Marcos Ambrose had a taste of his XBox-sponsored Ford Falcon FG at Lakeside on Friday, but today is the first opportunity for the two-time Champion to have a proper test with his team.

With the ability to time laps, run through various setup changes and gather data from the car, Dick Johnson Racing – to transform into DJR Team Penske from 2015 – will get plans underway for the December 5-7 Sydney NRMA 500 from today,.

“I’m absolutely focused on these next two test days,” Ambrose said at the conclusion of the ride day on Friday.

“I’ve got to get dialed in as much as I can… I’ve got to really focus on getting my brake technique down and how I compare to some of the data we’ve already got around that track, and we’ve just got to work from there.

“My expectations for Sydney, they’re still the same – I just want to log laps, get experience and just try to use it to race in 2015.”

The ride day went to plan for Ambrose, “I didn’t leave the track or spin out or anything silly” and he appreciated the characteristics of the new generation V8 Supercar.

“I got a feel for the car [on Friday] – the car’s really nice to drive, I’ve got to tell you.

“The work they’ve done on this new version of V8 Supercar is really nice, very well-balanced, grip is respectable and brakes are great, so in that respect I feel much more comfortable now to go into testing at Queensland Raceway with more confidence.

“We’ve got to work on a few things – it was pretty hot in the car, so I’ve got to work on all that.

“It was a new introduction on the way these new cars handle and we’ve got to work a little bit on getting the feel I need to, I think the car was a little too soft. I’ve got to work on that, bur I’ve got to go through a bit of a test regime to really work out what this car needs.”

New technical director Nick Hughes said DJR would be running a full testing schedule today and at the follow-up test on Thursday, with all focus on improving Ambrose’s performance in the car and allowing him to experience all the “tools in the toolbox” as he put it.

“Sunday is an opportunity for him to start feeling for the setup of the car,” Hughes told v8supercars.com.au.

“We’ve got quite a few generic changes we want to make to the car and let him experience and feel what those are and how it changes the handling of the car … So it’s less about setting the car up to handle any specific way, as much as it is about showing him the tool box – what all the knobs do, and how it changes the feel of the car.”

Since his appointment and the announcement of Ambrose to the team, the two have been discussing and dissecting V8 Supercars racing. So, while it has been from afar, Hughes says he has an understanding of how the cars handle and what he needs to do on track.

For the returning two-time champ, Sydney is a kickstart to his 2015 campaign – an opportunity to earn real experienced before the off-season break and know what he’s in for come the February 27-March 2 Clipsal 500.

“I can’t stress enough how motivated and excited I am to be back in Australia racing V8 Supercars again – and I think it’s been an effort for me to get here in time for these test days,” said Ambrose, who finished his final NASCAR race just days ago in Miami.

“But it’s been a big effort for everyone at DJR as well to add an extra entry to the last race of the year when they’ve already had a long season.

“I am very thankful to everybody at DJR for making this happen – I think it’s important for us for me to be down here and to get a head start and get into Homebush.

“Doing some starts, completing all the laps, doing some pit stops – those things that you can’t simulate anywhere else but in real life at the race track in race conditions.

“It’s going to be a boost for us to get to Homebush and get our 2015 season off to a good start.”

Ambrose and DJR will run at Queensland Raceway today, as well as Thursday, their final test day before the V8 Supercars grand finale.