How Marcos Ambrose’s daughter Tabitha followed Supercars champ dad into racing Formula Ford

The daughter of two-time Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose is following her famous dad into racing. She was born after his twin triumphs, Tabitha’s path started with one key moment.

Tabitha Ambrose kept pestering her famous driver dad Marcos to go racing until he finally caved in and bought her a pink go-kart from a friend when she was a schoolkid.

Now, the teenager is following in the footsteps of the dual Supercars champion and former NASCAR race winner racing Formula Ford this year with the same backing and colours synonymous with her dad’s V8 career.

While the 19-year-old had not yet been born when Marcos won back-to-back Supercars titles in 2003 and 2004, and was just a few months old when he moved to the United States to race, it didn’t take her long to catch the racing bug once she started racing go-karts.

The former Ford star is heavily involved in Tabitha’s burgeoning motorsport career, running the single-seater Marcos Ambrose Motorsport entry – as well as driving the truck to get it to the track.

Launch of PIRTEK Racing with Tabitha Ambrose with her dad, Marcos Ambrose. Picture: Tony Gough

Marcos said it was a “proud dad moment” to see Tabitha progress to Formula Ford, which he also raced early in his career, but admitted he had initially resisted his daughter’s push to go racing.

“After we came home from the US … she kept asking questions (about racing) and she has always been pretty confident in everything she was doing,” Ambrose said.

“She wanted to go go-karting and I sort of resisted for a while, but she kept pestering and I thought ‘OK, we’ll go do that’.

“My friend had a pink go-kart so I bought that off him for $500 and away we went. One thing led to another and it’s still going.

“I’m so proud of Tabitha, she’s really stepping up.

“It’s her journey and I’m here to support her, but when she is ticking the boxes and achieving goals, it’s humbling as a dad.

“Just to see her taking forward steps all the time on this program, it is really great. She has been great behind the wheel and she has got the right perspective on things. A proud dad moment for sure.”

Two-time Supercars champion and former NASCAR racer Marcos Ambrose with his daughter, Tabitha. Picture: Tony Gough

Tabitha moved to Formula Ford this year after racing Hyundai Excels for the past two years.

She made a strong start to her Formula Ford career in the opening round of the New South Wales championships last weekend at One Raceway – formerly Wakefield Park – earning a pole position, three race wins and a lap record.

Tabitha said she was proud to follow in the footsteps of her famous dad.

“I just love racing, I love driving,” Tabitha said.

“I was probably in grade eight when I started in go-karts. Dad kept saying to me, ‘You have to tell me three separate times that you want to have a go in a go-kart’.

“After I told him three separate times, we took the go-kart out and ever since then I’ve had the (racing) bug.

“I think he wishes he had put me in tennis, it might be a bit cheaper.

Marcos Ambrose, pictured racing his iconic Ford in 2001, is a two-time Supercars champion.

“I was two months old when we moved over to America and I was over there for nine years, so I have really just grown up around racing and I have just loved it.

“I see some old photos (from Marcos racing) and I’m sitting in the car and I’m like ‘That’s so funny, if little me could see where I was now, it would be pretty cool’.”

Tabitha will debut her new-look Ford in the Pirtek colours at the opening round of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series at Winton Motor Raceway this weekend.

While she said she felt no pressure carrying the famous Ambrose surname, Tabitha said her goals in motorsport were simply to go as far as she could – and not be making up the numbers.

“I want to go as far as I can and I want to be competitive when I do,” Tabitha said.

“So if I do ever make it up there, I want to be competitive and I want to be good.”

Ambrose said he had tried to “keep a lid” on Tabitha’s fledgling career in a bid to shield her from too much pressure with a famous racing surname.

“She has come a long way and it is a male dominated sport, it’s not easy for the girls,” Ambrose said.

Two-time Supercars champion and former NASCAR racer Marcos Ambrose with his daughter, Tabitha, when she was young. Tabitha is now following in his footsteps in motorsport. Picture: Supplied

“There’s no reason girls can’t go to the very front in racing, but it’s not easy.

“She has challenges there that she is overcoming, she is applying herself beautifully, she is brave, she is confident, she looks the part. She is still full of energy and beans, she keeps me going to be honest.

“I don’t know where it is going to stop for her, as long as she is enjoying it.

“You’ve got to enjoy this. Racing the car is only 10 per cent of it. There is a whole lot behind the scenes that you’ve got to do to get right, it’s a selfish game you’ve got to be fully in, you can’t be half in.”

So, what were the chances of Marcos dusting off the race suit for a potential father-daughter wildcard at Bathurst one day?

“My time in the sun is over,” Marcos said.

“I’m quite happy now to be supporting Tabitha and being on the tools and driving the truck around.

“I’m quite happy with that …. they’re special days for me and it is hopefully setting her up for the future.”

Originally published as How Marcos Ambrose’s daughter Tabitha followed Supercars champ dad into racing Formula Ford