2006 Bathurst Form Guide: Ford Preview

Wednesday, 4th October 2006

In the final part of Crash.net's exclusive Bathurst form guide, Matthew Agius previews Ford's lineup for the Supercheap Auto 1000 as the Blue Oval attempts to end a seven-year losing streak.

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#6 Caterpillar BA Falcon
Jason Bright/Mark Winterbottom

The Sandown 500 winners Bright and Winterbottom head to Bathurst as the race-favourites, but there are some concerns over the ability of the CAT Falcon to conserve tyres. Despite the win, the #6 entry succumbed to the sheer pace of Rick Kelly in the Toll HSV Dealer Team Commodore, so FPR need to iron out these issues if they wish to last the distance. Bright was the last current Ford driver to win Bathurst – back in 1998 with Stone Brothers Racing – and with a FPR operation with runs on the board in both long-distance racing and now the technical aspect of the sport, another win for the Broadmeadows leaders could come as soon as this weekend.

Rating: 10

WPS Racing
#8 Wright Patton Shakespeare BA Falcon
Max Wilson/David Besnard

Max Wilson and David Besnard will have a good shot at winning Bathurst this weekend when they drive the Cosworth-powered WPS Racing Falcon. Despite their turnaround in form this year, WPS still lack factory support from Ford. Wilson and Besnard have each driven at Bathurst since 2001 and both are experience pilots in their own right. Besnard was replaced by Wilson at WPS Racing this year, but evident at Sandown – his skills are still sharp. A win may not be likely, but this pair certainly have what it takes to have a real go of it and a top five finish is definitely possible for the lead car from Labrador.

Rating: 7

#10 Wright Patton Shakespeare BA Falcon
Jason Bargwanna/Craig Baird

Bargwanna, a former winner at Bathurst, will be joined by former full-time WPS driver Craig Baird in the #10 WPS Falcon. Bargwanna has struggled by comparison to Wilson during the year, but as the winner of the 2000 event, Bargwanna is already one up on his regular teammate. Baird will drive in the Carrera Cup at Bathurst, before taking to the #10 BA Falcon for the big race. Their main problem will be consistency and reliability. A top fifteen finish is likely.

Rating: 6

Team BOC
#14 BOC Gases BA Falcon
John Bowe/Brad Jones

Surprising many at Sandown with speed not witnessed during the year, Team BOC’s revival has come at an unsurprising time. For a team that cracked the setup to Bathurst many year ago, since the same round last year they have been rather unspectacular. But after finishing fifth at Sandown and running as high as third, spirits are high at Albury and the Jones/Bowe combination is back in with a shot at Bathurst glory. Jones returns seeking an inaugural win at the mountain, whilst Bowe is gunning for another trophy. With Stone Brothers Racing engines and a new, improved chassis, the #14 BOC Gases Falcon is able to win the race, but must qualify well inside the top ten to do so, and remain at the front of the pack for the first 140 laps before the sprint to the end.

Rating: 8

#12 BOC Gases BA Falcon
Dale Brede/Mark Porter