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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Ford's Home Ground Advantage at QLD 500

Staff, Friday August 17, 2001.

Page 1 of 1

The only V8 championship round north of the border, the August 26 race at Willowbank Raceway outside Ipswich is yet to be won by a Queensland team.

“I’m a very parochial Queenslander and I don’t want any of those Southern State guys coming to spoil the party,” said winner Shell Helix Racing’s Steve Johnson.

“The advantage we have over the interstate teams is confidence. We have run on the track throughout this year and we have learnt a lot about getting better performance from the cars as well as ourselves.

“We have a new car for the event, which we have tested at the track over the past week. Paul Radisich and I go to this event confident of winning.

“Winning any race is important, but winning a long distance race which carries a massive amount of championship points is vital if I’m to challenge for the title.

Johnson is Ford’s highest ranked driver in the championship in third place. He’s also a winner in 2001, having taken the prestigious GMC 400 in Canberra in June.

The VIP Pet Foods Queensland 500 is the first endurance race of the year. All teams must have at least two drivers per car for the 500-kilometre event.

For Shell Helix Racing this is an opportunity to put both its top-line drivers, Steve Johnson and Paul Radisich, together in the one car for the first time.

Radisich has recovered from a slow start to the year, hitting back with a string of strong performances including overall victory in Western Australia.

The former two-time World Touring Car Cup holder also recently signed a further three-year deal with the Dick Johnson team.

For Caltex Havoline Racing rookie David Besnard, Queensland Raceway marks the first time he’s raced on the same circuit twice. In 2000 he stunned the V8 fraternity by taking third position on the starting grid.

“It’s finally great to come home to the Queensland Raceway, a place I know extremely well,” said the second place finisher at the recent round at Sydney’s Oran Park.

“As this has been my first full year V8s, it’s been a learning process at every track we’ve gone to.

“I’ll also have a new car for the race, and I’m confident that it can do the job.

Ford’s line-up across the board is very strong with another four non-Queensland based teams. OzEmail Racing will join regular front-runners Ford Tickford Racing and Gibson Motorsport.

Ford will have 26 drivers representing the Blue Oval at the VIP Pet Foods Queensland 500. All drivers will take part in a signature session at the Ford KartStars meeting from 6pm on the Saturday evening at the Willowbank kart track.

Amongst the drivers that have been drafted into the Ford supported teams are Jim Richards six-time Bathurst winner; 1987 World Motorcycle Champion Wayne Gardner; former world sportscar driver Geoff Brabham; former British Touring Car Champion John Cleland and three-time Australian Rally Champion Neal Bates.

The VIP Pet Foods Queensland 500 will feature pit-stops for tyres, fuel, driver changes and a compulsory front brake pad change to add another element of pit-crew work to the race.

Teams will hit the track on Friday for practice, with qualifying and a top-15 shootout on the Saturday. The VIP Petfoods Queensland 500 gets underway from 1pm Sunday.

Top-10 Championship Standings after eight of 13 rounds

Ford will field 28 factory-supported drivers in 12 teams at Queensland Raceway. These drivers are:

*Queensland based team

Details for Round Nine of the 2001 Shell Championship Series at Queensland Raceway:

For further information contact:
Ben Beazley
Media Coordinator
Ford Racing
Phone: (03) 9533 4455
Mobile: 0417-262 753
Email: ben@segalmedia.com.au

Howard Marsden
General Manager
Ford Racing
Phone: (03) 9359 8461

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