talked about some of his underrated races. “He had some underrated runs at Bristol in the way Stenhouse runs good there. He finished 3rd as a rookie there in the 47 and a 5th in his last year there in the Spring.” Another fan commented,“He had a legit shot to win the 2013 Summer Daytona race…until he got doored by Jimmie into Kasey Kahne.”

Shane van Gisbergen credited Ambrose for making things easier in NASCAR for him.

One Supercup champ to another’s rescue

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After fielding three victories in the Bathurst 1000, Shane van Gisbergen sought winds of change. He set foot in America but was unsure about the new racetracks. Another Supercars champion came to his rescue: Marcos Ambrose. The Australian motorsports athlete lit up the Kiwi’s path every step of the way, and Gisbergen acknowledged the immense help.

“Marcos Ambrose is a great example,” he said in a recent statement on Peter Stratta’s YouTube channel, drawing parallels between their journeys. “He sent me a lot of advice…and that’s what I want to emulate…get into the Cup Series and be successful. He had a great time here and loved his experience. So I’d like to be like that.”

Marcos Ambrose remains an integral part of motorsport, working as the Garry Rogers Motorsport competition director. His guiding light may inspire more foreign racing talents to find a home in NASCAR.

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