Penske threatens Holden switch – reports
DJR Team Penske could ditch its Ford hardware and start running Holdens if it doesn't get some manufacturer support from the Blue Oval, an Australian magazine is reporting.
Scott McLaughlin, DJR Team Penske Ford
The DJRTP outfit currently runs the ageing Ford Falcon FG-X package, the shelf life of which is under threat of being exposed by the brand new ZB Commodore, which made a winning debut in Adelaide earlier this month.
However building a new Supercar on a Ford platform isn't entirely straightforward; the brand hasn't tipped any money into the sport since the end of 2014, but still needs to sign off on the use of any of its bodyshapes, be it Mustang or Mondeo.
In what appears to be a bid to mount pressure on Ford Australia to help fund the development of a new car, Roger Penske told Australian magazine Auto Action that a switch to Holden hardware is not out of the question if it means being more competitive.
“You know, we can run a Commodore, too,” Penske was quoted as saying by the magazine.
“This is about winning. At a certain point, if you can’t get there on one horse, you’re going to have to get on another one.”
Since coming into the sport in 2015 Penske has made little secret that it's on the hunt for a manufacturer deal, with rival team owner Roland Dane picking the American as the most likely to bring a new brand into Supercars.
Penske's latest comments confirm that he's still in talks with other makes for a 2019 programme, given that Ford is showing little interest in bringing support back to the sport.
“We’ve had some discussions (about 2019 and beyond) with other manufacturers over, I’d say, the last 12-18 months," he told Auto Action.
"I think we have to take a real good look after ’18 and see who’s interested in us as a team and where we’re going because, right now, Ford locally is really not interested in any support.
“I think we’ve carried the Ford oval – and so has Prodrive (Tickford) – in a professional way and we’ve won a lot of races with Ford. So I would hope that maybe they’ll have a change of heart at some point and want to get back in."
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