Ford Performance Racing
Encyclopedia
Ford Performance Racing is a British-owned Australian-based motor racing team that contests the Australian International V8 Supercars Championship. The team currently campaigns two FG Falcon
racecars, driven by Mark Winterbottom
and Will Davison
and prepares a third Falcon, driven by Paul Dumbrell
for Rod Nash Racing
.
took over Glenn Seton Racing
in 2003, and renamed it Ford Performance Racing as part of a marketing push to link the Prodrive-owned Ford Performance Vehicles
road cars to the popular V8 Supercars. Along with this renaming came a huge expansion programme – the team expanded from just one car driven by Glenn Seton
to three; Seton, Craig Lowndes
and David Besnard
. The team moved into a new headquarters in adjacent to the FPV plant in Melbourne
, and the crew expanded as well.
The team's early years were somewhat disappointing, given the fact the team was one of the richest in V8 Supercars. Lowndes had his moments in 2003
, including a round win at Phillip Island, and a second place finish at Bathurst
driving with Seton. Lowndes finished the year 5th in the championship, with Seton and Besnard well down the order.
2004
saw the team downsize to two cars – Besnard forced to leave due to the impracticality of preparing three cars at the same time. Lowndes and Seton both had disappointing years, plagued by engine dramas, a lack of test days, and a lack of comparable data (their cars were built to different specifications). While the pair did start to find some pace at the end of the year (they finished second at Bathurst again), they both decided to move at the end of the year – Lowndes to Triple Eight Race Engineering and Seton to Dick Johnson Racing
.
Jason Bright
and Greg Ritter
replaced them for the 2005 season. Bright had a consistent year, and finished inside the Top-10, while Ritter was disappointing – David Brabham
replaced him for the final rounds.
2006 saw FPR become what it always set out to be – the pace setter. Mark Winterbottom
joined the team while Bright stayed on. Bright scored multiple front-row starts, including three pole positions. He won the inaugural round in Bahrain
, and came 6th in the championship. Winterbottom enjoyed a very consistent run to finish third in the championship. The pair won the Sandown 500
enduro together. FPR came second in the Team's Championship behind the HSV Dealer Team.
Bright left FPR at the end of the 2006 season to drive for his own Britek Motorsport
outfit. Steven Richards replaced Jason Bright in 2007, until he left full-time driving at the end of the 2010 season with former HRT
driver Will Davison
taking his place.
Ford Performance Racing had run a number of satellite teams for other franchise holders, the first was for the first couple of rounds of 2007 where they ran the #021 Team Kiwi Racing
BF Falcon, in 2008 the team ran the #777 Speed FX Racing BF Falcon and from 2010 the team currently runs the #55 Rod Nash Racing
FG Falcon with Paul Dumbrell
as driver.
Ford FG Falcon
The Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car...
racecars, driven by Mark Winterbottom
Mark Winterbottom
Mark "Frosty" Winterbottom, is a racing driver who has competed in the V8 Supercar category since 2003. He currently drives for the Ford Performance Racing team...
and Will Davison
Will Davison
Will Davison is an Australian racing driver. He currently competes with Ford Performance Racing in the #6 Trading Post FPR Falcon, in the premier Australian touring car class, V8 Supercar.-Early career:...
and prepares a third Falcon, driven by Paul Dumbrell
Paul Dumbrell
Paul Dumbrell , is an Australian racing driver who currently drives for Rod Nash Racing in the V8 Supercar Championship Series...
for Rod Nash Racing
Rod Nash Racing
Rod Nash Racing is a V8 Supercar racing entity, owned by Rod Nash. Nash continues to own a V8 Supercar Racing Entitlement Contract and his #55 runs on the flanks of the Ford Performance Racing Ford FG Falcon....
.
History
British motor racing organisation ProdriveProdrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
took over Glenn Seton Racing
Glenn Seton Racing
Glenn Seton Racing was a V8 Supercar racing team that competed in the V8 Supercar series in Australia.Glenn Seton formed his own team in 1989, using Ford Sierras. Seton had been a protege of the works Nissan team, and took the Peter Jackson cigarette sponsorship of that team with him. Former F1...
in 2003, and renamed it Ford Performance Racing as part of a marketing push to link the Prodrive-owned Ford Performance Vehicles
Ford Performance Vehicles
Ford Performance Vehicles is the Melbourne-based, premium performance vehicle partner of automobile manufacturer Ford Australia. The company, which is as a joint venture between Prodrive and Ford Australia, has produced a range of Ford based models under the FPV brand name since April...
road cars to the popular V8 Supercars. Along with this renaming came a huge expansion programme – the team expanded from just one car driven by Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton is an Australian racing driver.Seton, father of Courtney and Aaron Seton and husband to Jayne Seton, retired from full time racing after the 2005 V8 Supercar season, and is only one of five drivers to have competed in over 200 rounds in the series. The other drivers are Dick Johnson ,...
to three; Seton, Craig Lowndes
Craig Lowndes
Craig Lowndes is a multi-championship winning Australian racing driver. He is a three-time V8 Supercar champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000...
and David Besnard
David Besnard
David Besnard, , in Sydney, Australia is a professional race car driver. Starting in Karts in 1981, he quickly proceeded into Formula Ford in 1995. After initial success, he had a major accident at Eastern Creek Raceway and broke his leg. In 1996 he made a comeback and won the Australian title...
. The team moved into a new headquarters in adjacent to the FPV plant in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and the crew expanded as well.
The team's early years were somewhat disappointing, given the fact the team was one of the richest in V8 Supercars. Lowndes had his moments in 2003
2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series was a motor racing series for V8 Supercars. The series, which was the eighth V8 Supercar Championship Series, began on 22 March 2003 in Adelaide and ended on 30 November at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...
, including a round win at Phillip Island, and a second place finish at Bathurst
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
driving with Seton. Lowndes finished the year 5th in the championship, with Seton and Besnard well down the order.
2004
2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series featured the sixth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 21 March 2004 in Adelaide and ended on 5 December at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds...
saw the team downsize to two cars – Besnard forced to leave due to the impracticality of preparing three cars at the same time. Lowndes and Seton both had disappointing years, plagued by engine dramas, a lack of test days, and a lack of comparable data (their cars were built to different specifications). While the pair did start to find some pace at the end of the year (they finished second at Bathurst again), they both decided to move at the end of the year – Lowndes to Triple Eight Race Engineering and Seton to Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000...
.
Jason Bright
Jason Bright
Jason Bright is an Australian racing driver currently competing in the V8 Supercar series.-Australia:...
and Greg Ritter
Greg Ritter
Greg Ritter is an Australian racing driver. He was the winner of the 1999 Australian Formula Ford Championship. and shared the winning drive at the 2004 Betta Electrical 500-Career results:-External links:*...
replaced them for the 2005 season. Bright had a consistent year, and finished inside the Top-10, while Ritter was disappointing – David Brabham
David Brabham
David Brabham is an Australian racing driver and one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports car racing. He has won three international Sports Car series and is one of four Australians to have won the Le Mans 24 Hour sports car race, winning the event in...
replaced him for the final rounds.
2006 saw FPR become what it always set out to be – the pace setter. Mark Winterbottom
Mark Winterbottom
Mark "Frosty" Winterbottom, is a racing driver who has competed in the V8 Supercar category since 2003. He currently drives for the Ford Performance Racing team...
joined the team while Bright stayed on. Bright scored multiple front-row starts, including three pole positions. He won the inaugural round in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, and came 6th in the championship. Winterbottom enjoyed a very consistent run to finish third in the championship. The pair won the Sandown 500
Sandown 500
The Sandown 500 is an endurance motor race staged at the Sandown Raceway, near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia between 1964 and 2011. It was typically held in September, the month before Australia’s premier endurance race, the Bathurst 1000. The “500” was not run in 1966, 1967, 1999, 2000, 2008,...
enduro together. FPR came second in the Team's Championship behind the HSV Dealer Team.
Bright left FPR at the end of the 2006 season to drive for his own Britek Motorsport
Britek Motorsport
Britek Motorsport is an Australian V8 Supercar motor racing team. Established in 2005 under the ownership of Bathurst 1000 winning driver Jason Bright, they have struggled in their first two seasons due to testing and licensing restrictions...
outfit. Steven Richards replaced Jason Bright in 2007, until he left full-time driving at the end of the 2010 season with former HRT
Holden Racing Team
The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
driver Will Davison
Will Davison
Will Davison is an Australian racing driver. He currently competes with Ford Performance Racing in the #6 Trading Post FPR Falcon, in the premier Australian touring car class, V8 Supercar.-Early career:...
taking his place.
Ford Performance Racing had run a number of satellite teams for other franchise holders, the first was for the first couple of rounds of 2007 where they ran the #021 Team Kiwi Racing
Team Kiwi Racing
Team Kiwi Racing was a V8 Supercar team that competed in the Australian V8 Supercar series. The team has since returned at much reduced scale, in New Zealand running in domestic one-make series racing...
BF Falcon, in 2008 the team ran the #777 Speed FX Racing BF Falcon and from 2010 the team currently runs the #55 Rod Nash Racing
Rod Nash Racing
Rod Nash Racing is a V8 Supercar racing entity, owned by Rod Nash. Nash continues to own a V8 Supercar Racing Entitlement Contract and his #55 runs on the flanks of the Ford Performance Racing Ford FG Falcon....
FG Falcon with Paul Dumbrell
Paul Dumbrell
Paul Dumbrell , is an Australian racing driver who currently drives for Rod Nash Racing in the V8 Supercar Championship Series...
as driver.