Ford factory trackside support explained
Ford’s renewed involvement in Supercars will come with added trackside presence.
The Blue Oval will provide factory assistance to all five Ford teams in 2023.
The fleet is expanding next year, with Walkinshaw Andretti United to run Mustangs from next year.
Ford revealed its seventh-generation Mustang and with it, its motorsport programme.
It included the first glimpse of the S650 Gen3 Mustang, which will make its public debut in Bathurst next month.
Tickets for the Repco Bathurst 1000 are available on Supercars.com and Ticketek.
The new Mustang will debut in NASCAR in 2024, with a GT3 entry also earmarked for the Bathurst 12 Hour.
To prove it is serious about its Supercars involvement, Ford has employed a new three-pronged motorsport division.
Justin Capicchiano will lead motorsport and special vehicle engineering, with Brendan McGinniskin the motorsport engineering lead.
The new Mustang will make its public debut in Bathurst
Ben Nightingale, a respected and long-time feature of the Supercars paddock, will be product communications manager.
The trio will support the five Ford teams - WAU, Dick Johnson Racing, Tickford Racing, Grove Racing and Blanchard Racing Team.
Ford has worked closely with homologation team DJR, which has steered Gen3 development locally.
The Gen3 engines recently underwent durability testing in the United States.
The new Ford body shape will under VCAT testing with the Camaro later this year.
Many senior Ford staff, such as Ford Motorsport Global Director Mark Rushbrook, are based in the United States and have conflicting schedules.
With Gen3 on the horizon, Rushbrook explained why it was important to have local support at Supercars events.
“We do run our motorsports programme globally trying to share people, resources, learning across all the different racing series,” Rushbrook said.
“When we re-entered, in terms of technical engineering support with Australian Supercars with the current Mustang, we did all that work here.
“It’s obviously a big workload or time for us to be travelling from North America to support the series.
WAU will take Ford's fleet to five Supercar teams
“I love being there, my team has loved being there, it’s just hard to support.”
General Motors will also run its Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro programme with the new Chevrolet Racing Australian arm.
The Camaro replaces the Holden Commodore.
The Gen3 Mustang and Camaro will make their competitive debuts in Newcastle on March 10-12 next year.
There, Ford’s expanded presence will be felt as the Blue Oval aims to wrest away the title from Triple Eight.
“As we were doing this work for the Gen3 car for the new Mustang, part of what we approved was getting some local support,” Rushbrook continued.
“Because of the importance of the series to us, the importance of the market and we were able to get approval for some head count there.
“It’s a great set-up for us to be able to leverage better what we do more globally and in the Australian market.
“A lot more efficient way of supporting all the Supercars races, not just a handful through the year."
