Ford and Triple Eight Have History!

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 31 January 2025

From the start of the 2026 season, Triple Eight will return to its roots by reuniting with Ford as the brand’s homologation team, taking over the role from Dick Johnson Racing. It’s something of a homecoming …

Triple Eight’s journey to Supercars domination started with the Blue Oval in 2003 before switching to Holden in 2010. Now, 16 years later, Triple Eight will go back to the future, returning to the brand where it won its first two championships, three Bathurst 1000s and racked up 53 wins.

Despite Triple Eight leaving Ford in heated circumstances at the end of 2009, Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance, explained that Ford has always admired the most successful Supercars team in history and looks forward to adding a new chapter:

“We’ve always admired Triple Eight’s unwavering commitment to excellence,” he said.

“Their engineering prowess and tireless pursuit of victory are almost incomparable. But more than that, there’s a shared history, a bond forged in the fires of competition, that makes this partnership feel so right.

Triple Eight celebrates its first win with Craig Lowndes at Eastern Creek in 2005.

“This is about looking forward, about building a future together, and conquering new challenges.”

When Triple Eight races Mustangs in 2026, it will be the third manufacturer switch in the team’s proud history.

From the very start multiple manufacturers showed interest in Roland Dane’s team.

Dane arrived in Supercars at the 2003 Sandown 500 when he took over mid-pack battlers Briggs Motorsport.

Rickard Rydell and Paul Radisich driving Triple Eight’s first Bathurst in 2003

Despite taking over a Ford team, with Triple Eight running GM backed Vauxhalls in the British Touring Car Championship at the time, Holden immediately showed interest.

However, Dane said there was no drama.

“He (Vauxhall Australia boss Kevin Wale) said it is not a problem. Vauxhall has said it is not a problem and they are not concerned about it,” Dane told AA at Sandown.

“If Holden here wants to put the pressure on us, then they should talk to us and not other people.

“The discussions we have had (with Ford) are along the lines of long term, not too dissimilar to Stone Brothers Racing and that would see them through the BA and possibly next race car.”

Jamie Whincup flying to history at Adelaide 2006.

In less than one and a half years, Triple Eight grew to become one of the leading teams on the Supercars grid.

After turning the Briggs team that struggled to get into the top 10 to two podium finishes in 2004, Triple Eight did enough to convince megastar Craig Lowndes to jump from Ford Performance Racing.

Almost immediately the gamble paid off as Dane’s men showed they had the tools and skills to beat the best, getting a maiden race and round win in their fourth round together at Eastern Creek.

The foundation for the Triple Eight juggernaut was clear with Campbell Little, Ludo Lacrioux and Mark Dutton behind the scenes and it just kept growing.

In 2006 Whincup arrived with a bang, winning on team debut at Adelaide, while he and Lowndes scored an emotional Bathurst 1000 victory immediately after Peter Brock’s death, giving Ford a first Great Race in eight years.

After coming so close to the title in 2006 and 2007, Triple Eight was ready to dominate by 2008 and did just that with Whincup.

Triple Eight, Jamie Whincup and Ford celebrate a maiden title in 2008.

The Whincup era had well and truely begun as he charged to the title, while he and Lowndes completed a rare Bathurst 1000 hat-trick.

By 2009 Triple Eight was well and truely the undisputed top team on the grid and won the first four races with the new FG Falcon it helped design and develop with Ford.

However, the team’s frustrations with the brand were clear with no Ford branding anywhere on its Team Vodafone Falcons.

The frustrations were stemmed from Ford’s decision to limit factory support to just FPR and SBR, but not Triple Eight.

As a result Holden wasted no time on opening talks and a deal was done for the 2010 season and it was an extremely hot talking point, angering fans and Ford.

“We spent a considerable amount of money sponsoring Triple Eight for a number of years. We honoured every single aspect of our sponsorship arrangement with them and in return we asked for one thing – that they respect our brand by painting their cars blue,” said Ford Australia President at the time Marin Burela.

Jamie Whincup of Triple Eight Racing takes the 2008 Championship after winning the Oran Park Grand Finale in 2008.

“This was not just a simple request, it was written into their contracts every year and Triple Eight chose to defy that contractual obligation and paint their cars red.

“Make no mistake, Triple Eight was given every opportunity to live up to the arrangements they agreed to and eventually we said enough.”

Fans were also furious and at the time Whincup admitted it was not easy to deal with.

“It has been tough dealing with unhappy Ford fans and I have copped a lot of abuse I don’t think I deserve,” Whincup said.

“You have no idea the lengths I went to at least get them to recognise I had just won a championship in a Ford product.

“There is only so much you can take until you decide you have to move on.”

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup share the front row at the start of the 2009 Supercars season in Adelaide, the last with Ford. Image: Mark Horsburgh/LAT Photographic

Since then Triple Eight has taken its dominance to new heights winning 211 races, nine championships and five Bathurst 1000s.

Triple EIght’s partnership with GM became so strong that in 2017 it took over factory support from the famous Holden Racing Team and led the homologation for the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro.

“We’re proud of our history and our past. That’s been 15 years with GM Holden and it was two championships and a Bathurst three-peat with Ford,” Whincup said.

“Now we’re going to start a new journey. We’re going to finish off this journey in ’25, but then start a new one in 2026 with Ford. So, it’s really exciting.”

Many thought Triple Eight and Ford would never return after both sides were bitter with one another in 2009.

But like other unlikely reunions such as Peter Brock and the flagship Holden team, time has rebuilt bridges and more history will be forged.

For more on this bombshell:

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Ford and Triple Eight Have History!

Despite taking over a Ford team, with Triple Eight running GM backed Vauxhalls in the British Touring Car Championship at the time, Holden immediately showed interest.

“The discussions we have had (with Ford) are along the lines of long term, not too dissimilar to Stone Brothers Racing and that would see them through the BA and possibly next race car.”

The foundation for the Triple Eight juggernaut was clear with Campbell Little, Ludo Lacrioux and Mark Dutton behind the scenes and it just kept growing.

By 2009 Triple Eight was well and truely the undisputed top team on the grid and won the first four races with the new FG Falcon it helped design and develop with Ford.

“This was not just a simple request, it was written into their contracts every year and Triple Eight chose to defy that contractual obligation and paint their cars red.

“You have no idea the lengths I went to at least get them to recognise I had just won a championship in a Ford product.

“We’re proud of our history and our past. That’s been 15 years with GM Holden and it was two championships and a Bathurst three-peat with Ford,” Whincup said.

For more on this bombshell:

READ MORE

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