Mustangs breath fire into 2019 Supercars
Posted on April 18, 2018 Tags: Ford Mustang Perth Supersprint Virgin Australia Supercars Western Australia
Perth SuperSprint May 4-6
Ford Australia’s decision to campaign its stunning Mustang in 2019 is the most exciting news in recent times for the jaded Supercars series.
The announcement also comes at an opportune time for event organisers, the West Australian Sporting Car Club. It has the potential to significantly boost crowd numbers at next month’s Perth SuperSprint. The challenge is to convince diehard fans by creating a spirit of ‘out with the old, and in with the new’. It takes exquisite creativity in the crucial run-up to Western Australia’s biggest motorsport event to get the juices flowing within the Red-Blue Brigade. And entice them to turn up in their thousands. There’s still three weeks to go. It’s never too late.
Marketing Magic
(And if you want to see a prime example of good marketing and cross promotion, check out the Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s collaboration with the NRL and Game 1 of this year’s Holden State of Origin, June 6 at the MCG).
Meanwhile, the WA Sporting Car Club is in high action readiness for its annual extravaganza at Barbagallo Raceway, WA’s premier motor racing circuit. It’s a huge operation, with many sleepless nights and the pressures looming large. The WASCC’s excellent band of Officials are led admirably by the likes of Peter Paterson and Danielle Meyn. They’re old hands at this difficult game and head an exceptionally competent team that manages major motor racing events across Western Australia.
Fist pumps all around
Virgin Australia Supercars have come up trumps with the Ford Mustang coup and I can imagine the high-fives all around (or maybe fist pumps) in the Gold Coast boardroom when new CEO Sean Seamer announced the deal. Or perhaps former head huncho James Warburton had already given them a secret heads up.
Regardless, it’s bound to Inject some much needed oomph into a series which has been stagnating. All Ford teams switch to the Mustang for the 2019 Championship.
Remember the Falcon FGX, which the Mustang replaces, went out of production in Australia in 2016.
DJ: “Music to my ears!”
“It’s great to be back in the Ford fold, and we’ll continue to ensure that we give Ford – and its millions of fans – something to cheer about… It’s music to my ears!” V8 great Dick Johnson, who campaigned Ford Mustangs in the ’80s
DJR Team Penske, Tickford Racing and Ford Performance have been tasked with developing the Mustang to race next year. The Mustang is, of course, a two-door coupe. But I’m told the bodywork will fit on the existing Car of the Future chassis, although at least one team is considering its option of constructing a new chassis.
How to get to Barbagallo Raceway
In my recent experience, the optimum way to travel to this preeminent motor sport event is by train and bus (included, I believe, in your ticket). Check out www.wascc.com.au
EDITED by AC
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