Rod Barrett joins FPR

ROD BARRETT JOINS FPR AS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

March 16, 2005 - Ford Performance Racing (FPR) announces a new senior appointment to control all commercial, sponsorship, merchandising and business activities of the Prodrive owned Australian V8 Supercar team.

Rod Barrett will join FPR at the end of March following a highly successful international business career in Australasia working on a number of global and Australian consumer brands.

Rod's business career started with The Coca-Cola Company as a Marketing Trainee in 1981. Following six-years of motor racing in the UK, Rod returned to Coca- Cola as a District Manager in 1992 and worked on some of the company's highest profile sports marketing projects including the Coca-Cola Wayne Gardner Racing Touring Car Team in 1993, and the Paul Morris' Diet Coke BMW Super Touring and V8 teams.

In 1994 Rod headed to Asia to start the first of several international based senior marketing and global account management appointments for Coca-Cola. From 1998 to 2000, Rod was the General Manager for The Coca-Cola Company's New Zealand business based in Auckland.

In 2001, Rod joined The Fosters Group as General Manager (NSW) for Beringer Blass Wine Estates. In this role he managed the largest state operation in the Fosters Group owned wine company division. He was promoted to Australian National Sales Manager in 2003.

In late 2003 Rod joined Dairy Farmers, one of Australia's top ten private companies, in the role of National Sales Manager. Rod was responsible for a team of national account and business managers responsible for $300 million in annual sales.

Rod also possesses a significant motor racing involvement than began in 1979. After winning the 1985 Tasmanian Street Car Championship, Rod traveled to the UK and graduated from the Jim Russell International Racing Drivers School. Along with the development of his own racing career, Rod worked through the ranks to become General Manager of this highly respected British racing drivers' school.

In 1987 Rod briefly returned to Australia to test at the invitation of Peter Brock, and in 1988 he raced to 3rd place in the British Ford Sierra Sports Ute Championship. Rod continued competing in the UK in various categories during the following years including International Group N Production Cars, Sports Sedans and Sports Cars before hanging up his helmet in 1992.

Rod joined Brands Hatch Circuits (UK) in 1988 initially as a racing instructor, progressing to the role of Promotions Manager, responsible for the FIA Formula 3000 event, the World Sports Prototype Championship and the Formula Ford Festival among others. In 1991 Rod joined the Brands Hatch Leisure Board as Group Marketing Director, concentrating on all facets of the group's media, publications and promotional departments.

In 2005, Rod takes responsibility for all of FPR's commercial activities, reporting directly to Prodrive Chairman David Richards. This appointment provides the Prodrive owned Australian V8 Supercar Team with sound commercial business leadership as it heads towards an exciting future.

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