FROSTY SIGNS FOR TWO MORE YEARS
By Bruce Williams
Date posted: 16 October 2020
Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom signs for two more years – Photo: Supplied
Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom will extend his full-time Supercars career to at least 19 years after completing a new two-year deal with Team 18.
Winterbottom, 39, the 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner and 2015 Supercars champion, has signed on with team owner Charlie Schwerkolt until the end of the 2022 season.
Winterbottom first drove full-time in Supercars in 2004 and 2005 for Larkham Motor Sport, before joining the factory Ford team now known as Tickford Racing for 15 years.
He jumped the blue-red divide to Team 18 in 2019 to steer the Irwin Racing Holden Commodore ZB. He will help lead the team through the introduction of the Gen3 Supercar in 2022.
“There was never a doubt that I was going to stay,” said Winterbottom in a press release.
“It’s a really close knit team, and the bonds we have created during these COVID times, being on the road together, has brought everyone really close. You can sense that we are on the edge of creating something very special.
“Charlie and I definitely share the same vision for the direction of where we need to go. He has developed a really strong culture in the team and he is always open to new ideas from myself and all of our staff.”
Winterbottom was joined by Scott Pye in the DeWalt Commodore in 2020 as the team expanded to two cars. The South Australia scored the team’s first three podiums in its new stand-alone structure across the Darwin sprint rounds.
Frustratingly for Winterbottom, while he has a better qualifying record than Pye that hasn’t translated into a podium as yet. But he remains positive.
“The improvements that we have made in a short space of time is very encouraging. Charlie has shown his commitment to the sport by increasing to two cars this year, and you can see how much that has helped.
Both our cars are in the top 10 in the championship [Winterbottom ninth and Pye 10th], and we go into the Bathurst 1000 this weekend as a genuine chance to pull off a big result.
“It’s great that I’m secure in the team as we head into the new Gen3 regulations too. That will become a huge focus for us and I’m keen to ensure that Team 18 launches into that era at the front of the field.
“Anytime Supercars bring in new regulations, we see a big mix up in results. That is a great challenge, so I can’t wait to see what the cars are like and take advantage of it.”
Schwerkolt also cited Gen3 as a key championship pivot point that Winterbottom’s retention will help the team negotiate.
“His input will be invaluable and having continuity within the team and our drivers will be critical in the changing phase of the sport,” he said.
“It’s a long journey to become a genuine contender in this championship, you need the best people around you and having Frosty with the same vision as me is so important.”
Winterbottom and co-driver James Golding finished 11th fastest after yesterday’s first day of practice for Sunday’s Bathurst 1000.
For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
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