***Ford to be killed off V8 Supercars circuit at end of 2015***

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by roushfenway

Apologies admins if this has already been posted, but I couldn't find it after searching....http://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsp...-1227089195208

TOYOTA Peformance Racing star Chaz … Wait. That doesn’t sound right. Lets start again. Hyundai charger Chaz Mostert … Nup. That doesn’t work either. Beginning any story about Bathurst’s newest champion with anything other than Ford would just not be right.

But sadly we may soon be calling the kid, who shocked Mount Panorama to its core to become a Bathurst King, a Toyota top-gun, a Hyundai hero, or maybe even, and god forbid, a Holden driver.

As revealed by The Daily Telegraph last week, Ford have told high ranking V8 officials that they do not have a future in the sport. They may elect to give Ford Performance Racing — the one and only team they sponsor this year — some help next year with the team committed to racing the new model Falcon, but after that they are out.

Yep they want to kill off the famous Ford v Holden rivalry; the great Australian sporting war.


The war they just happen to be winning despite their apparent lack of interest with Chaz Mostert helping them to back-to-back Bathurst titles on Sunday following Mark Winterbottom’s epic win over Holden last year.

They won’t commit to Ford Performance Racing despite the team proving they are not just one of Australia’s best sporting teams, but also brands. They are fast, followed and right now facing and uncertain future because Ford can’t see the value in taking $2 million a year from a $60 million marketing budget and spending it on … wait for it … cars. No apparently it makes more sense spending it on the Bachelorette and the Voice.

Let’s take the emotion of a car company using cars to sell cars (yeah stupid right?) and look at the pure advertising. Right now Ford need to be as visible as possible. Since announcing they are shutting down their Australian operation at the end of 2016 and axing the Falcon, people think the company is in decline. Some people even think that Ford will not exist in Australia soon. The company needs to be as visible as possible so what can FPR do? Well how about the 3.775 million people who sat in their homes watching a 300kph an hour advertising board win Bathurst? The 193,647 that were at Bathurst watching the Ford poster that just also happened to be a Ford, beat Nissan, Holden and Mercedes in what might be the year’s best sporting event.

There is that. And then there are the other 14 rounds of the championship with events like the Clipsal 500, the Gold Coast 600 and the Sydney 500. The ones that hundreds thousands of fans go to and spend $60 to become mobile advertising boards themselves by buying the shirts, hats, and flags. Wait … they pay to advertise your brand? Yep.

They do much more than that. They buy cars too. Sure maybe there won’t be any V8s on the road soon, certainly no Falcons, but these people will still be driving something. Ford, do you still want them to be driving a Ford?

Chaz Mostert’s Bathurst win could not have come at a better time. Surely the win make Ford see what they have got and what they will lose if they go. Wake up Ford. You have been warned ...

What a load of rubbish mixed in with the obvious stats that even stupid journos can calculate. Do you really think ford doesn't know these things and will take them into consideration when they make their Descission AT THE END OFF THE season.
Your a dousche if you think fords not fighting against a brick wall with v8holdencars. So many problems to sort out, find out and hope they fall your way. Fords been hampered by an unwilling to budge v8superholdens since cotf. Dodgy aero parity, weight limits, weight restrictions and even restricted from using lightweight panels that match EVERY OTHER make.

Yeah yeah but the ford team has still got some wins, some bathursts and so on but blah blah blah. If it's to be fair then make it fair.

Think of it this way..........would Roland Dane allow his cars on the track if every other car had the centre of gravity bonus of lightweight bonnet and boot but not his commadores? yeah right....the series would be paused.

[fordfreak]

This one with a few stickers would be ok...?

[cortinagt]

Speedcafe have a questionnaire they are using to gather info to send off to Ford

http://www.speedcafe.com/2014/10/17/...-v8-supercars/

Get in there and support your brand

[DMENTDGT]

Originally Posted by cortinagt

Speedcafe have a questionnaire they are using to gather info to send off to Ford

http://www.speedcafe.com/2014/10/17/...-v8-supercars/

Get in there and support your brand

Filled mine out and sent...


Andrew

[Grippy]

Filled out, hopefully it's as popular as the poll was.

[4stanger]

Done, reluctantly, why do I have to give an email address? more junk email coming:(

[FPV8U]

Done earlier today, hopefully Ford get the message that Ford is just as important as the Falcon model was to V8SC and Fords Australian fans will deal with losing one but not both.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Arnaldo

Done, reluctantly, why do I have to give an email address? more junk email coming:(

I doesn't say that you have to put a valid email address though

[Fab]

www.speedcafe.com.au

FPR DISCUSSING ‘ALL OPTIONS’ OVER FORD FUTURE

Ford Performance Racing is discussing a raft of options as it anxiously awaits Ford Australia’s decision on whether the Blue Oval will extend its involvement in motorsport.

Among the ideas Speedcafe.com understands has been floated by the Melbourne squad is the possibility of running two different Ford models concurrently.
While the Falcon FG X will underpin FPR’s campaign next season, campaigning two models, such as the Mustang and Mondeo, across its four cars in future has been tabled as a way to maximise the benefit of a reinvestment by Ford.
Such a move would come with initial bodywork costs, but is being deemed a possibility based on the ability to utilise the same chassis architecture and engine packages.
Other discussions being canvassed could see the rival of a dealer-funded racing program, with FPR co-owner Rod Nash stating his desire to have more involvement with the company’s dealer network.
Ford Australia has stood firm on its strategy of not making known its decision whether to press ahead in motorsport until after the final V8 Supercars round – the Sydney NRMA 500 from December 5-7.
Nash has confirmed to Speedcafe.com that negotiations with Ford Australia are ongoing as the squad which have supplied back-to-back Bathurst 1000 victories continues the homologation process of the FG X for next season.
“We are negotiating with them (Ford) and that’s exactly what’s still going on,” Nash told Speedcafe.com
“We are moving forward to get to an agreement. The agreement is not done but we still make the point that there’s elements of stuff that have been agreed to just for us to homologate the car (FG X).
“So if Ford are out they wouldn’t be, and neither would we be, homologating the car.”
In response to the possibility of a Ford Dealer Team being reborn, Nash said that all negotiations continue to filter through Ford’s Broadmeadows headquarters in Melbourne.
“There’s been a lot of discussions on a lot of things,” he said.
“It’s a direct negotiation with Ford. It’s not with individual parties.
“(But) we’ve always activated with the dealers because that’s what we do on a regional basis.
“Ford is doing a lot of work in upgrading the services of dealers with their IT capacities when you buy a car.
“That’s integrating the dealers with the product and the factory a lot more.
“That’s our wish as well. We want more inclusion of the dealers as part of that.”
Amid the homologation process of the FG X, FPR put a case forward to be given permission to use a lighter bonnet and boot lid.
However the bid was rejected by the V8 Supercars Commission which sees the FG X stuck with running steel lids front and rear.

The Commodore, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG models all carry lighter aluminium bonnets.

[Nikked]

I do like the idea of having too Ford models...that could be interesting. But its funny they bring up the bonnet-gate in this article, because, as if they are going to give Ford any favours when they can't even give a clear indication of involvement. And people wonder why Holden can push for changes...

[blueoval]

V8SC is a joke with the whole bonnet-gate thing.

[LANKY 1]

Two ford models would be pretty good! Not sure how excited I would be if I had to drive a mondeo when there is a mustang option. Even though they are the same car under the shell.

[FERG_51]

As long as ford are racing I don't care what body shape they are running.

[WPR1]

2 models is a great idea Ford get to promote through 2 models and it adds a bit of interteam differentiation, hopefully Ford get right behind it.

[GT450]

One way or another Fords ( in whatever form ) will be racing for years to come , with or without Fomoco backing. What I can't understand is if Warmonger and company are so called "pleading with them to stay " why all the fuss about aluminium bonnets and boots. It's a silhouette formula and most punters know that , so if we all make the same weight limit with the same panels why the fuss.
Because it's not Holden or a new manufacturer that's why, or if the shoe was on the other foot the rule would be changed in a heartbeat.
Without Ford the series dies, everyone knows that , it's still Blue Vs Red no matter how many maunufacturers you have and if that goes the balloon goes up as most on here wouldn't give a tinkers. The smart men out there will still be running them as there is a dollar to be made from all us bluebloods, especially if there is only one team, the only thing we are not sure of is if Fomoco will be involved, I for one believe they will , it's a waiting game.
GT450

[zipping]

+1 Gt450

We all know its a parity series so the whole bonnet saga is just weird. Other panels have a mandated minimum weight. Why can't they just mandate a minimum weight for the bonnet/boot at the Ford weight and bang problem solved. We all move on and its fair but noooo

[FPV8U]

Its either a Parity series or not, make them either all composite or mandate a minimum weight the same as the Falcons, once we get to Gen II then likely all of them will have alloy panels.

The commission is a joke, they will rubber stamp a V8 Volvo & Nissan but hey, it would taint the production roots of the series if the bonnet and boot sections are not made from factory materials.

[1TUFFUTE]

It's an absolute disgrace the way v8supercars has handled ford since the cotf started.
It's supposed to be a parity field......centre of gravity is a HUGE issue for race cars.....and yet there was such a simple way that only affects the ford teams who wish to pay to make the panels!!! morons.......

Maybe if it was just one simple issue it wouldn't be so bad to swallow.....but we all know it's been far worse then that......

[jpblue1000]

This is where this post was supposed to be

what I don't understand about the such described 'Ford persecution' is why some of the teams stay with the claimed deficiencies of the 'falcon' COTF.
I assume the competitors know whats going on and if, as claimed, they are at a disadvantage for the choice of car surely the educated ones would switch to another brand.
this thought is based on the assumption ford only supports FPR properly while the other two teams use falcons for love? But surely the love cant guide multi-million dollar decisions.
Perhaps they know its not the car but the budget, or the team that's at fault not the inherent aero or COG that's the problem but a good scape goat.


JP

[Fab]

According to Penske in AA, Ford is out.
Also, Ford has told FPR that they have to change their name.

[Fab]

[jandj]

So it's ford oz not sponsoring the ford teams, what's stopping ford US from sponsoring the ford teams here.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

the car but the budget, or the team that's at fault not the inherent aero or COG that's the problem but a good scape goat.


JP

Correct, seeing uneven performances from FPR is quite upsetting to see. With a strong start this year, there was great hope for a 1st championship for FPR, but they just couldn't keep it together. 888 and DJR have both won championships for ford, DJR done it in dire straits, what they had was a good driver/engineer and a true drive to achieve results.

What's distressing to see now is so much no-commitment from Ford, no commitment and dropping funds can only do one thing...



Hopefully some of Fords American officers will step in, now the Mustang and Penske are here, it should encourage some investment...

[FPV8U]

How can Ford US so publicly embrace racing only for its Australian Cousin (Under control of the Asia Pacific Region) to pull out of the most professional category in the southern Hemisphere?

I don't understand mixed messages when we are supposed to be running with a "Global Strategy" here!

Before i completely lose it, it is AA, breath.. It's only AA.

[xr8territory]

There 'Global Strategy' refers to producing a cheaper, condensed product line that will make them more money. Its all about the money.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

of the most professional category in the southern Hemisphere?

you're having a laugh here, surely??

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by prydey

you're having a laugh here, surely??

Whoops Should have had Touring Car in there aswell.

[Blueford260]

There is a poll on Speedcafe asking which of the 5 brands in V8 supercar do you support and ATM with about 4700 votes lodged so far

Ford 38%
Holden 25%
Volvo 22%
Nissan 6%
Merc 4%
None 4%

Now I know it only an internet poll but lets say 1/4 to 1/3 of the V8 supporters are also Ford supporters, how many of those are still going to be interested in the category if there is no Ford in it? V8 Supercars needs Ford to stay, Holden fans need Ford to stay and most importantly Ford fans need Ford to stay. Here's hoping they do but it's not looking likely.

[Grippy]

If there aren't any Fords competing, be it Mustang, Mondeo or whatever, I won't be watching much.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by Blueford260

There is a poll on Speedcafe asking which of the 5 brands in V8 supercar do you support and ATM with about 4700 votes lodged so far

Ford 38%
Holden 25%
Volvo 22%
Nissan 6%
Merc 4%
None 4%

Now I know it only an internet poll but lets say 1/4 to 1/3 of the V8 supporters are also Ford supporters, how many of those are still going to be interested in the category if there is no Ford in it? V8 Supercars needs Ford to stay, Holden fans need Ford to stay and most importantly Ford fans need Ford to stay. Here's hoping they do but it's not looking likely.

Thats not a true indication of follower’s or either speed cafe/V8 Supercar’s have rigged that poll as to try and make Ford Aus think they have the biggest following, because Holden would have the biggest following by far in this country especially considering V8 Supercar’s.