Marcos Ambrose No. 20 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford F-150

You just moved your family to the U.S. from Australia and now you must get prepared for the upcoming season. Discuss your progress in getting settled and getting up to speed at the new Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Shop? "On one hand, I can't compete in the first three races, but I think that's going to work out for the best for everybody in the long run. As a racer I want to do the first race and I want to race as often as I can, but I was in Las Vegas for Busch testing just as an observer, looking and watching and learning. Watching the first three truck races and seeing the team grow and understanding the people I'm working with and how they like a driver to behave and react and to give feedback, I'm going to get a real headstart on that stuff. It's a little bit of a forced holiday, but at the same time I think it's for the best. I don't feel like I'm behind at all because it really doesn't matter where I start as long as I get a start somewhere. It's going to be a steep learning curve, and we all understand that, but watching the first two or three races will really help me in that deal."

Comment on your experience in NASCAR vehicles. "I've tested both the trucks and the Busch cars. I have limited experience in that arena, and I haven't come from an oval background. I've come from a road-course background. The cars that I drive in Australia are very similar in total weight, body roll and handling characteristics, although they don't run on ovals and the trucks don't run on the road courses. I've got an awful lot to learn on that side of it. I've done about five test days in the course of the past year - two days in a truck and three days in a Busch car at different circuits. I've tested some half-miles and we ran a mile-and-a-half at Kentucky and also the one-mile track at Rockingham. I've done some high-banked, high-speed stuff, and I've done some short-track stuff around North Carolina, too. Really, I've had a taste of it, but I wouldn't say that I've had a lot of testing, but enough to know that I'm looking forward to it and it's going to be a big challenge."

Do you think you'll bring fans from Australia over to NASCAR? "I hope so. That's part of what I'm here for. I feel like I'm a bit of a pioneer for road racers from my area. Australia really isn't a NASCAR place right now, but it sure could be. If it works out for me I'm sure it will open up other channels for other drivers out there to come this way, and for fans as well. We get the Busch Series and Nextel Cup live on cable TV in Australia, so it's not like Australians don't know what NASCAR is, but they just need a reason to follow it. I'm hoping that I can bring some fans and some international feel to the deal. Although, really I'm coming across to America and to NASCAR to fit into the NASCAR scene here and hopefully set the bar. I really don't want to come into the sport from a total different angle, and I want to try to blend in as much as I can."

Do you have any hopes that the truck races will be televised in Australia? "I'm hoping that either I get lifted out of the truck series down the road or they start showing truck races down there, whatever comes first."

Discuss the progress of the new Wood Brothers/JTG Racing operation, and how you fit into that picture. "I'm really excited about being part of the Wood Brothers team and the whole JTG combination. I came into this deal with Ford and Tad Geschickter from ST Motorsports, and I've gotten to know the Wood Brothers and Fatback (Michael McSwain, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Race Director) and everybody involved there. We're starting to learn each other, and I'm starting to understand who they are and the model for the team they've already built around them to this point. I'm here to mesh this deal that they've got going and I'm now starting to be part of that. I'm just looking forward to working everyone there on that team. I think it's a team of massive potential. I look at it from the outside - I haven't experienced firsthand other NASCAR teams - but I can see that the potential of this team is amazing. I've come from a family-run team in Australia as well and I think it can work very well."

Coming from Australia, has it been difficult to adapt to the southern dialect? "I've picked up the lingo pretty quick, but I think some of the locals in North Carolina don't quite understand where I'm coming from. It will take a little bit of time I guess. Tasmania, which is my home state, and Australia in general, we know America very well. We have a lot of the TV shows and we share the same principles in life. Really, the adaptation hasn't been very difficult. I brought my wife and young daughter Tabitha over, and we've blended in very, very smoothly. I kind of feel at home already."