Ford teams out to break long enduro drought

Ford will be looking to break a five-year winless streak in enduros at this weekend’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

A Mustang has not graced the top step of the podium at an endurance event since the 2019 Bathurst 1000, when Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat claimed a highly controversial victory for DJR Team Penske.

Since then, seven enduro events have been held, with Holden and Chevrolet having a stranglehold on affairs, and Triple Eight winning all bar one of those events. To race day on Sunday at Sandown, 1799 days will have passed since the 2019 Great Race.

The current winless enduro run is the longest for Ford since between the 2009 Phillip Island 500 and the second leg of the 2011 Gold Coast 600, where Mark Winterbottom combined with British international Richard Lyons to claim victory.

Since 2009, Triple Eight have been the dominant force in the enduro season, claiming 24 of the 46 endurance races held in that time.

Ford has only managed to win 11 of those races, split between Tickford in its various guises (nine enduro wins), and Dick Johnson Racing (two wins during the Penske era).

However, this year is shaping up as Ford’s best chance to snap the five-year winless run, with several Blue Oval combos among the most highly fancied teams this enduro season.

Championship combatant Chaz Mostert rekindles his successful partnership with Lee Holdsworth in the #25 Optus Mustang, where a repeat of their 2021 Bathurst heroics will only strengthen Mostert’s title challenge.

32-year-old Mostert has arguably been the form driver in the field heading into the enduros, finishing no lower than fourth in the past six races to claw back huge ground on points leader Will Brown.

Now a commercial real estate agent by day, 41-year-old Holdsworth believes he can help propel Mostert to a maiden Repco Supercars Championship win.

“Obviously Chaz is in a position where he can definitely fight for this championship, and he is at the moment and it’s fantastic to see, and hopefully I can help him out with that,” said the 2021 Bathurst winner.

“I feel like the car and the team have all the ingredients to win this championship this year, obviously the last three or four rounds have been a really good turnaround for the team.

“I’m just stoked that I’m in maybe the best team in pit lane at the moment, and giving myself and Chaz the best shot at winning these two races.”

The next best Ford in the championship is Tickford spearhead Cam Waters, who also resumes a successful enduro partnership this weekend alongside James Moffat.

Prior to a DNF last year, Waters and Moffat have combined to finish third and second in 2022 and 2021, with the Mildura native also second in 2020 alongside Will Davison.

Much like former teammate Mostert, Waters has also been on a rich run of form as of late, and was an emphatic winner last time out in Tasmania.

“It’s good to have a bit of momentum going into the enduro season. The car’s been really good over the last few rounds which is awesome,” said the 2017 Sandown 500 winner.

“I love racing at Sandown, I won there in 2017. As a team usually we’re pretty strong at Sandown as well, so I’m pretty pumped to be racing there.

“Moff just slots straight into the car and it’s no issue, and he just gets along with the whole team and it’s awesome. Super pumped to be doing the enduro campaign with Moff again and hopefully we can get some good results this year.”

Other strong Ford combinations include Matt Payne/Garth Tander (Grove Racing), Will Davison/Kai Allen, and Anton De Pasquale/Tony D’Alberto (both DJR).

On-track action for the 2024 Penrite Oil Sandown 500 begins tomorrow, with Practice 1 set to begin at 10:45am AEST.