The Ford Performance Mustang Supercar has completed its first full weekend of racing in the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with a successful showing at the Superloop Adelaide 500. Ushering in a new era for Ford and Ford Performance in Australia, Mustang teams Shell V-Power Racing, Tickford Racing and 23Red Racing all showed strong performances, with Mustang claiming its maiden victory and the lap record at the famed Adelaide street circuit.
Reigning Supercars Champion Scott McLaughlin drove the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Ford to claim Mustang’s first win as a Supercar in the 78-lap opening race of the event on Saturday, after teammate Fabian Coulthard recorded Mustang’s first pole position with stunning lap around the 3.219km Adelaide layout. During the race, 23Red Racing’s Will Davison put in a strong performance as the next Mustang home, with fourth place in the #23 Milwaukee Tools Racing Mustang.
Race Two saw another strong performance for Mustang, with McLaughlin – in his 200th race – claiming victory ahead of Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters, whose second place in the #6 Monster Energy Mustang sealed a memorable one-two finish for the newest car on the Supercars grid. McLaughlin’s Mustang has earned the orange numbers that signify him as the series’ leader heading into the Melbourne 400 in less than two weeks’ time.
“Adelaide was a fairy tale start for our Ford Performance Mustang,” said Kay Hart, Ford Australia and New Zealand President and CEO, who joined the Ford team in Adelaide for the historic occasion. “What a fantastic result for Shell V-Power Racing, with two pole positions and two wins, and great performances from Tickford Racing with Cam Waters’ on the podium in second place in race two, and Chaz Mostert’s race lap record.”
Ford Performance Global Director, Motorsports, Mark Rushbrook, was also at the event to watch the Mustang Supercars’ eventful weekend unfold. “The Mustang Supercars’ results are beyond expectation,” said Rushbrook. “The hard work from all the teams; the great people and the great partnership between DJR Team Penske, Tickford Racing, Ford Performance and Ford in Australia – this result is testament to all the hard work of all of those people.”
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| Deja Vu: DJR's 1985 outing in Adelaide was the Mustang's only other win. |
The positive performance and response to the Mustang Supercar’s successful competition debut was echoed through the Ford teams following a memorable opening round of the 2019 Championship.
“To win both legs of the Adelaide 500 is a fantastic way to start the season,” said Shell V-Power Racing Team Principal and Co-Owner, Dr Ryan Story. “It was the ultimate debut for the brand new Supercars Mustang; it’s a phenomenal car; it’s a real testament to the effort of the project, and the enormous amount of work that has gone into from both sides of the Pacific – from Ford Performance to the Asia Pacific Design Studio, through to both of the Ford teams.”
Tickford Racing, who brought four Mustang Supercars to the season opening race, saw mixed results throughout the weekend, but was ultimately rewarded with a solid second place in the final race for Cameron Waters, capped off by a show of speed by Chaz Mostert, whose Supercheap Auto Racing Tickford Mustang claimed a new race lap record.
“You could not have rewarded the hundreds of people who put the effort in to get to this point for the Mustang Supercar – it was worth the effort,” said Tim Edwards, Team Principal, Tickford Racing. “While not everything went perfectly for us this weekend, what was really pleasing was that the Mustangs were fast: they were fast out of the box, they were fast in every session. Ultimately we scored a podium with Cam [Waters] – so they guys have all left this weekend with a big smile of their face because they have a fast race car.”
The Ford Performance Mustang will next race at the Melbourne 400 at the 2019 Rolex Australian Formula One Grand Prix, held over 13-17 March, 2019.
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