TEAM REPORTS (DAYTONA, FLA.) - HUGE INTEREST IN AMBROSE SEES NASCAR TELECAST ON FREE-TO-AIR NETWORK IN AUSTRALIA

Enormous interest in Australian NASCAR driver, Marcos Ambrose, has resulted in Network Ten securing the television rights to the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series and selected races of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The deal marks the first time that a full season of NASCAR will appear on free-to-air television in Australia and will also be the first time NASCAR has been shown in Australia in high definition.

Before moving to the United States in 2006 to pursue a career in NASCAR, Ambrose raced in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series for five seasons.

In that time Ambrose won two V8 Supercar championships and was a regular guest on TEN’s weekly motorsport magazine-style program, RPM.

TEN will broadcast all 35 races of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series on its high definition channel TEN-HD, starting with the first event of this season, the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Ambrose will race the full schedule for the NASCAR Nationwide Series in the #59 Kingsford Hickory Ford Fusion for JTG Racing.

TEN will also telecast five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2008 including this weekend’s Daytona 500.

Ambrose is currently scheduled to compete in 12 Sprint Cup events in 2008 in the Little Debbie Ford Fusion, with the possibility of more races as the year progresses.

TEN will also feature NASCAR and Ambrose on RPM in 2008, with TEN’s US correspondent and fellow Australian Leigh Diffey set to profile Ambrose and the sport of NASCAR throughout the season.

Ambrose is ecstatic that interest in his racing had sparked the new deal, which will allow more of his Australian fans to watch his racing in the US.

“I was so pleased and excited when I learned that NASCAR is going to on a free-to-air network in Australia in 2008,” said Ambrose.

“I’ve got a lot of friends at Network Ten from my time in V8 Supercars in Australia and I am looking forward to being a part of motorsport on Ten once again.

“A lot of Australian fans have made the trip over to the US to see first-hand just how enormous and exciting NASCAR is ‘in the flesh’. The second Marcos Ambrose NASCAR Tour is coming up this May with a big group of Aussie fans coming over and there are only a couple of spots left.

“But it is also going to be a great year for those Aussie fans watching back home on television as they will get to see the action in high definition on a free-to-air network.”

TEN’s General Manager – Sport, David White, said: “TEN is very much looking forward to broadcasting NASCAR in High Definition throughout 2008.

“We enjoy a great relationship with Marcos and we wish him every success this season. We look forward to helping grow the popularity of NASCAR in Australia through our race coverage as well as the many profile stories we're planning for RPM.”

Be sure to check MarcosAmbrose.com and Ten.com.au/RPM for further information and broadcast schedules.