Team Australia NASCAR Truck driver Marcos Ambrose will carry tributes to Australian icons Peter Brock and Steve Irwin, who both passed away last week, at this weekend's New Hamphire 200. Ambrose will carry a logo with Brock's famous 05 number on the side of his #20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150 and a logo in tribute to Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter.

Irwin passed away last week when struck by a string ray while filming a nature documentary on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia on Monday, September 4. Brock, nine times winner of the Bathurst 1000, Australia's greatest race, was competing in the Targa West rally in Perth, Western Australia on September 8 when his car struck a tree, fatally injuring the 61-year-old.

Ambrose will be striving to honour the memory of the two Australians this weekend in Loudon at the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway, the 18th event of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The race will be the 15th event in Ambrose's NASCAR career, which already includes two third place finishes, two Raybestos Rookie of the Race awards, one Budweiser pole award, one WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race award and one Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race award.

Ambrose is fully aware of the contribution both icons made to Australia and is confident that the New Hampshire venue will suit his style, giving him the opportunity to make a strong result this weekend his tribute to Brock and Irwin.

Marcos Ambrose - Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford F-150: "It was a sad time for all Australians last week and the reality of it all still hasn't completely sunk in," said Ambrose.

"Steve Irwin was a great ambassador for Australia and it was a big shock to everyone over here in America when we heard the news of his passing. 'The Crocodile Hunter' was a much-loved Australian over here in the US.

"Peter Brock's passing was another huge shock. He was a prominent name in the world of motorsport and he will be sorely missed by people right around the world. Being an Australian and having raced in Australian touring cars for the past five years I know full well just how important he was to motorsport in that part of the world.

"I hope that we can bring the Team Australia F-150 home with a good result this weekend as a tribute to these two fine Australians. We are now in a position to get some solid results between now and the end of the year and it would be a huge honour to get a personal best result this weekend in New Hampshire while carrying tributes to two great Australians."

Craig Gore - Team Australia: "This weekend will have a special meaning for Marcos, everyone involved in the Team Australia program and all of our Australian fans," said Gore.

"Although he is on the other side of the world, Marcos's heart is hurting just like that of many other Australians at this time. After the loss of two great Australians he will be doing his best to honour them in the green and gold Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards F-150 this weekend.

"I am sure he will go out on the track, focus on the job at hand and do what he does best. New Hampshire is a style of speedway that should suit Marcos and I am sure he will be as focused as ever on bringing home a good result in tribute to the memory of Peter Brock and Steve Irwin."