PENSKE AND FORD COMMITTED TO SUPERCARS

Roger Penske in team principals’ press conference

Shell V-Power Racing team principal Roger Penske is in town for the Bathurst 1000 and has spoken about his displeasure with the aerodynamic adjustments made to his Mustang’s.

By DAN McCARTHY

Penske’s team debuted the brand new Ford Mustang at the Adelaide 500 in February and has since seen the aerodynamic performance changed many times and the American expressed his frustration.

“Maybe some of it (aero changes) has to happen,” he said.

“We all want to go into a series where we start the championship with a set of rules and we build to it.

“Maybe there is a checkpoint 1/3 through the season and if there has to be some changes then we have to have them. I would certainly vote on that as we go forward to the next year and beyond.”

The 82-year-old explained that Ford understand the racing game and despite the parity adjustments the manufacturer is committed to the Supercars Championship.

“Ford understands it, we’re very lucky along with Tickford to be able to get Ford back in and I think our relationship with Ford in NASCAR certainly made a difference,” he said.

“They saw the benefit here and when Mark Rushbrook (global director of Ford Performance Motorsports) came out to a race he saw the impact it has in the marketplace.

“Ford now has a special Mustang they are selling, I think that is a by-product really of the success the Mustang had this year, so commercially I think it has been good for Ford.

“They are 100% behind the Ford Mustang and the series, and I think they are a long term player.”

Penske is not the only big international motorsport name in the Supercars paddock this weekend, Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) co-owners Michael Andretti and Zak Brown at the legendary circuit.

Penske also suggested that although his team fights hard against Roland Dane’s Red Bull Holden Racing Team and WAU, when it comes to the topic of manufacturer support they are on the same page.

“I think Roland, Andretti, Walkinshaw and Zak know that we need manufacturers here,” he said.

“We might race like hell against each other tomorrow, but together we like the manufacturers and we need to support them.”

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