FPR ready .

[Rulekeeper]

Release Date: 02/10/2003

FPR Ready For The Biggest Race Of Them All
The Ford Performance Racing (FPR) V8 Supercar team makes its Bathurst debut next weekend, well prepared for the biggest V8 Supercar battle of them all, the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at the majestic Mount Panorama road circuit.

By far the best known motor racing event in Australia and among the world's greatest motor races, Bathurst is the pinnacle of the sport, regardless of what the Championship outcome may be. This 1000 kilometre test of man and machine has very special significance for every team and driver taking part, while presenting Australia's V8 Supercar teams with the ultimate challenge in team strategy, outright speed, reliability and physical endurance.

The prospects of a Ford victory at Bathurst this year are high and FPR heads to Bathurst with plans of being one of the leading blue oval teams at Mount Panorama. The team's three BA Falcon V8 Supercars will be driven by multiple champions Craig Lowndes and Glenn Seton, rising stars David Besnard and Owen Kelly, and young chargers Adam Macrow and Darren Hossack.

The 2003 Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 also represents a special milestone for the most successful Ford driver in the V8 Supercar category, with Glenn Seton making his 20th start in the great race - a race that the 38 year old double Champion is yet to win during his career, that includes two V8 Supercar Championship titles.

1996 winner Craig Lowndes, who will be competing in his 9th Bathurst classic this year, wants nothing more than to win Australia's biggest race in the CAT FPR Falcon with Seton. The 29-year-old is a crowd favourite at Bathurst following his numerous gutsy performances at the mountain ever since making his debut in pole position at this unforgiving circuit in 1995. The triple champion has focussed his efforts on developing the team's endurance race set up with Seton since Sandown.

Team FPR's highest finishers at Sandown, Ford Credit FPR Falcon drivers David Besnard and Owen Kelly, have proven to be fast and consistent as a driving combination, two vitally important factors for success at Bathurst.

Armed with the data gained from the recent team test days, confidence is high for this exciting young FPR duo. Besnard has been one of the most promising Ford drivers to race at Bathurst since making his Mount Panorama debut in 2000, but is yet to gain a finish in the great race.

FPV FPR Falcon drivers Adam Macrow and Darren Hossack complete FPR's Bathurst endurance race team, the duo proving their potential after a solid race performance at Sandown in testing conditions. The two FPR rookies have strong Bathurst racing experience between them, so the team has every hope of a strong and consistent performance from the third FPR Falcon at Mount Panorama.

According to all six FPR drivers, this year's 41st running of Australia's great race will be the most competitive yet.

#6 Craig Lowndes - "It doesn't matter how many times you go back to Bathurst or how many laps you do there, you always learn something new every year. You put everything on the line every single lap across the top of the mountain and you have to be very precise and extremely calculated in your passing moves. This is the ultimate motor race in Australia and nothing compares to success on the mountain."

#6 Glenn Seton - "The exhilaration that you get from racing at Bathurst is second to none and I have always looked forward to going back every year. This year will be a very memorable one for me as I have an excellent opportunity to win being paired with Craig. There are many competitors who are in a position to win this race, but we have done a lot of work behind the scenes to achieve our goal of winning, so I hope to be adding my name to the winners list for the first time next Sunday."

#19 David Besnard - "Mount Panorama is a brilliant circuit and it can bite you for being too aggressive - but you certainly have to have a big go at it to be fast there. You have to work your way up to setting fast lap times at Bathurst as there is precious little margin for error. This will be my 4th start and I am still yet to finish it, so I am looking forward to this year's race more than ever."

#19 Owen Kelly - "We had good race speed at Sandown and the team has made a lot of progress since then during our recent two day test at Phillip Island. David and I have proven to be a good enduro combination and we plan to be at our best for Bathurst, the biggest race of the year."

#5 Darren Hossack - "We know that we have a fast car for a dry race and with the detailed testing completed leading up to this race, we are well prepared for anything that this 1000 kilometre race throws at us. Adam really stepped up to the mark at Sandown and I'm sure that we both will do the same at Bathurst."

#5 Adam Macrow - "Darren and I have raced at Bathurst enough times to not be daunted by the place, which is important as you need a lot of confidence to compete strongly at Mount Panorama. We will approach this race exactly the same way that we approached Sandown, with the aim of being consistently fast, to do good pit stops and to try and finish within the top ten."

FPR Chief Engineer, John Russell - "Bathurst is a truly demanding event on the cars, drivers and the entire team. Sandown was a clear indicator of what we can expect, however with all of our drivers having good Bathurst track knowledge, we expect to present a stronger challenge to the lead pack. I'm sure an exciting and eventful week lies ahead of us!"

[GTRMagic]

No mention of the prodrive powerplants with the F1-sized brake horse power is there?

Oh, thats right, they keep lunching them on the dyno... silly me, how could I forget

[Rulekeeper]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
No mention of the prodrive powerplants with the F1-sized brake horse power is there?

Oh, thats right, they keep lunching them on the dyno... silly me, how could I forget

So they do have something in common with SHRT

[vatuloa]

All the spin doctors will be making press statments over the next few day to try and please there sponsors

[GTRMagic]

The bigger question is whether SHRT will risk running their #2 car with an Aurora aboard

[Rulekeeper]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
The bigger question is whether SHRT will risk running their #2 car with an Aurora aboard

I like the way they have redecorated the engine room, with Conrods sticking out of the walls

[GTRMagic]

Prodrive have a room like that too, with all these nice pistons hitting valves at high speed I understand, causing an enmeshing of metallic materials that man could not hope to replicate by conventional means.....

[superman2000]

Hey it all comes with the never ending saga for more horsepower, and its all these pistons in walls that one day they'll get it right. So keep trying i say and one day lowndes might get a competitive car again.

[GTRMagic]

He surely will... when driving a motor vehicle constructed with love, care and attention by the boys and girls at SBR... the rest is just waiting

[superman2000]

GTR in a few of your comments you link lowndes with SBR, is there something i missed or is that just a fantasy we all would like see come true, Oh and did you read the article in AA couple weeks back, "is ambrose the best touring car driver in the world" hey i'm sure you would be GTR if you had his equiptment this year.

[GTRMagic]

I am living in the world of the wishful thinker... it may happen.. it may not.. I am reliably informed that my comments actually induce teams into changing their thinking... so I figure if I keep saying it, someone inside big blue might get a move on and do what should have been done in 2001.....

[ford boy]

I sure any driver would love to be a part of the SBR team, and i'm sure Craig Lowndes would show his true talent.

[superman2000]

I like your way of persuasion GTR

[aj_308]

im all for it, sbr get a move on!

[Phase3]

Rome wasn't built in a day, and all things considered FPR are doing a great job considering the age of the team, and the massive workload they have undertaken.

One thing being a Ford man has taught me, and should have taught other Ford supporters old enough to have followed the game for a number of years is patience.......

FPR will come good, with the Factory backing them, and Prodrive building 'em, its all just a matter of time kiddies, for all you relativly new supporters, just be pateint!

[GTRMagic]

Do you really think Craig Lowndes should have to spend so long in this junky transition phase, while the people who actually have their act together are making him look bad?

The average follower of the sport will only see Craig doing badly, not knowing the silliness of his placement, and come to the (incorrect) conclusion that he was only every any good in a Holden...

[vatuloa]

Prodrive were to supply FPR the new engines for Sandown now they are saying they won't arrive until next year. If a supply company gave a date of August for delivery of a new product then advised a month later then 3 to 6 mths later what would happen to the relationship. All down hill.

[webberisgod]

Well it was Craigs choice to leave, if he'd put up with the situation at HRT he mite even have a couple more bathurst wins and or chmpionship wins under his belt.

While his teams have been less than satisfactory at Ford im sure his pay packet hasnt been.

the results with FPV will come, it took time at HRT, it took time for the Stones. Id say given one or 2 seasons FPV given their resources and budget will be a definate force to be respected.

[GTRMagic]

So is it clever to pay a drivr $700k+ per annum to be at best a top 10 finisher, not because of a lack of driving talent, more that the team couldnt win a lottery if they bought all the tickets?

This is the remains of the late Howard Marsden's plan to spread the wealth around the team, and with respect, it still doesnt work!

C'mon Mr Polites, I know you or one of your many minions read this forum... stop the rot... use the big blue powerhouse for goodness

[Phase3]

Craigs the lead driver in the Factory team which though only new, has amply demonstrated it's commitment to the sport and is on the up.

The Glass as I see it is half full! - Patience Gwasshopper, Patience!

[Lyris]

Sorry Phase, I'm a Lowndes fan from back when the Holden was his poison of choice; and frankly patience?????? Um I lost that a while back.

FPR would have had my patience and I would happily wait till they develop, if not for a few reasons:

1 - I too have heard those wonderful rumours of Prodrive going the way of TWR, and I'm not looking forward to the team going through similar **** to the Holden debarcle.

2 - Those as promised and as yet undelivered engines, if Prodrive were simply a supplier to FPR then would the team put up with the excuses and delays?????? And no offence intended to the old GSR but ATM your engines are buckets of **** that definitely sound it (at least as compared to other teams out there)

Criag is a top driver, who unfortunately for him, has been stuck in POS cars for the last three years, and I for one just don't get it.

Answer me this, how long did it take Holden to intervene and get the Brock name attached to a topline team?????

Certainly not over 3 years

[Food Processor]

GTR Magic "I am reliably informed that my comments actually induce teams into changing their thinking... "

Which teams? BJR?

[Rulekeeper]

Originally posted by Food Processor
GTR Magic "I am reliably informed that my comments actually induce teams into changing their thinking... "

Which teams? BJR?

LOL

[GTRMagic]

Close but no cigar....

[webberisgod]

GTR Magic "I am reliably informed that my comments actually induce teams into changing their thinking... "

nothing like believing your own press and giving yourself a rap eh? :P