Marcos Ambrose leaving NASCAR, returning to Australia

JOLIET, Ill. -- Feeling his NASCAR career had “plateaued” and wanting to raise his family in Australia, Marcos Ambrose will not return to Richard Petty Motorsports.

A native of Australia, Ambrose will be returning to his home country where it is believed he will resume racing in the V8 Supercar Series. In recent months he has been linked to a team co-owned by Roger Penske.

“There has been a lot of conjecture through the years but I just want to get my kids home to enjoy the Australian lifestyle as well, so they can make a good choice when they grow up,” Ambrose said Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. “This is really a racing choice for me and I feel like the time is right for me to stop in the U.S. and personally I think it is a great time to move back home to Australia with my family.”

Renowned for his road racing ability, Ambrose moved to the United States in 2006 to compete in the Camping World Truck Series, moving to Cup full-time three years later. Ambrose found success on road courses, his only two career wins coming at Watkins Glen International.

But finding consistent results in a series consisting primarily of ovals has been a challenge. Ambrose’s best finish in a Cup oval race is third (twice). He had been with RPM since 2011, and Ambrose informed the team of his decision to abandon NASCAR prior to the summer.

“I have survived here for years and I have had some wins but not enough and I feel like I was up against it early on from my background,” Ambrose said. “I came from a country that doesn’t have any asphalt oval racing at all and so I feel like I have achieved a lot and am really satisfied.

“I’ve always said that if I felt like I had flattened off my learning curve or my success -- I was only in the U.S. to win -- and if I wasn’t able to compete like I want to then I need to look at my situation and that has been the case. It has been a tough couple years on the race track for me and the personal situation is clear and I just think the timing is right to go home.”

Ambrose would not comment on his future plans Saturday. Team Penske president Tim Cindric posted on Twitter shortly after Ambrose’s announcement that Penske would hold a teleconference at 9 p.m. ET Monday.

Ambrose’s departure creates an intriguing opening in the Cup garage. A mid-level, two-car organization, RPM has shown itself capable of fielding competitive teams. In addition to Ambrose’s pair of victories, Aric Almirola won in July at Daytona International Speedway to earn a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth.

Because of its association with Ford, RPM will likely lean towards signing a driver with ties to the manufacturer to replace Ambrose. The most viable options are Sam Hornish Jr. and David Ragan.

Hornish has strong ties with Penske, a flagship Ford team. A former IndyCar champion who initially struggled in transitioning to NASCAR, Hornish rehabilitated his career in the Nationwide Series, winning a total of three races since 2011 and finishing second in the Nationwide Series standings last season.

Currently driving for Front Row Motorsports, another Ford-backed team, Ragan has been aligned with the manufacturer throughout his career and owns a Ford dealership. The 28-year-old is a free agent at the end of the season and has had no conversations with Front Row about 2015.

As for replacing Ambrose, Ragan said in an interview with SB Nation he has not spoken with RPM, but would be interested in driving the No. 9 car if the opportunity presented itself.

“I think a lot of the Richard Petty Motorsports group and certainly that (No. 9) team,” Ragan said. “I would be thrilled if they wanted to talk, but I have not had those conversations.

“I think anytime you can get a good quality ride in the Sprint Cup Series with one of the top 25, 30 teams, absolutely. ... It would be great if I could stay in a Ford and be competitive.”