The NASCAR future of Australian Marcos Ambrose is up in the air after the announcement that the Tasmanian will leave JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“It has been a great five year journey for me and JTG Daugherty Racing,” Marcos Ambrose said.

“I am proud of being their driver and of what we have been able to accomplish together. ”

Ambrose said that the decision to leave had been his as “After five years, I personally felt it was time for a change.

Ambrose said that he had no firm plans for next year and has not ruled out a return to Australia and V8 Supercar competition.

“I would like to continue in NASCAR and finish off what I started, but I have not discounted returning to Australia.

Tad Geschickter, who co-owns JTG Daugherty Racing along with Brad Daugherty and Jodi Geschickter, is sorry to see Ambrose leave the team.

“JTG Daugherty Racing and our sponsors are obviously huge Marcos Ambrose fans and we are disappointed to see him leave after five great years of building a program together from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, to the Nationwide Series, and into the Sprint Cup Series,” said Tad Geschickter.

“Marcos is a friend and he is a great talent, he will be an asset to his next team.

Brad Daugherty echoes the Geschickter’s sentiments and wishes Ambrose much success in his future endeavours.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to work with Marcos for the last five years and it has been an enjoyable experience,” Brad Daugherty said. “We wish him the utmost success and best wishes.

The two-time V8 Supercar champion’s first appearance with JTG Daugherty Racing was at Martinsville Speedway in 2006 when he made his NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ambrose progressed the next year to the NASCAR Nationwide Series spending two years in that division before competing full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The Launceston native has recorded four top-five and nine top-10 finishes with JTG Daugherty Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and has also delivered two Nationwide Series victories.

His career-best Cup finish is a second-place finish at Watkins Glen International last season.

Currently Ambrose has two top-10 finishes and is 27th in the driver points standings after 20 starts this season.

Ambrose hopes to announce his future plans in the coming weeks.