Ford cuts back on V8 funding

Spurned Team Vodafone has vowed to prove wrong Ford's decision to pull its V8 Supercar funding by remaining the carmaker's most successful outfit this year and in 2009.

Ford has announced plans to strip funding from most of its V8 teams next year including Team Vodafone, its most successful outfit over the past three years, and the iconic Dick Johnson Racing.

In a cost-cutting move designed to save millions, Ford will concentrate its sponsorship money on just two teams from 2009 - Ford Performance Racing (FPR) and Stone Brothers Racing.

Ford will continue to provide race car shells, panels and technical support for the other teams racing its cars.

The major shock is Ford pulling the funding pin on Team Vodafone, home to the marque's best known driver Craig Lowndes and last year's championship runner-up Jamie Whincup.

The team has fought out the championship for the past two seasons, won the past two Bathurst 1000s, and won 16 rounds over the past three years - far more than any other Ford outfit.

Team Vodafone boss Roland Dane slammed Ford's decision and vowed it would make his team more determined than ever to win this year's championship and Bathurst.

"Whenever you've been sacked by your girlfriend, you're going to try to get a better looking one," Dane said.

"Of course it makes us more determined to do better. In sport, I thought the most important thing is to win.

"We haven't just won more rounds than any other Ford team over the past three years, we've won more rounds than any other team.

"We've won twice as many rounds as the rest of the Ford teams put together."

It is understood a major factor in Ford's decision to channel its funding elsewhere is Team Vodafone's cars carry their major sponsor's red colours, while Ford is determined to brand its teams in traditional Ford blue.

But Team Vodafone will keep racing Falcons until at least the end of the 2009 season, bound by Lowndes' contract and the fact they are already heavily committed in preparing their race cars for next year.

Ford won't say exactly how much the move to tighten its sponsorship will save, but it is understood to be upwards of $3 million.

But Ford said its V8 Supercar outlay would remain the brand's biggest Australian sporting sponsorship.

Ford's move to strip Blue Oval legend Johnson's team of sponsorship is certain to polarise opinion among loyal Ford fans who fondly remember his days as the marque's leading driver throughout the 1980s.

"He's been a great ambassador for Ford and the sport over the past 30 years and he will remain a motorsport icon," Ford Australia marketing and sale vice-president Mark Winslow said of Johnson.

"We've provided many millions over Dick's racing career, but there comes a time things need to change."

Johnson's son Steven now drives for Dick Johnson Racing, along with up-and-coming Will Davison.

FPR driver Mark Winterbottom leads the V8 championship going into this weekend's round six in Darwin.

Practice starts on Friday, with qualifying and the first of three races scheduled for Saturday.