All smiles on Marcos Ambrose’s return to V8 Supercars. Source: News Corp Australia

Speeding around the track in a different direction is just one of the many things the champ will have to readjust to as he returns from NASCAR next year to race full-time again in the V8 Supercars.

The cheeky kid’s dig was representative of the vibe surrounding Ambrose last weekend, a mixture of people taking the mickey out of him and those extremely excited that he had returned to the sport.

Back in action. Marcos Ambrose takes the kerb at the Sydney 500 last weekend. Source: News Corp Australia

And Ambrose won’t be racing for just any team either; it will be for a super team combining the best of famous Aussie outfit Dick Johnson Racing, and legendary US NASCAR and Indy outfit Penske Racing.

That doesn’t mean guaranteed success though, with Ambrose struggling to adapt to the brakes of his V8 Supercar at his first proper drive as a wildcard at the Sydney 500 last weekend.

“There’s definitely a lot I have to learn in a very short amount of time,” he said. “I’m definitely going to be racing to the best of my ability next season, but there is still a lot for me to learn.

“Once we all start gelling together, hopefully we will see some results.”

#63NOTOUT in memory of Aussie cricketer Phil Hughes. Source: Getty Images

Ambrose seems much more relaxed now that he is back home, cracking jokes about everything from his opinions on people who only drive automatic cars (“They can’t really drive a car, can they?”), to needing to go to the toilet on a long stint of driving (“I’ve had a few risky moments in that department”).

While his first race back wasn’t quite a success, the combination of Roger Penske, Dick Johnson and Marcos Ambrose will definitely be something to take notice of next year.