Ambrose laconically confirmed that he has retired from all forms of motor sport to return home.

‘‘Well, I can say I am a week retired now,’’ Ambrose said.

Ambrose had turned down a number of offers to drive cars in various forms.

The 39-year-old was earlier granted temporary leave in March of this year two races into returning to the V8 Supercars Series.

Part of Ambrose’s plans was to move back and settle indefinitely in Launceston.

‘‘I have telegraphed it all for a while, it is just that I have come to a point in my life when it is time to do something different,’’ he said.

‘‘Everyone has a sea change, so I am looking forward to what’s next.

‘‘I really just want to spend more time with my own family and my dad and everyone here.

‘‘We’ve moved back to Launceston to be closer to family and that’s what we’re going to do.’’

Ambrose made a name for himself when he walked away from Australian motor racing to drive the American-based NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

After six years, he returned to Australia as he transitioned back into V8 Supercars.

Ambrose said he was going to focus on ‘‘just life’’.

‘‘Look, I’ve lived a fast-pace life for a time and some of the things I’ve done and seen have been a fair extreme,’’ he said.

‘‘Just nice now to slow it down a bit.

‘‘It is time to just be a dad, be a husband and enjoy my time.’’

Ambrose said he would look back at his career as ‘‘really satisfying’’.

The high points were the back-to-back wins in the 2003 and 2004 V8 Supercar Series driving a Ford BA Falcon.

He would also finish third in the championship series in 2002 and 2005.

Ambrose won the 1999 Formula Ford Euro Cup and finished second in the 1997 Australian Formula Ford Championship.

In 2006 the former Scotch Oakburn College student relocated to the US  to pursue NASCAR racing, starting out in the craftsman truck series.

As the son of former driver Ross Ambrose, he began racing karts at just 10 and would win four Tasmanian junior titles, including an Australian title in 1995.

‘‘It’s not a story you could really repeat,’’ Ambrose said.

‘‘It’s just a story of a lot of luck, lot of good timing and a lot of hard work.

‘‘It has been a satisfying career, no doubt.

‘‘I’ve had a lot of highs, a lot of lows and a lot of in betweens.

‘‘I’m here, I’m healthy and I made it through.’’

Ambrose, who was a part of the Hadspen Cricket Club champions of sport luncheon at the Country Club Tasmania, would not commit to further involvement in motor racing away from the track.

But he said after two decades behind the wheel, it will be tough to not drive  for fun.

‘‘There is nothing on the table right now – I’ll be racing something, but just not at a professional level,’’ he said.

‘‘I might turn up at Latrobe speedway this weekend and race under an alias – who knows.’’