Winterbottom reunites with championship Falcon at The Bend

Mark Winterbottom has reunited with his famous championship-winning Ford FG X Falcon, which has landed at The Bend Motorsport Park.

In time for this weekend's AirTouch 500 at The Bend, Winterbottom's 2015 title-winning Ford has been placed on display alongside a number of historic '500' winners, including the 2001 Queensland 500-winning Dick Johnson Racing AU Falcon.

The Ford was placed on the market in 2022 following a long restoration project. It was driven by Cam Waters at Winton Motor Raceway in 2023 as part of a handover day at the Victorian circuit.

Now, it has returned to a circuit, with the Pepsi Max-liveried Ford taking pride of place in The Bend's Welcome Centre, which is open to fans.

Star Tickford co-driver recruit Winterbottom also reunited with the car ahead of this weekend's event, where he will share the #6 Monster Energy Mustang with Waters.

The car, chassis FPR 1217, was raced to nine wins in 2015 by Winterbottom en route to his first championship.

The car debuted a year earlier in an FG Falcon package, with Winterbottom winning four races. It was converted to FG X specifications for 2015, with Winterbottom continuing in the car towards the end of 2016.

FPR 1217 is the fifth-most successful Supercars Car of the Future chassis of all time, and third-most successful COTF Ford behind the Scott McLaughlin-raced DJRTP04 FG X Falcon and DJRTP06 Mustang.

In 2014, Winterbottom won twice at Pukekohe, and Winton and Darwin. In 2015, it raced away to wins in Perth, Winton, Townsville, Queensland Raceway and the Sandown 500.

After Perth 2016, where Winterbottom won a race, the car was then steered by the likes of Waters, Jason Bright and Richie Stanaway across the next couple of seasons.

The car then returned to Winterbottom’s hands for the final rounds of 2018 to end its main game career, before Tickford restored the car over a 12-month period, and put it on the market.

Track action at The Bend commences on Friday.