Ford still not happy with parity

As Ford gears up for an attack on the Finke desert rally this weekend, the Blue Oval’s global motorsport boss still isn’t satisfied with Gen3 Supercars parity measures.

Ford has entered its Baja 1000 class-winning semi-stock Ranger Raptor in the red centre classic.

The Kelly Racing-built off-road racer will be run in the Finke outback enduro by Ford Supercars team Walkinshaw Andretti United. But, inevitably, pre-event discussion with Ford Performance racing boss Mark Rushbrook concentrated on Ford’s on-going Gen3 parity concerns.

In the latest PARKED UP PLUS podcast, Rushbrook outlines the Blue Oval’s demands to stay in Supercars. Listen here:

Ford’s Mustang has yet to win a race on the track, the rest swept by the Chevrolet Camaro in four rounds.

Rushbrook issues a thinly veiled threat that Ford will pull out of Supercars if Mustangs don’t start winning races.
He advocates track performance data sharing and transient dyno engine tuning to end the parity debate.

PARKED UP PLUS also the latest on the Avalon ‘super circuit’ outside Melbourne, with the bosses of car and motorcycle racing governing bodies meeting soon to add their recommendations to a $1.5 million feasibility study.

Located alongside Avalon Airport, 15 km from Geelong and 50 km from Melbourne on the Princes Freeway, the site is proposed as a motor sport, driver training and automotive testing hub.

The proposed track and associated facilities, costing up to $250 million, would replace Sandown as Supercars’ Melbourne region venue.

The suburban circuit will host the revived Sandown 500 this year and next, but beyond then its future is in doubt, with the site destined for redevelopment.

PARKED UP PLUS also rates Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen’s chances in his NASCAR Cup Series debut next month.

As well, Australia’s voice of motor racing, Richard Craill, previews the 100th anniversary Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar classic.

All this and more in PARKED UP PLUS, the place of pace for major motor racing news every week.