[Rulekeeper]

Credit to Aussie Falcon @ FF.


With seven victories from nine races so far in 2003, Ford has its best chance since 1998 to win Australia’s premier motor race, the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst on Sunday October 12.

The BA model Falcon has proved the car to beat this year, and in particular the Stone Brothers Racing cars of Marcos Ambrose (Pirtek Racing) and Russell Ingall (Caltex Havoline Racing).

After sharing the driving duties at the recent Betta Electrical Sandown 500, the pair will once again drive the #4 car at Bathurst.

Ambrose has been the star of 2003, winning five rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series to hold a handy lead in the title chase.

“Russell and I have the Sandown race under our belt as well as another test day, so we are ready for the Bathurst challenge,” said Ambrose.

“The last victory for Ford was by our team back in 1998 and it would be great to give them and the very patient Ford fans a win in 2003.

“I have had a very good year so far with five wins, but there’s one race I want and it’s the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000.”

Ingall has two wins at Mount Panorama (1995 and ’97) and is keen to notch up his first aboard a Ford to continue his charge up from fourth on the championship ladder.

Despite a spin at the Sandown event while in the lead, Ingall still believes that having Ambrose and himself in the one car is the right option.

“There’s one thing for sure, it will not happen again. I’ve left that behind me and now it’s onto the race that really counts,” said Ingall.

“I have no doubt that I’m with the best team and co-driver out there. We deserve to be the favourites and if we have a clean run we’ll be in a position to win the race.

“As Sandown proved nothing is a certainty and Bathurst is the toughest challenge of them all, but we’re up for the challenge.”

Bathurst has had its fair share of hard luck stories, but none come bigger than Glenn Seton. Despite winning two V8 Supercar titles, Seton has never won at Bathurst and 2003 marks his 20th start at Mount Panorama.

For the first time since 1988, Seton will go to Bathurst as a driver only, having sold his team to form Ford Performance Racing in the off-season. The other trump card is his co-driver Craig Lowndes, who has tasted Bathurst glory in 1996 and has won three V8 Supercar titles.

The duo will share Lowndes’ #6 CAT Ford Performance Racing BA Falcon.

“I came second in 1987 and sitting out front in 1995 had an engine failure within ten laps of the finish, but I’m determined to win the race and this year I feel very confident,” said Seton.

“Our car is well suited to Bathurst and with Craig I know we’re in with a very good chance of winning the race.

“I know a lot of people are keen to see me finally win it, but I can tell you no one is more eager than me!”

Another strong Ford duo at Bathurst will be experienced campaigners Brad Jones and John Bowe in the OzEmail BA Falcon.

Bowe has tasted success at Bathurst twice in 1989 and ’94. The second win was when he beat Jones and Lowndes in a memorable late race battle while driving with Dick Johnson in the Shell Helix Racing team.

Jones’ other two second placings came in 1997 (Super Tourer race) and in 2001.

Bowe set the fastest time in last year’s qualifying session and Jones set the fastest ever race lap around Mount Panorama, before a broken suspension component put them out of contention.

“I hate the term bridesmaid and that’s what my Bathurst record shows,” said Jones.

“We’ve had a great car at Bathurst over the past two years, but it’s our fourth placing at Sandown a few weeks ago that has us very confident.

“If there’s one place where you need experience it’s Bathurst. Between us John and I have 36 starts, and as our form from last year shows we have the pace to be one of the teams to watch.”

In terms of a dark horse prediction, the team to look out for is the Super Cheap Auto Racing pair of Steve Ellery and Luke Youlden.

The runners-up at Sandown, both drivers and their small but dedicated team have hit form at the right time of year.


"Sandown was a great result for us we out-drove and out-smarted a lot of top teams,” said Ellery.


“This sport is as much about confidence as well as having a strong car and team, right now we have all three elements and we are ready for the big one.

“We don’t mind the tag of ‘underdog’ as it lets us run our own race and that’s what we are determined to do at Bathurst.”

Teams first hit the track for practice on Wednesday, with another practice session on the Thursday before qualifying on the Friday. Saturday includes the final practice session and top-10 shootout with Sunday 1000km race starting at 10am.



Championship Standings after 9 of 13 rounds

1. Marcos Ambrose – Pirtek Racing – Ford Falcon BA 1519pts
2. Greg Murphy – KMart Racing – Holden Commodore 1413pts
3. Mark Skaife – Holden Race Team – Holden Commodore 1337pts
4. Russell Ingall – Caltex Havoline Racing – Ford Falcon BA 1331pts
5. Jason Bright – Team Brock – Holden Commodore 1291pts
6. Steven Richards – Castrol Perkins Racing – Holden Commodore 1214pts
7. Craig Lowndes – CAT Ford Performance Racing – Ford Falcon BA 1196pts
8. Rick Kelly – KMart Racing – Holden Commodore 1132pts
9. Paul Weel – Team Brock – Holden Commodore 1121pts
10. Todd Kelly – Holden Race Team – Holden Commodore 1106pts



Details for Mount Panorama Bathurst
Top 10 Shootout – Saturday 11 October – 3.55pm
Race (161 laps – 1000.293km) – Sunday 12 October 10am



Circuit: Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW
Length: 6.213km

Lap Records:
Qualifying – Bowe 2:09.3873 (2002)
Shootout – Skaife 2:08.8278 (2002)
Race – Jones 2:09.5705 (2002)

Estimated top speed: 295km/h – Conrod Straight
Estimated average speed: 135 km/h



Ford’s V8 Line-up for Bathurst

#4 Marcos Ambrose (Tas) / Russell Ingall (SA) – Pirtek Racing
#9 Mark Noske (Vic) / Mark Winterbottom (NSW) – Caltex Havoline Racing
#5 David Besnard (NSW) / Owen Kelly (Tas) - Ford Credit Ford Performance Racing
#6 Craig Lowndes (Vic) / Glenn Seton (NSW) – CAT Ford Performance Racing
#19 Adam Macrow (Vic) / Darren Hossack (Vic) - FPV Ford Performance Racing
#10 Mark Larkham (NSW) / Jason Bargwanna (NSW) - Orrcon Steel Racing
#20 Kerry Wade (WA) / Grant Johnston (WA) - Orrcon Steel Racing
#17 Steve Johnson (Qld) / Warren Luff (NSW) - Shell Helix Racing
#18 Max Wilson (Brazil) / David Brabham (Qld) - Shell Helix Racing
#21 Brad Jones (NSW) / John Bowe (Tas) - OzEmail Race Team
#888 Andrew Jones (NSW) / John Cleland (Scotland) - OzEmail Race Team
#23 Neal Bates (ACT) / Rick Bates (ACT) - INXS Team Ford
#31 Steve Ellery (Qld) / Luke Youlden (Vic) - Super Cheap Auto Racing
#65 Paul Radisich (NZ) / Rickard Rydell (Sweden) - Team Betta Electrical
#66 Dean Canto (NSW) / Matthew White (Vic) - Team Betta Electrical
#75 Anthony Tratt (NSW) / Paul Stokell (Tas) - Toll Racing