Media conference with Australian NASCAR driver Marcos Ambrose, conducted at Daytona International Speedway as part of the pre-season Daytona Fan Fest last weekend.

Q: We’re joined by Marcos Ambrose. Take us through your off-season, talk about getting ready for ’09 and starting in the Daytona 500.

MARCOS AMBROSE: Well, very excited about the Daytona 500. My off-season has probably been unique compared to most. On the Monday after Homestead I flew out to Australia. We had some family issues there. My dad wasn’t too well and my grandfather was ill. So I went back, spent some great quality time with those guys and had a great Christmas with the family, and I came back on Tuesday.

It’s been a great summer for me over the last few weeks, because it is summer in Australia, and I’ve tried to get my body in shape and my mind in shape and have a good rest and think about what I really need to do to attack 2009 well and with hopefully some good form. Click to continue »

MEANWHILE, NEWS LIMITED’S CARS GUIDE RATES MARCOS #1 FOR 2008 …

NASCAR fans have greeted Marcos Ambrose on his return to the United States as the Australian finalises preparations for his first full season in the top division, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

After spending Christmas back home in Australia with his family in his hometown of Launceston, Tasmania, Ambrose was not at his US base in Charlotte for very long before he jetted to Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

But with NASCAR ceasing all testing at sanctioned venues, including the traditional Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona, it was the fans who kicked off Ambrose’s 2009 NASCAR season, with the annual Daytona Fan Fest still going ahead despite no testing taking place on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

The Australian ace was joined at the fan activities by the likes of Sprint Cup stars Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick as well as ‘stable-mate’ Michael Waltrip.

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