THE TEAM
Ford Performance Racing
Based in Melbourne, Victoria Ford Performance Racing (FPR) is owned by the world’s largest independent motor racing engineering company – Prodrive.
FPR was established in 2003 when Prodrive acquired the assets of veteran V8 Supercar team Glenn Seton Racing.
The new blue oval V8 Supercar team made a successful debut into the world’s most competitive Touring Car series top five with three BA Falcon V8 Supercars. The team also raced to consecutive second places at Bathurst. The 2004-05 saw the Prodrive team design and develop its own Falcon V8 Supercar chassis and engine, along with the commissioning of the state of the art FPR technical headquarters, while competing with two FG Falcon V8 Supercars.
After winning the Sandown 500 and Mark Winterbottom finishing third in the championship during 2006 the FPR team has developed into serious championship contenders in the highly competitive series.
In 2007, Winterbottom claimed fifth place in the championship standings before finishing runner-up in 2008. Steve Richards’ eighth place ensured the team also finished runner-up in the Teams Championship.
The team enjoyed an ‘up and down’ season in 2009 with Winterbottom’s determined performance on the streets of Surfers Paradise being one of the major highlights for the Ford Performance Racing outfit.
At the end of it all Winterbottom finished the year fifth in the championship standings and Richards 13th.
In 2010, the team continued it’s strong run of success, with Winterbottom being involved in a three-way fight for the Championship that went right to the wire in Sydney. The result nobody could have scripted – a freak rain shower sending all three Championship contenders – running 1, 2 and 3 – into the fence together – Winterbottom would have to settle for third.
In 2011, the team welcomed Will Davison back into the Blue Oval fold and he joined Winterbottom to spearhead the attack – the 10th anniversary of Orrcon Steel’s involvement in the V8 Supercars game. Frosty took a dominant victory at the final race of 2011, the Sydney Telstra 500 securing him a decisive third in the Championship meanwhile teammate Will Davison’s six podium finishes for the year saw him wind up 2011 a well deserved 7th in the Championship. The Orrcon Steel backed Ford Performance Racing team also secured second in the Team’s Championship.
2012 brings on a new year and the final era in the current spec V8 Supercar before the introduction of the Car of the Future. A striking new livery is set to blast Mark Winterbottom into Championship winning position as he is joined once again by Will Davison who performed brilliantly in his debut year with FPR in 2011.
