FPR eyes selected Fujitsu V8 Series program

Ford Performance Racing could compete in selected rounds of the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series this year.

The factory Ford team is seriously considering running its endurance race co-drivers in the development category to prepare them for the Phillip Island and Bathurst events.

It is expected that former full-time FPR driver Steve Richards, Luke Youlden and Dean Canto will be the team’s three endurance men, co-driving with Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison and Paul Dumbrell.

With just five days remaining in each team’s testing allocation, team principal Tim Edwards says that he is looking at running a car in the Fujitsu Series to give his co-drivers more miles.

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However, it is likely that the entry won’t be seen until the third or fourth rounds (Townsville and Queensland Raceway) due to a current shortage of race cars.

“We’re definitely considering it,” Edwards told Speedcafe.com.au.

“We’re not campaigning a car in the Fujitsu Series full-time, even though I’d like to. We just don’t have the car to do it at the moment, but we’re certainly considering a couple of one-offs.

“We’re not in a position to do it right from Round 1, so it certainly won’t be at the start of the year. How many we do, if we decide to do it, I’m not sure.”

Edwards also said that he plans to run a car in the Fujitsu V8 Series full-time in 2012, joining the growing list of V8 Championship that are adding to their racing activities.

“We do have an intention to run a Fujitsu car next year. It’s a good thing to be involved in, but I just don’t have the car to do it at the moment,” he said.

“I’m not sure who’ll drive the car at the moment, that’s all still undecided, but we definitely want to run a car full-time next year.”

Edwards even hinted that he could run a Fujitsu V8 Series entry in the last few rounds of this year’s title to get his 2012 endurance stars even more race laps.

“We might even run a car towards the back end of this year, post-enduros, so we can start getting so miles under their belts,” he said.

Edwards expects to confirm his endurance line-up and Fujitsu Series plans in the coming weeks.

In other V8 Supercars news, the Toll Holden Racing Team and Bundaberg Racing has sent taken its crews directly from eastern Creek to Winton Motor Raceway for more testing.

James Courtney, Garth Tander and Fabian Coulthard have spent today and tomorrow at the rural rack, getting in extra miles before the first round of the Championship in Abu Dhabi next week.