Ford revealed its new Mustang Supercars entry for 2023 alongside the striking new road car and it has underlined its commitment to the Australian racing category.
How committed? Well, Ford Performance global chief, Trevor Worthington, revealed the company would be open to staying involved in the category even if the Chevrolet Camaro Supercars entry disappears should production of the Camaro end in the near future, as expected.
Asked by Australian journalists in Detroit if Ford’s involvement in the sport could withstand the loss of its only rival, Mr Worthington explained it was very possible.
“That’s, to some extent, a question for the market. We’ve developed this car and we’re committed to what we need to do to make it better. If there was a good business reason that everybody else peeled off and it was only us, our job is to not pay for the series, our job is to create the entity that the market can use to its advantage.
“That’s what we do with all the vehicles that we develop. It would be down to AB [Ford Australia president and CEO, Andrew Birkic] and Dianne [Craig, head of Ford International Markets Group] to say ‘there’s still a business case for doing it.’ But I hope that never happens.”
Indeed, Mr Worthington said he doesn’t just want Chevrolet to stick around, he’d love to see more brands join the category.
The most obvious candidates are the new Nissan Z and Toyota Supra, as they are similar in size, concept and price to the Mustang. In fact, they are the only direct rivals to the Ford pony car with the Camaro no longer offered here, and any return categorically ruled out by GMSV.
The sport has been dominated by Ford and General Motors (using the Holden brand) since 1993 when it shifted to V8-powered Falcons and Commodores, with only short-lived programs by Nissan and Volvo and a privately-backed Mercedes-AMG team.
Despite the sport’s focus on Ford and GM, Mr Worthington said he would like to see more brands, specifically Toyota and Nissan, get involved in Supercars.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Always. The more the merrier. Because we want to prove ourselves against the best, that’s what we do, that’s the whole point of it. So I absolutely encourage competition because you’re going to get more punters, it’s going to make the sport bigger. The fact there’s only one real competitor and it’s not a real car, a mainstream car, that’s not a reason not to be in it.”
However, he does have reservations about any new manufacturer joining without a V8 engine – with both the Supra and Z powered by turbocharged six-cylinder engines – because it can be difficult to ensure different engine configurations are evenly matched.
“That’s a different question. Because you’ve got to make sure, whether it’s balance of performance or ‘here’s a set of rules go do the best you can,’” Mr Worthington explained. “Having experienced the challenges of balance of performance, when you don’t have the same engine architecture it becomes very, very problematic. You don’t want to be arguing before and after the race.”
The inclusion of the Australian Supercars version during the global reveal of the seventh-generation Mustang underscores the importance of the local category to the American auto giant. It was shown off in virtual form alongside five other racing Mustangs, including the new GT3 and GT4 models and the NASCAR and NHRA drag racing variants.
Ford global CEO, Jim Farley, was notably excited when discussing the Supercars racer and told CarsGuide: “This is a big deal for us.”
Ford has also confirmed that the first real-life version of the new ‘S650’ Mustang Supercars entry will make its public debut at October’s Bathurst 1000. This means it will be the first of the six new Mustang racers to make an appearance in the real world.
Mr Worthington also made it clear Ford would support any entry of the new GT3-specification Mustang in the Bathurst 12-hour endurance race.
Keyword: Does Supercars need Ford v GM? Ford doesn't think so!