DJRTP sticks with Ford

DJR Team Penske has given its first substantive public indication it will continue to race two Ford Falcon FG Xs in 2017.

However, while confirming that was the direction the team was likely to take, Penske Racing president Tim Cindric left himself plenty of outs. 

“Right now I don’t anticipate we will be in anything different to what we have now, we have no reason to think that,” he said.

Pressed further he added: “The intention is to run whatever we think is best at that point in time and whatever our best opportunity is. 

“But like I said I don’t right now see us doing anything different or have reason to believe we will do anything different.

“But we are still all-ears for what opportunities might be there.”

Penske was speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon to further explain the team’s decision to hire Scott McLaughlin from Garry Rogers Motorsport to replace Scott Pye. 

In an announcement that morning the team had confirmed McLaughlin would “drive the No. 17 DJR Team Penske Ford”.

That was the first time the team had publicly discussed its 2017 vehicle plans. 

DJRTP currently campaigns two FG Xs on a privateer basis and has made no secret of its desire to gain manufacturer support for its Virgin Australia Supercars Championship campaign.

The FG X goes out of production on October 7 – the Friday of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 – when Ford shuts down its Australian manufacturing facilities. 

Along with the other team still running Falcons in the championship, Prodrive Racing Australia (PRA), DJRTP had hoped to convince Ford here and/or internationally to back the development of the Mustang coupe for local racing.

But Cindric suggested there wasn’t much prospect of that happening at the moment.

“As we have said before we continue to speak to everyone out there and I know as much as everyone wants to see a Mustang in the series I am not sure how realistic that is or isn’t,” he said.

If PRA stay at their current four car complement, then a minimum of six Falcons look likely to contest the 2017 VASC.