How, when and why Triple Eight sealed 'huge' Ford move

The countdown is on to the beginning of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship and, with it, Triple Eight’s highly anticipated return to Ford.

Announced nearly 12 months ago, the championship winning team will return to the Blue Oval from 2026, following 16 successful years with General Motors.

The announcement took the motorsport world by storm, given Triple Eight carried GM’s flag with great success between 2010 and 2024 as it headed into 2025.

Triple Eight and Ford first teamed up from 2003 through 2009, with the team winning three consecutive Bathurst 1000s for Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, and two drivers’ titles for Whincup.

Then came bombshell No. 1 — midway through 2009, Triple Eight announced it was moving to Holden.

In an equally swift announcement, albeit over 15 years later, Triple Eight revealed it was moving back to Ford, a decision that was triggered by a mid-2024 review.

Whincup and Ford's Global Director of Racing Mark Rushbrook had spoken through the years, before Triple Eight assessed its manufacturer future midway through the 2024 season, opening the door to talks with Ford.

Crucially, a potential Ford move was already on Triple Eight’s agenda once the blockbuster Toyota entry was announced in September 2024.

A Ford partnership ultimately emerged as the choice for Triple Eight, with team boss Whincup revealing at the time of the news that the deal was a "huge strategic commitment” for Triple Eight.

That included a relationship with a brand that has made a big impact in the Australian motoring scene in recent years, notably with the likes of the Ranger and the Mustang.

“Triple Eight’s success is first and foremost down to our people and a relentless, shared desire to win that has set us up for this partnership,” Whincup said at the time of the announcement.

“Our return to the Blue Oval isn’t just about winning; it’s about that feeling of shared purpose and determination that’s backed up by an exciting road car portfolio.

“What excites me most about our future together is the commitment Ford is demonstrating to our sport, to Triple Eight and to all Supercars fans through this long-term partnership. This is a huge strategic commitment that we are very proud to share.

“We’re very excited to be a part of the Ford Performance ecosystem and the potential opportunities this partnership will present.”

After a series of conversations between Triple Eight and Ford, negotiations accelerated in December 2024. Whincup and Rushbrook then brokered a deal after just a couple of weeks of discussions.

“When a team of Triple Eight’s calibre picks up the phone, you definitely listen to what they have to say,” Rushbrook said last year.

“Working with the Triple Eight team of engineering experts will help us bring excitement to Mustang and Supercars fans all over Australia.”

In 2026, Red Bull Ampol colours will race on a Ford Supercar for the first time.

However, in a sign of how focused Triple Eight was on 2026, the Triple Eight name had landed on a Mustang Supercar by September, before team representatives travelled to the United States in December for crucial wind tunnel testing.

Even before a Triple Eight built Gen3 Ford has hit the track, the Banyo squad — now Ford’s homologation team — has already made a dent on 2026 and beyond. It also extended Broc Feeney and Will Brown through 2029, and has signed a deal to run the Pete Smith-owned SCT Logistics license.

Triple Eight's Ford move didn't come without its exits, though. Long time Triple Eight figureheads, technical guru Jeromy Moore and veteran star Craig Lowndes, both aligned with GM, as did GM engine supplier KRE Race Engines. Former Triple Eight supremo Roland Dane has also reemerged as Team Principal of GM squad PremiAir Racing, with former Holden motorsport boss Simon McNamara rejoining GM.

At the decision's core, though, Whincup said Triple Eight had a desire to be “performance partners" with a manufacturer, and that the “biggest attraction to committing" to Ford was that "so many Aussies already love this great brand.”

In short, while also a racing team, Triple Eight is also an engineering powerhouse, with Whincup keen to explore opportunities with Ford beyond the track.

"Of course, a huge part of this partnership will be managing the Gen3 Supercar program, but our plan is for it to extend much further than that,” Whincup wrote to fans.

"Our mission is to take the learnings that we’ve developed in motorsport the last 20 years to allow everyone the opportunity to experience it in some way shape or form in their everyday travel.

"We have serious passion about everything we do at Triple Eight which makes the timing exactly right to come back to this great brand.”

Triple Eight will roll out its new new Ford Mustangs at Round 1 in Sydney on February 20-22. Tickets are on sale now.