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FPR and SBR test summary

WINTERBOTTOM TESTS SBR FALCON Ford Performance Racing travelled to Queensland today for part two of an unusual V8 Supercar experiment, which saw teams break the code of secrecy and allow opposition drivers access to their machinery. Following ...

WINTERBOTTOM TESTS SBR FALCON

Ford Performance Racing travelled to Queensland today for part two of an unusual V8 Supercar experiment, which saw teams break the code of secrecy and allow opposition drivers access to their machinery.

Following Shane Van Gisbergen's outing in the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon at Winton earlier this week, Mark Winterbottom today drove SBR's SP Tools Racing Falcon at Willowbank Raceway.

The exercise was designed to strengthen ties between Ford's official V8 Supercar entries and extract maximum benefit from their separate approaches.

Both Frosty and Race Engineer Phil Keed gave good feedback and said data gathered from the day should reap many benefits for both teams.

Mark Winterbottom
FPR driver of the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon

"You're obviously used to your own car and how you've developed it but the SBR Falcon seems a pretty good car. It's hard to pinpoint one area, and you're not comfortable in the car either, but all in all it feels pretty nice straight up.

"SBR are good; most of the guys here were there when I ran with the team and helped start my career. It's a walk back in time for me but that just makes it easier to drive a different car when it's a team you already know quite well."

Phil Keed
Chief Engineer
Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon Race Engineer

"SBR are being really open, but it's not the sort of thing where you learn something immediately. There are very few things on the car that you can grab and put on our car; it's all a package. It's about understanding the attributes of each car to understand where the boundaries lie; if a car is better in one area than another.

"I think the collaboration has tremendous potential though; it's a case of building trust."

Ross Stone
SBR Team Principal

"I think these test days are a good start in order to keep working and moving forward with FPR. We have both been really open with one another which is the only way a relationship like this can work.

"Shane and Mark have both mentioned there are big positives in the opposing cars; both FPR and SBR are strong teams so the feedback from both drivers will only make us stronger.

"It was good to catch up with Mark; it's been six years since he drove with us. He was a good driver then and is a good driver now."

-credit: fpr

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