Who whould Ambrose drive for?

Driver TBA · 6 Jan 2007, 11:10 (Ref:1808072)

After reading other threads regarding Mr Ambrose and endurance drives for 2007 it got me wondering. Having being released early from his SBR and Ford Australia contracts to pursue a career in NASCAR and now with being sponsored by Craig Gore’s ‘Team Australia’. What would be happen to Ambrose if he did want to drive at Sandown and Bathurst? We all know about Craig Gore’s relationship with Ford Australia and Ambrose’s ties with SBR and Ford, so who would pull rank? Would Ford Australia allow Ambrose to drive a non Ford backed WPS car or would he drive for SBR or any other Ford backed team. Its an interesting one, the people who released him early from his contracts or the bloke who’s partly funding his overseas ride that also has Ford backing?

Any thoughts?

James63 · 6 Jan 2007, 11:24 (Ref:1808082)

You know I would have instantly assumed WPS...but you bring up valid points about his contracts with ford and WPS's lack of....so who really knows? Personally I don't think he'd come back.

kmsport · 6 Jan 2007, 12:53 (Ref:1808148)

Has anybody checked if his heavy US schedule would even be open on those weekends?
Just checked, no clash.

**Woolley** · 6 Jan 2007, 14:07 (Ref:1808196)

Apart from some idle speculation on here, is there actually the merest suggestion that this is even being considered by the parties involved?

Driver TBA · 6 Jan 2007, 15:19 (Ref:1808232)

Quote:

Apart from some idle speculation on here, is there actually the merest suggestion that this is even being considered by the parties involved?

Exactly, has Craig Gore suggested to Ambrose, or would Ford Australia allow it? (to drive for WPS)

**Woolley** · 6 Jan 2007, 18:18 (Ref:1808329)

Actually, I was thinking of Marcos, there. I suspect this is cropped up because some people would like it to happen, rather than any suggestion from the driver or any team that it might?

Caltex Racing · 6 Jan 2007, 20:03 (Ref:1808410)

If Macros Wants to win he need a strong driver.

xrystl · 6 Jan 2007, 20:44 (Ref:1808443)

After moving to the top of the "Touring car/NASCAR" type series , why would he want to step back into the "time warp" of Aussie touring cars ? - makes no sense , Bathurst is just a part of a domestic series and has lost the great spectacle that it once was.

Armco Bender · 6 Jan 2007, 22:42 (Ref:1808513)

Quote:

Apart from some idle speculation on here, is there actually the merest suggestion that this is even being considered by the parties involved?

Never let the merest hint of reality stop you from starting a good conspiracy thread.

peckstar · 7 Jan 2007, 03:39 (Ref:1808639)

oh well if thats the case, then i can see him suiting up at tasman

Driver TBA · 7 Jan 2007, 03:48 (Ref:1808641)

Ah the old Trumour, a bad rumour with a small twist of homemade truth!

Maybe the driver at Waldon's?

peckstar · 7 Jan 2007, 04:04 (Ref:1808644)

he wont get to drive with murph at Waldon's

MPA · 7 Jan 2007, 04:46 (Ref:1808648)

I was once told that all the top Ford drivers are contracted to Ford and will drive where Ford want them to. If you run a big enough race team, you'll get a bucket load of Ford cash and accept a driver from the Ford Stable.

Can someone confirm or deny this tale.

Raglanparade · 7 Jan 2007, 05:34 (Ref:1808653)

My understanding is that Driver X is lured from Manufacturer A for $500,000 per year to drive for Manufacturer B.

Once lured to drive Manufacturer B, the Manufacturer B Backed teams are invited to start bidding for the driver.

Team B1 offers $300,000 per year
Team B2 offers $500,000 per year
Team B3 offers $600,000 per year .. etc..

In some cases, the manufacturer has made money in the past from what they pay the driver, and what the team is willing to pay the manufacturer for the driver.

Mr Canto's new agreement with GRM springs to mind. The biggest instance of this would be Lowndes at 00 Motorsport, which apparentally only paid $100k per year for Mr Lowdnes services (the rest of the tab was picked up by Ford)

In other cases, the team pays more then the manufacturer is paying the driver.

DJR paid more for Paul Radisich then Ford was paying him to drive in 1999.

I beleive this practice is common for both Manufacturer A and Manufacturer B

MPA · 7 Jan 2007, 05:46 (Ref:1808656)

So it seem the story was not far from the truth...

Manufacturer B is backing the teams and places the drivers out to tender.

In other words, the drivers go where they're told.

I guess the lure of Man-B cash will keep the Man-B teams invovled in the tender process and not buy a driver on the open market.

So the answer might be...... Ambrose being a contracted to Man-B would drive for whatever team wanted him enough, if Ambrose ever came down from the pinnacle of world motorsport. His words..

Raglanparade · 7 Jan 2007, 09:01 (Ref:1808683)

But you will find that Ambrose is no longer contracted to Ford Australia.

I suspect though, that if Ambrose drove for WPS, Mr Gorman may be on the telephone to him saying something like "if you ever come back here to race V8's after your Nascar experiement, here is Holden's number, because we don't want you!?!?". I couldn't see it going down too well in Ford land if Ambrose came back to Australia to race in a V8 Supercar race and raced for a team about the Ford Family.

MPA · 7 Jan 2007, 09:21 (Ref:1808695)

Perhaps then, if Ambrose is out of contract he would drive for the team that paid his expences. He lives in the States now so I'm guessing he would not put his hand in is pocket to cover anything to do with the trip back.

Airfares, meals, accomodation, CAMS license, panels etc would be covered by the person who thought they could make a few dollars by spending the money to bring him back.

So the question will remain until he suits up on the mountain.

FPV GTHO · 7 Jan 2007, 09:21 (Ref:1808696)

Ford Australia and Ford America are hardly indifferent though. If WPS wanted him, surely Gore would be able to get the guys in America to sort it out with the local guys here.

Other than that, if it wasnt going to be with WPS, i'd imagine it'd be whoever got to him first, with a competitive entry. 888 and SBR have sponsorship and engineering links, and with SBR being his former team i'd imagine they'd be just the beginning of teams who may express an interest, if Ambrose ever wanted to contest Bathurst and Sandown again.

Rombles1 · 7 Jan 2007, 09:58 (Ref:1808704)

So, Ambrose and Seton in the second HRT car, then?

stmorri · 7 Jan 2007, 10:07 (Ref:1808707)

I think Ambrose would be hoping for a more competitive team than WPS.

Grimace · 7 Jan 2007, 10:34 (Ref:1808714)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rombles1

So, Ambrose and Seton in the second HRT car, then?

Nah!! They need to get past the first corner at Bathurst and HRT cant

guarantee that

(car 2 with their results ARE the #2 HRT car)

Rombles1 · 7 Jan 2007, 10:49 (Ref:1808720)

So if Ambrose was in the second HRT car, Grimace, he should be in with a good shot!

Razor · 7 Jan 2007, 12:25 (Ref:1808771)

Could we see if Ambrose joined Tasman Motorsport for the 500 and 1000 and pair with Murphy. Now that would be funny.

1200Datto27 · 7 Jan 2007, 12:46 (Ref:1808791)

But what penalty would they find for the pair? Not wearing a balaclava whilst using the toilet?

Prickly_Goo · 7 Jan 2007, 19:20 (Ref:1808995)

Have any of you's read the latest V8x Magazine? Ambrose sed that this V8 Supercar Career is over.

He sed to V8X " I will come home to enjoy V8's but not race them".

To save my fingers anyone who wants to read the rest of this article can go out and buy V8x Magazine.

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