FPR Loses another ! (sp!)

[Sandgroper]

Borrowed from FOX sports.

Title hopes dim for Bright


JASON Bright, who made the most controversial switch in the V8 Supercar off-season, has suffered a second substantial blow to his championship chances with the resignation of his team manager.

Hot on the heels of the resignation of their chief engineer John Russell, Bright's Ford Performance Racing team has now lost team manager Dave Ward who has jumped ship to the Holden rival, Super Cheap Auto Racing.

Bright has denied suggestions he was paid $1million per season to cross from PWR Racing to the factory-backed Ford team this year but most observers believe that figure is close to being right and Bright might simply be arguing semantics.

Bright filled the gaping void at FPR left by Craig Lowndes' move to the Betta Electrical team and Glenn Seton's move to Dick Johnson's team.

In the circumstances, and moving from Holden to Ford, Bright was entitled to drive a hard bargain.

Not only did he secure a substantial wage package but he also managed a deal which allowed him to run his own rival team, Britek Motorsport.

However, Bright maintained he made the move not for money but for opportunity.

"I want to win races and win championships. That's what it comes down to," he said.

"I think the opportunity has to be right and the last couple of years, as good as they were, we didn't have the resources."

FPR certainly has the financial resources but now seems now to shedding human resources.

They lost Russell in February before the grand prix races and now the news that Ward has left to join Super Cheap as technical manager will further dent confidence.

Holden sources have delighted in spreading word of an unhappy camp at FPR, based on what is said to be Bright's excessive salary package.

Be that as it may, the loss of Russell and Ward is certainly not insubstantial. Russell joined FPR after working for the Williams F1 team in Europe and Ward also has extensive European experience with Audi.

Kees Weel, the boss of Super Cheap Auto Racing, which now runs under the acronym of SCAR, was delighted to secure Ward.

"Dave was under utilised at FPR and I saw an opportunity to secure him for our team's future in the category," Weel said.

The loss of these two key men forced FRP boss David Richards to restructure his main pit management team.

As FPR prepares for next weekend's second round of the 2005 season at Pukekohe in New Zealand, Bright can look back on a reasonable first round in Adelaide.

He finished 19th in the first race through no fault of his own and improved to 11th in the second race.

I LOVE IT !

[00 XR8]

I thought this was old news?

And I am pretty sure Russell was pushed, so they didn't "loose him", rather, they deliberately miss-placed him!

[GTRMagic]

I guess Mr Kershler doesnt subscribe to RaceNews

SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING
4 April 05
SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING SECURING ITS FUTURE

Enduro drivers signed for 2005/06, Tech Manager appointed

SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING has finalised its endurance driver line-up for the next two years, while its technical capabilities have also been strengthened with the addition of a new team member.

Nathan Pretty and Owen Kelly have both signed multi-year agreements to join the team’s regular drivers, Greg Murphy and Paul Weel, for the Sandown 500 and Super Cheap Auto 1000, Bathurst classic in 2005 and ’06.

Former Ford Performance Racing team manager Dave Ward has also joined the team as technical manager and is working alongside SCAR team manager John Panozzo.

Team director Mark Roworth said the signing of Pretty and Kelly to two year contracts, with a further option for 2007, was a bonus for the team.

“Super Cheap Auto Racing is a young, growing team and we are keen to build stability into our program,” Roworth said. “Nathan and Owen have proven records and we are delighted they have agreed to join us for the long term; their experience and talents will be a great benefit to our team.”

Pretty and Kelly have impressive records in V8 Supercars despite limited opportunities; Pretty has three top 10 finishes at Mount Panorama in just seven starts, while Kelly has two top 10 finishes in the traditional 500km Bathurst lead-up events to his credit.

Pretty’s success at Bathurst, where he has driven for such teams as the Holden Young Lions, Kmart Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport, extends past the 1000km classic; the 31-year-old a member of the winning factory Holden Monaro team for the inaugural Bathurst 24hr race in 2002. He returned to finish second in an historic 1-2 for the team the following year.

“By signing for Holden’s leading team in the 2004 championship, I can’t be anything but extremely happy,” Pretty said. “The team’s results show the cars are already competitive and, having had the opportunity to talk with [team owner] Kees [Weel] and Mark [Roworth] I cannot help but feel confident in my decision to accept their offer of a two year contract.”

Driving for Dick Johnson Racing in the 2004 ‘development’ series, Kelly won two of the six rounds. Despite mechanical failure at three other rounds, he finished fifth overall in the championship. Kelly has three career round wins in the development series to his credit and also a top 10 qualifying result in the V8 ‘main game’, at last year’s Sandown 500.

“I am absolutely rapt, signing with such a competitive and exciting team as Super Cheap Auto Racing for the endurance races more than makes up for missing out on a full-time drive,” Kelly said. “This is far more than just the ‘next best thing’, signing with SCAR gives me a tremendous opportunity to achieve some quality results.”

Weel said Ward’s signing was of great benefit for the long term future of Super Cheap Auto Racing in the V8 Supercar category.

“Dave was underutilised at FPR and I saw an opportunity for both he and Super Cheap Auto Racing,” Weel said. “He has a thorough resume and will work well alongside John Panozzo. Dave’s appointment is not for today, nor tomorrow, but as we look to secure the team’s future in the category. We want to grow SCAR and to do that we need good, experienced people on the ground – Dave fits the bill perfectly.”

Prior to moving to Australia to join FPR late last year, Ward held the role of team manager with Audi Sport’s Team Veloqx sportscar squad and has extensive experience working as crew chief for the Le Mans-winning Team Bentley and chief mechanic for Audi Sport UK amongst others.

“I have built up a good relationship with Kees and Paul Weel over the last couple of months and we all felt that my input and experience would be of greater use to Super Cheap Auto Racing than it was to FPR,” Ward said. “We have talked in depth regarding the team’s long term plans and I feel confident that the goals we set ourselves can be accomplished over the next few seasons.

“Meanwhile, I will work closely with Mark, John and [team engineers] Steve Henderson and Bryce Seales to ensure SCAR will continue to produce good, strong results in the short term, while laying the foundations for the long term.”

Pretty and Kelly’s first opportunity to drive the Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden VZ Commodore V8 Supercars will come at the team’s next test outing at Phillip Island on 19 May. Ward began work at the team’s Dandenong workshop on 29 March.

[Rombles1]

How does one subscribe to this "Race News"?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Rombles1

How does one subscribe to this "Race News"?

Its a service you can subscribe to Here which gives you the instructions to set up an account....

... when the releases are updated and sent out, you receive them in your inbox....

[TSR]

I do not think it is as bigger deal as everyone is making it out to be, the only ones who seem to BLOWING this out to make PR is HOLDEN & PWR.

FPR will survive, as possiably be stronger for it. Let HOLDEN & PWR beat themselves with PR.

[GTRMagic]

I think it suggests a few issues inside FPR... that they drag a guy from the UK to come here to run a team in disarray, to tell the world that the skills this person brings with them will bring the team to the front of the field in speed and reliability.... then to let that person get poached by others in the marketplace... seems at the very least a little clumsy, at worst... possibly very poor management....

Any truth in the fantasy that the names on the business cards at FPR are all blank, with the space for whoever is in the seat at the time to write their name at the top?

[TSR]

GTR this has been happing for years in motorsport, so why all the big hype of a couple of people leaving FPR, I just think Holden are blowing there own PR dept.

It has happen in the past and it will happen again in the future. People GET over it.It is not earth shattering NEWS

[GTRMagic]

But who is next to go at FPR? Thats the question...

The thinking behind the cars they currently have and are in production are outputs of the fertile mind of Mr Russell... and the trouble with losing the mad wizard in these scenarios is that it is difficult to maintain continuity of development when the bloke with all the ideas isnt around any more.... and the bloke brought in to oversee the bloke with the ideas has also buggad off to other places

Yes PWR/SCAR likely overhyped it, but the new technical input into their operation means a great deal to their team... so its not unfair that they trumpet the achievement..

[msb]

Very old news Who cares anyway? and that's from a Ford supporter. I would be more worried about the HRT ownership issue.

[Rombles1]

The story quoted in Sandgroper's initial post on this thread looks more like a story from the FPR point-of-view, rather than being SCAR/PWR PR - or is it actually put out by PWR, trying to spin it to look like it has come from FPR? (Or is it just a journo taking facts and opinions from elsewhere and writing a story? Maybe there is no conspiracy)

Would be kind of awkward, though, taking a snipe at a former team member, by gloating about stealing someone from the team they went to!

[peckstar]

or are they still bitter, that Phil Keed left PWR to go to FPR