Little to engineer Winterbottom this weekend

Engineering duties on the leading Ford will be performed by Campbell Little this weekend.

Little - who has formerly engineered Mark Winterbottom, and ran Alex Davison in the sister JELD-WEN FPR Falcon for the majority of last year - is filling in for Grant McPherson at Sydney Motorsport Park.

McPherson, who has been struck down by glandualr fever, has helped guide Winterbottom to four race wins so far this season.

Little was coincidentally returning from a family holiday and happened to be travelling through Sydney when the call was made to sub out McPherson.

"The timing was quite fortuitous but I am more than happy to help Mark and the team with their predicament," Little said.

"We've all worked together for years so there won't be an adjustment period which is important to maintain Mark's Championship charge."

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards is pleased 'super-sub' Little was available.

"Grant wanted to engineer Mark but he's unable to talk so that made things a bit hard so he took the team-focussed view and subbed himself out," Edwards said.

"Campbell was our first call; he was luckily coming back from a skiing trip and was in Sydney so it all went to plan. He knows our car and team backwards so I don't expect much disruption to our program.

"We obviously wish Grant a speedy recovery."

The V8 Supercars will be on-track from 9am for the day's first practice session, with back-to-back qualifying and two 100km races later in the day.