"No Money From Ford" (merged x3)

billybanana · 2 Jul 2008, 21:29 (Ref:2242554)

Must be the first time I've ever heard V8 news on Ch9 in the mornings. They pointed to a Gover written article in today's Telepgraph.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001023,00.html

inpitlane · 2 Jul 2008, 21:35 (Ref:2242564)

The PR spin is better "targeted" investment but this mornings announcement the Ford will only directly support two V8 Supercar teams is a huge blow to V8 Supercar racing in Australia.
The release which came out at around 6.00 A.M says that Ford will provide direct financial support to two teams only:

Quote:

Ford Australia will target its direct motorsport sponsorship towards two successful race teams which provide a high level of leveraging opportunities and are integral to the performance success of the Ford brand.

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) and Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) will both benefit from ongoing sponsorship support from Ford Australia, while also working more closely together to deliver world-class engineering packages and resulting race wins for the FG Falcon.

Other teams will receive only their initial FG race car shells, a crash panel program and engineering and technical support.

Better new for the sport as a whole is that the companies support for The Australian Formula Ford Championship will continue.
The full release is now on the In Pit Lane website.

aussieracer · 2 Jul 2008, 21:38 (Ref:2242567)

hmmmm interesting times ahead, but i cant understand them dropping 888, best ford team in the last 2 seasons, one of the biggest signing in craig lowndes, i cant understand it...............................

aussieracer · 2 Jul 2008, 21:48 (Ref:2242581)

is this the beginning of the end?????

GreaseMonkey99 · 2 Jul 2008, 21:49 (Ref:2242583)

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussieracer

hmmmm interesting times ahead, but i cant understand them dropping 888, best ford team in the last 2 seasons, one of the biggest signing in craig lowndes, i cant understand it...............................

...Very red car...lowndes is still a contract driver...they are financially stable...easy to work with??...

GreaseMonkey99 · 2 Jul 2008, 21:57 (Ref:2242596)

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussieracer

is this the beginning of the end?????

No. It is a new beginning. For V8 Supercars to survive they need 4 manufacturers each supporting to some level 3 - 4 teams (or 6 - 8 cars). This would give a full grid a supported teams, making team licensees more valuable, and casuing less greif with low budget teams coming and going.

Now it gets interesting.

Denosaur · 2 Jul 2008, 22:06 (Ref:2242606)

I'd wait for a bit more to come out about this, as I don't think that they are completely dumped, just had cut backs to what would have been a parts/financial package, to just parts.

Plus I wouldn't believe anything that comes out of Gover's mouth or what is written in his articles. He is the worse motor industry journalist at this point in time in my book, and a greater majority of his work is pure rubbish. To the point that even some of the most basic information that would have come from the manufacturer press pack, he can't even clearly copy it over into his work.

EfiOz · 2 Jul 2008, 22:10 (Ref:2242611)

Nah, that's too sensible.

Just Do It! · 2 Jul 2008, 22:17 (Ref:2242617)

If PCR can survive with little Ford support (none), then the other teams just need a wee "attitude adjustment".

The likes of 888 will likely be able to fill the slot that Ford has vacated with a bit of creative thinking.

**GTRMagic** · 2 Jul 2008, 22:52 (Ref:2242646)

Article by Mr Gover Here

It seems Britek, DJR and 888 are out of the frame for Ford funding in season 2009 and beyond.

The main teams being funded appear to be SBR & FPR.

Could this see a Vodafone Commodore with C.Lowndes aboard next year??

Just Do It! · 2 Jul 2008, 22:59 (Ref:2242652)

The Vodafone Commodore was my very first thought.

Is SBR going to be the Ford Factory Team that was spoken of in ENews the other week?

How will an SBR/FPR technical alliance get along when FPR have burgled SBR's driver, and possibly said driver's sponsor?

PVDA · 2 Jul 2008, 23:05 (Ref:2242658)

VE$A & others in the sport complain about the lack of coverage of motorsport but I don't think this is how they wanted to get the V8Supercar series on the entire back page of the Herald Sun this morning.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...-39478,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...-39478,00.html

Driver TBA · 2 Jul 2008, 23:10 (Ref:2242664)

Could it be that Ford are supporting SBRE and not SBR? Meaning that FPR will be using SBR engines next year? Also maybe 888's support will come in the form of free or heavily discounted engines? Just a thought.

NAC · 2 Jul 2008, 23:25 (Ref:2242673)

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussieracer

hmmmm interesting times ahead, but i cant understand them dropping 888, best ford team in the last 2 seasons, one of the biggest signing in craig lowndes, i cant understand it...............................

This from Ford Australia

FORD TAKES A MORE TARGETED APPROACH TO MOTORSPORT SPONSORSHIP

It goes on to say closer links between FPV range and marquee drivers like Craig Lowndes, just what that means is any ones quess

GreaseMonkey99 · 2 Jul 2008, 23:37 (Ref:2242677)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver TBA

Could it be that Ford are supporting SBRE and not SBR? Meaning that FPR will be using SBR engines next year? Also maybe 888's support will come in the form of free or heavily discounted engines? Just a thought.

No.Yes.No.

**GTRMagic** · 2 Jul 2008, 23:58 (Ref:2242687)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roland Dane in the Gover article

Dane was less worried about the cash, as his Vodafone deal is the biggest in V8 Supercars.

"Ford's contribution to our budget is not that great. So I'm not particularly concerned from a commercial standpoint," Dane said.

But he is now re-assessing the future of his team, which was founded in the UK and won last year's British championship, and admits he has been talking to other carmakers.

"Who knows what is going to happen in future? I've only ever spoken to other manufacturers, and it's plural, in the context of understanding their long-term marketing plans in Australia," Dane said.

"Only a fool would rule out another brand. Never say never."

Looking good for the 888 Camry then.....

**GTRMagic** · 3 Jul 2008, 00:02 (Ref:2242689)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Winslow from the 2nd Gover article

"Triple Eight is stellar. Clearly Vodafone are a strong sponsor ... but they are predominantly red and we are blue."

Better dead than red??

Driver TBA · 3 Jul 2008, 00:14 (Ref:2242699)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Winslow from the 2nd Gover article
"Triple Eight is stellar. Clearly Vodafone are a strong sponsor ... but they are predominantly red and we are blue."

Does this mean Ford will no longer offer red as a colour option on their road cars?

People might think its a Holden!

Could be a good time for Toyota to enter. Get the most successful team of recent (as is race and round wins), the biggest name driver and the oldest professional team in DJR. Would be good for the Toyota marketing department.
Although I don't know if Toyota drivers would be Jim Beams target market?

Hang on, I drive a Toyota

STEVO · 3 Jul 2008, 00:24 (Ref:2242708)

It's almost as if T888 are being punished for having a large backer.

I mean essentially, Ford have done the right thing by "helping out the poor" i.e. SBR. And Dane's right, it's not about Ford's little kickback, it's about the principle. We're yet to see the full 09 plan in action but at this stage, it's a slap in the face. And the worrying thing here is that Dane has NO loyalty to Ford. He's not an XD Falcon man or a Capri lover. He's just a dude who knows how to make cars, any cars, go fast. He could easily tune a Camry V8 and grab pole with a star driver.

What's to say a T888 Holden can't exist? Yucky.

But. Re the "save the poor", they've forgotten about SBR. The thing is, SBR's sponsorship packages are messy, they've got a Door company and a silver/red/black thing. FPR have a steel company, failing finance company, red and green oils ain't oils company and it looks like one big heap of sh1t.

But SBR can offer a lot more tech wise than say DJR and also, they don't have huge sponsors who can be replaced with a giant blue texter. At least DJR have a relevant brand to the masses of this sport... but a little token effort towards DJR wouldn't have gone astray.

Dick CAN run a Holden or Toyota... but he knows the DJR brand is very much a Falcon/Ford brand. It's easy for Dane to run a Nissan Pajero if need be, but for DJ, it could ulitmately hurt his image which is so aligned with the blue oval.

Look. Ford have had over TEN years to get their act together. I and millions of others have always wanted a GENUINE BLUE FORD on the track. No green BP bits. No Red Castrol crap. No Black Cat logos. Just a BLUE/WHITE FPV Ford.

Finally they're doing it. But geez. It's taken them a while. FTR was a re-badged GSR with very little extra support. FPR had three different colour cars for some reason? It was dumb. So now they're gonna have a crack at it. Over 30 years since the Moffat Ford days ey?

Took 'em long enough and in the process, they've angered a powerful Dane and rattled a battling icon.

Let's hope they know what they're doing.

P.S. Does this mean Vodafone move on and sponsor a different sport, that FORD will help them out like they did with say SBR (i.e. 09 plans for SBR)?

P.P.S. This is just begging for a new manufacturer to enter. We need Toyota to come in and prop up Britek, DJR, 888. Holden can have HRT, HDT and say GRM. And Ford have FPR and the new FDT/SBR. It eases the burden. We NEED new car makers in the sport. The turn off I suspect is the whole "8" cylinder thang.

Driver TBA · 3 Jul 2008, 00:49 (Ref:2242718)

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEVO

The turn off I suspect is the whole "8" cylinder thang.

I don't think it's just that. VESA market the whole thing around Red V's Blue, Ford V's Holden. They first need to change the marketing to driver v driver, team v team.
Other manufacturers would feel like the unloved step child if they entered now.

To get more manufacturers first VESA need to change their marketing.

Toyota are in NASCAR and F1 which both use V8's.

**GTRMagic** · 3 Jul 2008, 01:29 (Ref:2242728)

Ford Racing Article Here

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Racing Article

"Closer links between Ford's performance vehicle range and marquee drivers such as Craig Lowndes will also be generated as a result of the company's targeted approach to V8Supercar involvement"

Mr Lowndes to SBR, alongside Mr Courtney??

rich07 · 3 Jul 2008, 01:51 (Ref:2242733)

At first thought you would think that 888 wouldn't need Ford's cash, they seem to have enough of their own but to cut support to DJR is a bit low. I know that this is a business decision but it goes to show that loyalty counts for nothing these days.........

silvervsix · 3 Jul 2008, 01:52 (Ref:2242734)

wrong move.

DJR is FORD everybody knows that and with 888 winning all the time everybody now knows that 888 is Ford.

If they want to reduce spending reduce the cricket advertising budget, i don't know anyone who has watched a one day game and then gone lets buy a Ranger cause Roy has one.

ford boy · 3 Jul 2008, 02:31 (Ref:2242744)

Am i correct in a saying that Craig Lowndes is off contract with 888 at the end of the 2008 season and he is still contracted to Ford???
If so the odds of Lowndes ending up at either SBR or FPR are pretty high i would think.... more then likely SBR i'd say.

Peter Nightingale · 3 Jul 2008, 02:36 (Ref:2242747)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Looking good for the 888 Camry then.....

I belive Toyota in Australia have commited large amount of equipment & funds to Drag Racing in Australia...............

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