Ford Performance Racing » News

CANTO STILL WITH NASH

Toby — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:33:29 +0000

The Bottle-O Racing Team has re-signed Dean Canto for this year’s V8 Supercars endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst following the experienced driver’s stellar performance at Mount Panorama last year.

The Adelaide resident is one of the most popular drivers in the sport and returns for the third-straight year with the Rod Nash-owned outfit.

Canto has been part of the Ford Performance Racing (FPR) enduro line-up since 2008 and for the last two years has driven the FPR-prepared #55 The Bottle-O Ford.

He looked set for a top-five finish in last year’s Bathurst 1000 until the car was forced out of the race in the closing stages by a fellow competitor.

“I am really happy to be with the team again as we came on strong last year as the season progressed after we sorted a few things,” Canto said.

“With that in mind I can see us starting strong this year and given our form last year in the enduros I think we will have a very competitive package.

“Last year we had our potential high finish at Bathurst cruelly taken away from us so even though the end result was out of our control, we can build on that speed and have a better year in 2012.”

Team owner Rod Nash believes there is no reason Canto will not deliver the same form again this year and was pleased the 31-year-old agreed to return for a third year in his car.

“Dean has always been a consistent contributor so it is great we have been able to again secure his services,” Nash said.

“He has been part of the FPR network for a number of years and is not only highly-respected, but has a safe pair of hands which is vital come enduro time.

“This year we really plan to take a significant step forward as a team and Dean will be a key part of that.”

Canto will reacquaint himself with the #55 The Bottle-O Ford this Saturday where he will drive for the first time this year at V8 Supercars’ season launch test day at Sandown in Melbourne.

WINTERBOTTOM EXTENDS WITH FPR

Toby — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:59:55 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has extended Mark Winterbottom’s contract until the end of 2014, taking the partnership to a ninth successive season and providing the team with further stability.

Winterbottom has finished in the top five in the championship every year since joining FPR.

The contract extension ensures the team will have the same driver line-up moving into the Car of the Future (CotF) era from next season with team-mate Will Davison already signed until at least the end of 2013.

“It is really good to extend my stay as everyone strives to drive for the factory team so I am proud to have been associated with the factory Ford team for so long,” Winterbottom said.

“Things change rapidly in motorsport and there will be no bigger change than the introduction of Car of the Future next year so to stay with the people I know through such a big change is definitely a good thing.

“I’ve worked with a lot of great people over the last six seasons I’ve raced for the team but the group here now is the best yet and the way we are all starting to fire together is very encouraging and gives us all confidence to fight for the championship.

“Although a title still eludes us we of course keep working towards it and to win one after so many years of trying would be special and a greater achievement than if I moved elsewhere and won.

“I’m a very loyal person and over the next three years I would like nothing more than to payback the team for how hard we’ve all worked with a championship, or three.”

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards is pleased to have his driver line-up confirmed for the upcoming seasons which will be dominated by the series’ switch to CotF.

“We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Mark so it was only natural that we all wanted to continue that,” Edwards said.

“Mark has proven to be one of the best drivers in the category for many years and to know we have him signed alongside Will for the coming seasons ensures we have the right drivers to do the job.”

Winterbottom’s contract extension was announced at the team’s 2012 livery launch which was held on ice at the Medibank Icehouse ice rink in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct.

FROSTY CHASING CONSISTENCY IN 2012

Toby — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:40 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has unveiled its new look #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon and driver Mark Winterbottom believes greater consistency and more race wins during the 2012 V8 Supercar Championship season will ensure he and the team can be in contention for the title.

Winterbottom, who revealed his new look on ice at the Medibank Icehouse in Melbourne alongside Olympic gold medallist Steven Bradbury, also announced he will race for the factory Ford team until at least the end of the 2014 season after extending his contract.

The Ford driver was the pacesetter by the end of last season and despite breaking his leg in a water skiing accident late last year, ‘Frosty’ will be fit and ready for the season-opening race at the start of March.

Winterbottom believes the team’s form at the end of last season, coupled with a stable technical line-up which has now had a season to gel, will give him the tools needed to be at the head of the field for the entire season.

“We enter the new season with a stable technical package, a motivated and very fit crew and the knowledge that we now have a very fast car on all types of tracks,” Winterbottom said.

“As a team we know that we have to score more points than last year and win more races than last year and we have worked very hard in the off-season to ensure we have the tools to do just that.

“A broken tibia is not the ideal preparation but the fact it happened well before the first race and is my left leg which doesn’t get used much at all driving the car means I don’t expect any issues at all when we arrive in Adelaide for the Clipsal 500.

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards attended the launch and knows the team must be more consistent in 2012.

“We have a simple goal for the year that should stand us in good stead,” Edwards said.

“That is to score more points and more wins more often. We achieved that by the end of last year but this is a new season and we need to maintain a high-level of performance across all the events.

“When we give Mark the car he needs he has shown that he is a race winner so we just need to ensure we give him that week in, week out.”

Winterbottom will take the wheel of the new look #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon for the first time in 2012 at the V8 Supercars Season Launch test day at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne on Saturday, 11 February.

FROSTY TO LAUNCH NEW LOOK ON ICE

Toby — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:10:13 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) will unveil the first of its 2012 liveries on Monday night in Melbourne where Mark Winterbottom will be on hand to reveal the new look of the #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon at the Medibank Icehouse ice skating rink in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct.

Winterbottom will be joined on the ice by Olympic speed skating Gold Medal Winner Steven Bradbury.

In a rare treat the launch is open to the public and will be the first chance to view the team’s new look.

The launch takes place at 7.30pm at the Medibank Icehouse, 105 Pearl River Rd, Docklands.

FROSTY BOUNCES BACK FROM BREAK

Toby — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:12:48 +0000

Ford Performance Racing’s (FPR) Mark Winterbottom is recovering quickly from a broken tibia sustained over the Christmas break and is scheduled to participate in V8 Supercars’ official pre-season test at Sandown on Saturday, 11 February.

Winterbottom broke the base of his left tibia – near his ankle joint – while water skiing two days before New Years Eve.

With assistance from V8 Supercars Medical Delegate, Dr Carl Le, he was successfully operated on and had two screws inserted into the break.

The super-fit factory Ford driver is already back training and has been working closely with trainers and staff at the Essendon Football Club.

“After we got back from America we went water skiing after Christmas as we always do,” Winterbottom explained.

“I was using a lock-in boot and unfortunately my ski went one way and I went the other and that’s when I heard the click. Initially I though it was ligament damage though that didn’t prove to be the case.

“Dr Carl Le was a huge help and put me onto a great surgeon. My recovery is going really well. The cast is off, I can already put weight on it and I have been training at Essendon FC.

“I’ve been using their facilities as my personal trainer also trains the Essendon players so I have been working with their rehabilitation team as they often see similar injuries in their players.

“As the break is on my left leg I am not really worried. I will easily be fit for Clipsal which is the main thing. I am seeing the surgeon a few days before the test day so he can evaluate my recovery but at this stage I plan to drive the car as scheduled.”

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards said Winterbottom’s renowned high fitness level is already aiding his recovery.

“Given the incident was only a couple of weeks ago Mark is making a very rapid recovery,” Edwards said.

“He is arguably the fittest guy in the championship and that is paying dividends right not.

“We don’t wrap our drivers in cotton wool. This is a very rare occurrence and Mark will be fine for the start of the season so nothing changes for us.”

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM FPR

Toby — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Ford Performance Racing wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Stay safe on the roads and we look forward to seeing you trackside in 2012.

FPR SEASON WRAP

Toby — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:22:48 +0000

Ford Performance Racing’s (FPR) 2011 season finished in the best possible way with victory in the final race of the year, though perhaps the biggest victory the team had was fighting back to the front of the field after its mid-season downturn in performance.

The team finished the year with two race wins, 15 podiums and nine pole positions – a feat outsiders thought impossible at the mid-point of the season.

FPR started the season in good form, landing podiums at the opening two events of the year with Mark Winterbottom, while new recruit Will Davison claimed pole position at the Clipsal 500 showing he was gelling well with the team.

Winterbottom then endured an up and down few races while Davison appropriately broke his podium duck at the Tradingpost Perth Challenge.

Poles and podiums followed in Darwin and Townsville before the team suffered its toughest event of the year at Queensland Raceway.

The team left Ipswich with Winterbottom seventh and Davison eighth in the standings though the hard work of FPR’s engineering and technical group was about to start paying off.

Davison and co-driver Luke Youlden claimed pole for the L&H 500 Phillip Island where Davison won a qualifying race. The pair went on to finish third, beginning the team’s climb back to the front of the field.

Bathurst was as tough as ever though Winterbottom and the experienced Steve Richards salvaged fourth after rain ruined their shootout lap.

Winterbottom was up to fifth in the standings and at the Gold Coast the team confirmed its turnaround in form by grabbing its first win of the season along with two other podium finishes.

The win was even more satisfying as it came on the soft compound tyre which had proven the team’s Achilles’ heel earlier in the year.

The FPR customer car of Paul Dumbrell was also up front by this point, claiming pole position at Tasmania where the team again claimed a double podium – a result backed up one week later at Sandown.

Homebush’s season finale ensured the team would enter the off-season full of confidence for 2012.

Davison claimed pole for both races, Winterbottom convincingly won the final race of the year and Dumbrell looked set to join him on the podium in his last race until a late race error robbed him and the team of a 1-2 finish.

Winterbottom rose from seventh to a comfortable third outright across the final five events, outscoring every other driver in the field across the same period.

Davison finished seventh though could have claimed a top five spot if not for dramas in the final two races, while the team ended the year second in the team standings.

While disappointed not to deliver the championship it felt possible at the start of the year, the turnaround in form shown by the team has its drivers and crew confident it can start next season at the front of the field.

Mark Winterbottom – #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon:

Championship position: 3^rd – 2710 points

Wins: 2 – Gold Coast, Sydney

Podiums: 9 – Abu Dhabi, Adelaide, Darwin, Townsville, Gold Coast (x2), Tasmania, Sandown, Sydney

Poles: 4 – Winton, Darwin (x2), Townsville

“The team has shown great spirit all year. The way we bounced back and got back into contention and started winning races put FPR where it should be. What happened in the middle of the year was disappointing for everyone but I am so proud of how we have come home. We know we need to start the year in the same manner and we now have a car that should be good for the whole season. I can’t think of a track where we would have a weakness where we did before. I think we can go into 2012 feeling confident.”

Will Davison – #6 Tradingpost FPR Falcon:

Championship position: 7^th – 2345 points

Wins: Nil – Best Result: 2^nd (x2) Gold Coast, Tasmania

Podiums: 6 – Perth, Townsville, Phillip Island, Gold Coast, Tasmania, Sandown

Poles: 4 – Adelaide, Phillip Island, Sydney (x2)

“I have really enjoyed the 2011 season. While it was a shame we couldn’t score our first win together we did everything but. Our speed by the back end of the year was incredible and at Homebush we showed we have the pace to be at the front. Fair enough the races didn’t go as planned but the strength of all three FPR cars since the enduros makes me proud of what we have achieved as a group. I feel really at home with the team and now that we have had a year together I know we will be winning races next year. I can’t wait.”

Paul Dumbrell – #55 The Bottle-O FPR Falcon

Championship position: 24^th- 1242 points

Wins: Nil – Best Result: 4^th – Tasmania

Podiums: Nil

Poles: 1 – Tasmania

“While it is sad to end my full-time career I have thoroughly enjoyed being a V8 Supercar driver week in week out for the last nine years. The results this year have not been what the team deserved and it was heartbreaking to end how we did. That said, the car was very quick and should have been on the podium at least once in the last few events given Will and Frosty’s form. Rod (Nash), Tim and everyone at FPR gave me my most successful period ever in my career and to win with them will always be something I remember. I wish them all the best for next season.”

Tim Edwards – FPR Team Principal

Team Championship: 2^nd – 5080 points

“We ended this season on the best possible note and it gave me great pleasure to see the field chasing our cars home at what is now one of the biggest events of the year at Homebush. While I am disappointed for the team, our sponsors and fans that we did not finish higher than we did, I take immense satisfaction in how we as a team turned things around. We could easily have written the year off when things weren’t going right, but that is not how we operate. My fondest memory will be effort that each one of our team put in when their backs were against the wall. Every single member dug their heels in and worked to come up with a solution to the problems we were facing. So from that point of view, we have to work on getting that qualifying pace into race pace and getting race wins. That is our focus. We’ll be working to give each of our drivers the best chance to win. Once we achieve that aim, only then can we begin to worry about championships.”

FPR WRAPS 2011 WITH WINTON TEST

Toby — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:58:24 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has finished its longest ever season by evaluating a host of new talent at its final test day of the year yesterday at Winton in northern Victoria.

Regular driver and dual Homebush pole-sitter Will Davison was joined by new enduro co-driver John McIntyre and a host of other drivers just four days before the team breaks for Christmas.

Davison shared the #6 Tradingpost FPR Falcon with McIntyre and his young cousin James who got his first taste of a V8 Supercar.

FPR stalwart Steve Richards did the bulk of the driving in the #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon as regular driver Mark Winterbottom was overseas on holiday.

Davison handled most of the running in his car in order to evaluate some updated components the team was testing for next season – a key reason for holding the test so late in the year.

“Despite being quite a hot day we got through a massive amount of stuff,” Davison said.

“We had a few new things to try and each one seemed to be an improvement so it was all really positive. I ran most of the day on soft tyres and the car was great. It was really fast and enjoyable to drive and we made some good steps forward so the team’s hard work has paid off.

“John is very enthusiastic and motivated. He is going to be a pleasure to work with and has the right attitude. James also did well especially as our cars are so different to the open-wheelers he drives in America. He took a while to adapt to the brakes but by the end of the day he was right up there.”

The team also ran Development Series driver Chaz Mostert and fellow young gun Tim Blanchard in Mostert’s regular TEAM NAVY mount which ran as car #55 for the day.

McIntyre also drove the temporary car #55 to gain more experience in FPR machinery, while James Davison briefly sampled the #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon late in the day.

Team Principal Tim Edwards enjoyed having a number of new drivers try the squad’s cars and welcomed the impending shut down period which will bring an end to 12 continuous months of on track running.

“It was great to end the season with a faultless day of running especially with so many new drivers in our cars,” Edwards said.

“Will and Richo used their experience to assist us with development parts while John, Chaz, Tim and James all assisted us in different ways and each set good lap times given their varying degrees of experience.

“Chaz and Tim were most impressed with the soft tyres as they have never tried them before.

“The team now has a few days to strip the cars ready for their end of season refresh before we have a few weeks off over Christmas and the New Year. We have been on track since the group test in January so we are all looking forward to a well-earned rest.”

FPR LANDS QUICK KIWI FOR ENDUROS

Toby — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:40:21 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) has already finalised its endurance race pairings for the 2012 V8 Supercar season by signing experienced New Zealander John McIntyre to partner Will Davison for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.

McIntyre will join Davison in the #6 Tradingpost FPR Falcon and is an experienced V8 Supercar campaigner both in Australia and his native New Zealand.

He has claimed three NZV8 titles, has two V8 Supercar podiums to his name and this year finished fifth at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and sixth at Bathurst.

“First up, FPR is the Ford factory team and as a Ford-supported driver it is a real honour to be driving with them,” McIntyre said.

“As a professional V8 Supercar co-driver I only enter two races a year in Australia so my goal has to be to win the endurance events and in particular, Bathurst. To head there in the #6 Tradingpost FPR Falcon with Will Davison gives me my greatest shot yet at a Bathurst win.

“It is also a relief to know where I am driving well before the New Year. Last year I had six or seven months out of the car and that makes it hard. I can now meet the team and test the car before the year is out which puts us on the front foot and gives us a jump on everyone else.”

McIntyre gets his first taste of FPR machinery today at the team’s final test day of the year at Winton Motor Raceway in northern Victoria.

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards was pleased to secure McIntyre’s services so early after his impressive performances in this year’s enduros.

“After analysing John’s performances against his team-mate this year and against the other co-drivers it was clear that he was one of the stand out performers,” Edwards said.

“It is a real boost to our team to secure someone of his experience so far in advance of next season as it will allow us extra time to integrate John into our team and get him familiar with Will and our car.

“That process starts today with our test so we are already well underway with our preparations for next year.

“By winning the last race of the year and with our endurance race line-up already locked away we head into the off-season break in the ideal position.”

Mark Winterbottom will again be partnered by Steve Richards in 2012 in the #5 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon as Richards is entering the second season of his two-year endurance race deal with the team.

MOSTERT WINS YOUNG GUN AWARD

Toby — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:23:36 +0000

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) Development Series driver Chaz Mostert has been awarded the Mike Kable Young Gun Award after being the top placed rookie in the series.

Mostert collected the award at the V8 Supercars end of year gala dinner and joins the likes of Mark Winterbottom on the honour roll.

The 19-year-old had a successful two race outing for FPR, claiming his maiden V8 Supercar pole position and round podium, along with two second places at Sandown.