[Racer Duck]

Marcos Ambrose has been voted as the Australian Driver of the Year by Australian motor racing magazine Auto Action for the second-consecutive year.

Ambrose, who is currently at home with his family in his hometown of Launceston, Tasmania, won the award by receiving 41 percent of the vote, which was decided by readers of Auto Action as part of the magazine’s annual ‘Racer of the Year Awards’ issue.

2008 Australian V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup placed second behind Ambrose in the Australian Driver of the Year award with 25 percent of the vote, with Aussie IndyCar driver Ryan Briscoe placing third.

The Australian Driver of the Year Award was open to any Australian-born driver racing both internationally or in Australia in 2008.

“The 2008 Auto Action Racer of the Year Awards give Australian motor racing fans the opportunity to have their say on who they think best represented Australia on the world motorsport stage,” said Auto Action Editor Rob Margeit.

“That Marcos Ambrose has been voted Australian Driver of the Year for the second year in a row by Auto Action’s readers highlights that even though he is no longer racing in Australia, he is not forgotten.

“Ambrose’s second straight award also highlights the increasing popularity of NASCAR in Australia.”

Further highlighting the growth in popularity of NASCAR in Australia, 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson was voted as the second-placed driver in the ‘Racer of the Year Award’, open to the best driver worldwide for the 2008 season. Johnson was also recently featured in the Top 50 Sports Stars of 2008 in the Herald Sun, Australia’s highest circulating newspaper.

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