GREG RITTER JOINS FPR'S 2005 V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE
29/11/2004 19:15 (Press Release) -
Ford Performance Racing (FPR) Managing Director David Flint
today confirmed that talented 31 year old racing driver, Greg Ritter, will be
joining the Prodrive owned blue oval team next season.
Without any doubt one of Australia's most exciting motor racing talents, Ritter
won this year's Sandown 500 as co-driver to Champion Ford driver Marcos
Ambrose. Ritter has also been a consistently strong performer in all of his V8
Supercar endurance and sprint race appearances throughout his career.
According to David Flint, the introduction of Ritter to the FPR driver line up
in the team's third season of competition bodes for a very exciting 2005.
"We have been watching Greg during the past two seasons. We were particularly
impressed with his outstanding performances with Marcos Ambrose and SBR during
this year's endurance races and we look forward to helping Greg make his mark
in V8 Supercars with FPR next season," he said.
The signing of Ritter to this major Ford V8 Supercar team represents the
driver's first full season drive in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship
Series. The Victorian driver is justifiably excited about joining the team in
its third season of competition.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for me - for the first time in my career I am
heading towards a full season in V8 Supercars with a major Ford team and I will
be joining one of the world's most accomplished motor racing organisations in
Prodrive. This is also a very exciting time to be joining FPR, as they have
spent the last two years developing the team and now we are beginning to see
their potential for Championship success. I am really looking forward to 2005,"
he said.
Ritter commanded the sport's attention when he won the 1999 Australian Formula
Ford Championship with just one round victory and virtually a complete season
spent on the podium in one of the most consistent performances in the
category's history. The new FPR driver finished 9th in his first Bathurst 1000
during the same year and has remained a Bathurst 1000 top ten finisher ever
since as a V8 Supercar endurance co-driver of choice for respected teams
including Dick Johnson Racing, Paul Weel Racing and Stone Brothers Racing.
A brief tenure with 00 Motorsport in 2003 saw Ritter complete six V8 Supercar
rounds before the team was sold mid-season, relegating the talented driver to
endurance race duties. Ritter has displayed his strongest form this season,
when he co-drove to victory in the Sandown 500 and raced to fourth place in the
Bathurst 1000 with Marcos Ambrose. These performances proved beyond any doubt
that Ritter had not lost any of his pace, determination or consistency despite
not being a full time V8 Supercar driver.
FPR Chief Engineer John Russell welcomes Ritter to the team and is looking
forward to the contribution FPR's new driver will be making in 2005.
"Greg impressed us at FPR's test at Winton in July. His subsequent strong
drives at Sandown and Bathurst and two strong Konica events reinforced my
impression that he possesses the raw speed and flair to be at the very front of
this highly competitive championship. It's a pleasure for FPR to give him his
first true full time V8 Supercar drive,” he said.
Since FPR was established at the start of the 2003 season, the Prodrive team
has since raced to six podium finishes including one round victory and two
consecutive runner-up places at Bathurst with current drivers Craig Lowndes and
Glenn Seton, who have both announced their departure from the team at the
conclusion of the 2004 season.
An announcement confirming the remaining driver position to be filled at FPR
will be made shortly.
Release Date: 22/11/2004
Ford Performance Racing
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