A NEW FPR AT THE 2005 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
17/3/2005 17:29 (Press Release) -
Ford Performance Racing (FPR) heads into the new racing season
with this weekend's three non-Championship Australian Grand Prix V8 Supercar
races at Albert Park in Melbourne.
New FPR Falcon drivers Jason Bright and Greg Ritter make their debut with
Ford's major V8 Supercar team at this event, the 10th Formula One Grand Prix
staged in Melbourne.
Bright will be competing in a 2004 configuration CAT FPR Falcon while Ritter
will debut a new Ford Credit FPV Falcon chassis at this traditional curtain-
raising event ahead of the 13 Round Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series.
Bright is one of the most successful V8 Supercar drivers competing at the Grand
Prix having won five of his last eight race starts in Albert Park - despite
having missed one event in 2000 while competing in America. He is the defending
Grand Prix V8 Supercar winner heading into this year's races.
Ritter has competed at this event once before in a V8 Supercar back in 2001.
The 32 year old won the Grand Prix Formula Ford races at Albert Park in 1998.
#6 Jason Bright - "I have enjoyed some great victories at this event in recent
years. There would be no better way to start the year then to get back to back
wins at this event, but realistically the weekend will be spent learning as
much as we can about the car and ensuring that we keep out of trouble ahead of
Adelaide. Albert Park is a good, smooth racing circuit and while it is a public
road throughout the year, it is pretty much a purpose
built road course that I enjoy racing on."
#5 Greg Ritter - "Albert Park is a great circuit, the crowd and atmosphere of
the Grand Prix makes it a good one to start the racing year. The opening
practice session on Thursday will be my first laps in the Ford Credit FPV
Falcon, so this will be the first opportunity for us to test the potential of
our new 2005 chassis."
FPR Chief Engineer, Phil Keed - "This event will be a good shakedown for our
new car and after a positive test at Phillip Island on Monday with the 04 car,
we are optimistic of a good result at the Grand Prix - but our main focus
remains the first point scoring event of the Championship."
FPR will be competing once daily at the Grand Prix from Friday to Sunday, over
10 laps, 19 laps, and 10 laps respectively. Practice and qualifying takes place
on Thursday and Friday. Unlike last year, there will be no Top Ten Shootout for
grid positions.
FPR GRAND PRIX FACT FILE
Ford Performance Racing celebrates its second birthday at Albert Park, when the
team begins its third season of racing. The Prodrive owned team made its debut
at the 2003 Australian Grand Prix.
FPR's driver line-up - Jason Bright and Greg Ritter - is one of just two '05
drive combinations to have scored V8 Supercar Championship Series round wins in
2004.
The duo is also one of only two Victorian pairings (by birth and residence),
racing in front of their home crowd at the AGP.
Jason Bright won last year's Albert Park V8 event, winning two of the three
individual races, including Saturday's main race.
Jason Bright's first V8 Supercar race at Albert Park was in 1998 with Ford team
SBR. He finished fifth on debut. Jason boasts a remarkable 141 top ten finishes
from his 192 V8 Supercar starts to date, including 65 podium places.
Greg Ritter joins FPR with a reputation as a star endurance race driver. The
Victorian has scored four top ten finishes in the Bathurst 1000 in just six
starts in the great race. In 2003 he was running sixth with two laps remaining,
when his car's engine expired,robbing him of a five from six top ten record.
Greg Ritter was victorious in his last V8 Supercar start in Melbourne, at the
2004 Sandown 500 with Marcos Ambrose. He is making his second Albert Park
appearance in a V8 Supercar, after debuting at the track in 2001. He won the
Formula Ford event at the Grand Prix in 1998.
Release Date: 01/03/2005
Ford Performance Racing
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