The Pepsi max Crew has launched the final ever Ford Falcon V8 Supercar onboard Royal Australian Navy flagship HMAS Canberra.
DEFENDING BATHURST 1000 champion Chaz Mostert and 2013 race winner Mark Winterbottom unveiled their new Pepsi Max-backed FG X Falcons aboard HMAS Canberra yesterday.
According to Ford Performance Racing, the new FG X Falcon V8 Supercar has undergone extensive development work in the off-season and the team believes it will bring performance improvements in a range of key areas.
“The FG X not only looks fantastic but from the brief testing we’ve done there are clear gains over the previous model which is very encouraging for us all,” 10-year team veteran Winterbottom said.
“The team spent months developing the new aerodynamic package and while development doesn’t stop, we should start the season with a significant leg up over previous years.
The Pepsi Max Crew Falcon V8 Supercar will get its track debut this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park during the SuperTest on Saturday and Sunday. Chaz Mostert believes this weekend’s test will be vital to the team.
“The test will be really important for us this year because we’re starting the year with a brand new chassis in a brand new car so any practice I can get is good. The aim for the year really is just to be more consistent, add wins to the tally and get to the top of the championship standings.”
Beyond the introduction of the new cars, Ford Performance Racing (since 2003) will rebrand as Prodrive Racing as the team prepares for the end of Ford’s factory support. The business name has been Prodrive Racing since 2012 when team owners, Rod Nash and Rusty French bought it from iconic British company Prodrive Race and Rally Engineering which ran FPR from 2003 until 2012.
This rebranding has seen some subtle restyling of the car with many of the iconic FPR logos disappearing from the car, the swooping Falcon FPR symbol the most obvious MIA.
Team owner Rod Nash has called for consistency across the whole team to ensure it realises its main goal for season 2015.
“This year is all about going from good to great as a business and a team. We have had a number of victories in the last two years but we have our sights firmly set on success, including a maiden championship win,” Nash said.
“We have made quite a few changes and additions in a range of departments throughout the business and we are continuing to develop as a team. We believe we have the right people with the right attitudes which will help us to succeed.
“Consistency throughout the year will be key so if we can stay consistent then I think we will once again be up towards the top of the table, and hopefully right on top.”
