BRISTOL, Tenn. -- For a guy who first watched the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway from half a world away, Marcos Ambrose has certainly taken a liking to the place. Admitting to the fans during his pre-race introduction that he was just "hoping to finish" Saturday night's Sharpie 500, Ambrose did a whole lot better, winding up third behind Kyle Busch and Mark Martin.

In two Cup starts at Bristol, Ambrose has two top-10 finishes. Not bad for a guy better known for his road-racing prowess.

"It's just an awesome day for our team," Ambrose said. "I'm just so excited for us. It's my first year in the Cup Series and to come to a place like this on a wild Saturday night and finish top-three, it's just awesome. Congratulations to Mark Martin for his 1,000th start, and Kyle Busch. I'm just privileged to race against those guys. I think this night will go down in history as one to remember."

“

I don't know why I've run so well here. Both races we've done really well. I just try to drive the race car. I don't do anything but rely on my instincts, try to drive around the track as fast as I can.

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-- MARCOS AMBROSE

So why does Ambrose run so well at Bristol? It's not like there's a comparable track anywhere else in the world, let alone in his native Tasmania. And his background doesn't necessarily lend itself easily to the high-banked half-mile known as Thunder Valley.

"I don't know why I've run so well here," Ambrose said. "Both races we've done really well. I just try to drive the race car. I don't do anything but rely on my instincts, try to drive around the track as fast as I can."

Ambrose started 25th and cracked the top 10 by Lap 125, then steadily worked his way into contention. He was third when the field took the green on Lap 487, and promptly spun the tires on the restart, slipping to fourth. Ambrose blamed the mistake on a bit of impatience.

"Well, I just got greedy on a couple restarts there," Ambrose said. "I wanted to win the race so bad: 850 horsepower, hot tires, a concrete track. I just got greedy on the right foot and spun the tires."

However, after a crash involving Michael Waltrip and Clint Bowyer forced NASCAR officials to throw a red flag for cleanup with less than 10 laps remaining, Ambrose got another chance -- and this time, he made a perfect restart and got around Greg Biffle.

"I just tried to baby it to make sure I just solidified my position," Ambrose said. "I managed to get past Greg on the inside there. He was pinched down. That's all I needed to do.

"I'm learning as I go. When you get an opportunity to run at the front like that with six laps to go, you can't learn that anywhere else but when you're out there doing it. You're up against the best. When you make a mistake, you're exposed -- but really proud to have finished third [Saturday] and had a good last restart."

Ambrose said learning how to balance the adrenaline rush while keeping your wits about you is certainly part of the learning process in NASCAR's premier series.

"Racing is controlled aggression," he said. "If we all go out there full of testosterone, none of us will ever finish. There's a million ways not to finish a race. I just try to control my aggression as best I can and keep a level head and to race fair. That's my goal."

And from the time he saw his first Bristol night race on television in Australia almost a decade ago, that goal has included racing here.

"I just love Bristol," Ambrose said. "I love NASCAR. It's the best form of racing I've ever experienced. The cars are hard to drive, way too much power, not enough tire, not enough brakes. It's a real challenge to survive out there. We're doing it. I don't think there's any track we can't do this.

"I've had trouble at places like Michigan and Atlanta, those tracks, but I'm not sure whether it's me, I'm not sure whether it's the way I'm trying to set them up. I'll work it out over time. I just want to be here for the long haul. I want to be here again and again and again because I just love NASCAR. I feel privileged to be in the sport. I just love every lap that I do."