RELATED: Ambrose back to mount attack
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RETURNING to the sport that he dominated a decade ago has been more difficult and challenging than expected for Tasmanian Marcos Ambrose.
While looking forward to spending much-needed time behind the wheel of the DJR Team Penske Ford at Bathurst this weekend and the following Gold Coast 600, the Launceston-born driver acknowledged that he had struggled to adapt to V8 Supercars rules and regulations since returning from NASCAR racing.
Difficulties in getting up to speed with a sport that has moved on during his nine-year stint in the US prompted his controversial decision earlier in the year to stand down from the lead driver role in favour of Scott Pye - but Ambrose believes the decision was the right one for him and his team.
"I had six to eight months on the sidelines just watching the sport and watching the cars and checking the issues and I feel like I am much more educated now than I was at the start of the season," he said.
"I feel like the times are where they need to be and I'm where I need to be.
"It has been a really difficult year, personally, and we didn't have a very good start. When I came back and I realised that I couldn't contribute to the team like I thought I could, with the rules and restrictions in place, it was really hard for me to get up to speed.
"It has been a challenging year and a year unusual for me to stand on the sidelines for a change and not be involved in the racing but I have an opportunity here in the endurance races to re-learn the car and the sport a little bit and take it from there.
"I made some tough choices and I think the right ones and I think it has helped our team move forward."
Ambrose returned as co-driver of the X-Box Ford for last month's Sandown 500 and will co-pilot the car alongside Pye at Bathurst this weekend and the Gold Coast 600 later in the month.
His solid performance behind the wheel, despite a starting line mistake at Sandown, has set the team on a good course heading into Bathurst.
"I had a mishap on the start line which was just a lack of being in the car, but we recovered really well from that, we drove back up through the middle of the field and basically handed the car over where I started, so all things considered it wasn't too bad but clearly I don't want to do that again," he said.
Ambrose summed up the changes V8 racing has undergone since his 2003-04 championships triumphs with one word: restrictions.
"You can't test - you don't have tyres when you get to the race track to evaluate where you are at, so it has just been very challenging.
"The sport has had a big agenda to try to save money and cost cutting and for single teams like ourselves with no testing available, no tyres at hand to help me get to speed quicker I just couldn't get up to speed.
"For me personally the sport has lacked some familiarity and the cars although they've gone to a new type of car in age - it is probably less Australian and for me it was really the inability to get myself up to speed with the restrictions they've introduced right now.
"I am not saying that is good, bad or indifferent but I have needed to relearn the sport in Australia and really rethink everything that goes with it and I didn't feel like I had opportunity to do that and was letting the team down so I put my hand up and said I need to make a stand right here."
Ambrose remained coy about his plans for next year and refused to confirm whether or not he and the DJR Team Penske would continue in partnership for 2016.
"We are just getting through the endurance races and trying to do the best as a co-driver for the team and we will talk and work out all the rest in due course," he said.
"I've had a great career and I'm really proud of what I've done and it's been a great journey and we've got a chance to get a Bathurst win this weekend.
"I've got plenty of things to do when I retire but we're not there yet and I'm just going to do the endurance races and see how I feel and go from there."