TABITHA Ambrose’s diverse motorsport education will continue at next weekend’s Winton Festival of Speed.
The third-generation racer will drive a Group C Holden Torana A9X in the Legends of Motorsport Super Sprint during the event on August 1-3, giving Ambrose her first laps in a touring car.
The daughter of two-time Supercars champion Marcos, Ambrose has had a busy 2025 to date racing a Formula Ford in the Pirtek colours her dad made famous.
She also claimed a podium finish in the Bathurst 6 Hour, and in September will try her hand at speedway in a support event for the AirTouch 500 at The Bend Supercars enduro.
The Torana she will pilot was Melbourne privateer Warren Cullen’s first A9X and carried the bright yellow and blue colours of Pioneer audio products.
Cullen debuted the four-door machine at the 1977 Sandown 400 before it served as his team’s spare car at that year’s Bathurst 1000, and it has since been restored to immaculate condition by current custodian Craig Bowring in its T-car livery from the Mount Panorama enduro.
“I’m super excited to get the opportunity to enter historic racing and to drive such a cool famous Torana in my first event is unbelievable, and I’ll have mum and dad there watching,” Ambrose said.
Warren Cullen racing through Dandenong Rd Corner during the 1977 Sandown 400. Pic: an1images.com / Autopix
“It’s a big thanks to Craig the owner for letting me drive his car.
“I hope I can do some more historic events in the future with VHRR and I’ll try and work my dates out with the Sandown Historics in November.”
Ambrose will participate in the event’s new Legends of Motorsport Super Sprint category, which will feature a host of other genuine Group C & A, Group N and Appendix J.
The Super Sprint format, rather than races, is aimed at giving car owners an avenue to run their genuine historic machines in a non-competitive environment, but still gives the opportunity for them to be driven at race speeds.
The Winton Festival of Speed is marking the 40th anniversary of Group A racing in Australia given Winton hosted the first Australian Touring Car Championship round under the international rule set in 1985.
The event will see a range of categories in race action including Heritage Touring Cars, Group N historic touring cars, Group S sportscars, Historic Formula Ford, Historic Sports Sedans and more.
Tribute Group A and C cars, Touring Car Legends and Invited 5-Litre and V8 Supercars will all hit the track in SuperSprints at the Winton event as well.
Tickets are on-sale now for the event here with single day passes $30 for adults and a weekend pass for $50.
The Winton Festival of Speed is a V8 Sleuth advertising partner