October 12, 2014

Horse 1772a - Ford Drives Off Into The Sunset - But Does It Win?

After being excluded from final qualifying, Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris have taken their works Falcon to victory in the Bathurst 1000. Having started in dead last, 26th of 26, they only led a single lap of the 1000km torture test, which saw Red Bull Racing's Jamie Whincup surrender the lead after being short of fuel and having to conserve just to make it home.
This was the first win for both Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris and Ford Performance Racing have scored back-to-back victories with Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards having won it last year.

I commented in Ford's waning commitment to motorsport in Horse 1772 and I especially saw the irony in this advert which ran on Channel 7 late in the race:



Further details are here:

http://www.ford.com.au/challenge
We’re so confident that you’ll prefer a Ford that we’re willing to bet $200 on it. Test Drive any Ford (excluding FPV) and, if you then decide to buy a new competitor car, we’ll give you $200*. But if you choose the Ford – as we’re sure you will – you’ll get a $500 bonus off the purchase price.
- Ford Australia, Test Drive Challenge website.

What a slap in the face for Ford Performance Racing. Ford have decided to defund the team who has just won the biggest motorsport prize in Australia (Yes, Bathurst is bigger than the championship) and just after they'd won, they've paid for an advert dancing on the embers of the Australian car industry.
The Ford Ranger which we'll get in Australia is built in Rayong, Thailand.

I wonder, will Ford Australia be willing to give what will be ex-Ford Performance Racing $200 for test driving a Falcon? Will FPR even be driving Falcons in 2015?

"I want you to make up your own mind... " That line sort of seems hollow now.

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