No new Falcon for 2008???

[spectator22]

MN today says that due to the launch of the new Falcon road car being settled as March 2008, there wont as originally thought be a new Falcon "Orion" V8 Supercar at the start of 08 as planned. With the lead time to build a new race car, it looks like start of 09 for the new Ford. Shame, so the VE gets two seasons up against the current Ford. But with it being a parity formula does it matter anyway? It does mean that Ford will be racing a superceded race car for most of 2008.

[SRabbit]

Doesn't make sense to me.
I thought Ford had already written off on the basic design of the next car?

The Holden teams only had 6 or so months to prep the cars once the shells were delivered - march 2008 is still 13 months away...

What a missed opportunity to have the brand new 08 Orion Falcon do a parade lap with the new 08 Orion V8Supercar at Clipsal 2008.....

[WebberForWDC]

Never mind it's no big deal. It's a good thing for there to be a new Falcon and even it to be launched with a V8 variant or potential new V8 to go in at some point.

Racing before a car is on sale could be bad for BF runout sales naturally.

[TSR]

It is not ground breaking news, for memory I think it was MN that stated that FORD were in two minds about the debut of the new Falcon about three months ago.
As the first race date in normally in early March and FORD was going to relise the Falcon in April. So FORD did not know what they were going to do, now they have made there mind up what to do.

It is a pity we will not see the new Falcon till 09.

[GTRMagic]

2 years of the VE flogging the BF before the Orion comes... Yay!

[WebberForWDC]

Ah so TEGA aren't going to do their job? Ford Racing might be too relaxed to go to courts, but surely Roland and Prodrive are most keen to win races and remove inproper disadvantages using lawyers when required?

[TSR]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

2 years of the VE flogging the BF before the Orion comes... Yay!

I hope you are BLOODY wrong GTR, if not it will make a mocker of the TEGA/VE$A Blueprint rules, with one car dominating against the other.

[RayF]

GTR
I am disappointed by your last post.
I always saw you as rising above the Ford vs Holden mob. The wise man of Ten tenths.
Not now sadly for me.
Ray

[WebberForWDC]

Doesn't it seem inevitable the VE will have some sort of advantages, with Holden Motorsport making claims of Ford'll be right when they get their new car, for now we are simply doing a better job... so for now we'll win 27 of 28 rounds, 2 championships and 2 Bathurst?

Forunately Ford Racing always can get lawyers so all should be okay?

[FPRXR-6]

It also says that Ford has the option of debuting the new car mid-'08 similar to what Holden did with the VT.
The rule says that it's not allowed unless they get permission from TEGA and Holden?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by RayF

GTR
I am disappointed by your last post.
I always saw you as rising above the Ford vs Holden mob. The wise man of Ten tenths.
Not now sadly for me.
Ray

I am sorry to disappoint Ray, but I dont think Ford will play this one the right way.

The thrust of the meaning behind the post is more a statement on Ford's inability to keep up with the red side of the fence in any homologation issue...

In 2008, the Ford teams shall be running BF Falcons that will be over a year out of production as their main line vehicles. Quite how the advertising spruikers will make this tick along will be interesting... as showing a non-current vehicle as a winner supposedly takes the edge off the effect of the win.

The extension of another year before Orion also means that any Ford team plans to not build new cars, or to hang onto existing equipment until then before upgrading is now out the window... e.g. WPS, Britek etc who have 2003 vintage chassis.....

While the Holden teams step into the VE Commodore as close as possible to its street debut (and as the newly named Wheels COTY as well) so the motorsport program piggybacks the marketing one.

The VE Commodore will come out of the blocks strongly, it has allegedly been tested at a number of circuits already, and has enjoyed extensive development in the factory squad's hands prior to turning a wheel as a full blown front line V8Supercar. For whatever reason, the HMS/WP operation has a happy knack of bringing new equipment to the table better than their blue cousins.

Will Ford have the process and program in place to replicate the HMS/WP development program? History suggests not, but we may be pleasantly surprised....

Not fun

[spectator22]

Many of us (including GTR) are perhaps forgetting that V8s is a PARITY formula, with adjustments possible after every 3 races if theres any disparity. The fact that the new car isnt out there wont affect Fords competitive position at all. The loss will only be in the marketing area where they will be racing an 'old' model for 6-8 months.

[Grimace]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

2 years of the VE flogging the BF before the Orion comes... Yay!

wash your mouth out GTR! the BFs with new areo will be tuned honed and improved ...i am stoked they are keeping the BF for two years racing(provided they got the aero right at Woomera-because they are stuck with that aero till the "Orion" is submitted for blueprint comparos with VE !

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by spectator22

Many of us (including GTR) are perhaps forgetting that V8s is a PARITY formula, with adjustments possible after every 3 races if theres any disparity. The fact that the new car isnt out there wont affect Fords competitive position at all. The loss will only be in the marketing area where they will be racing an 'old' model for 6-8 months.

I am not forgetting this at all... but given that the basis of the parity formula is based on several of the same marque of car being competitive/uncompetitive, it is not something that is absolutely foolproof.

There has to be some level of competitiveness lost where a team is using a car that is several years older in build compared to something knocked up in the current season, despite whatever upgrades may appear under the bonnet or under each corner....

Maybe I am being unduly pessimistic... but the Ford Motorsport approach does not seem to have changed a lot despite several management changes within that group

It is not important to me as to who wins... just that the fight is as fair and transparent as it can be....

[TSR]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

just that the fight is as fair and transparent as it can be....

What with Aussie Bernie & VE$A running this series, you make me laugh GTR

[peckstar]

how did the last parity change go for Ford can anyone remind me

oh yer 3 championships out of the four since then and they only lost the fourth because of dirty drivin from the opposition

think your pessimism may be misplaced GTR or maybe Ray was right and your just in spin mode to recover

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by peckstar

how did the last parity change go for Ford can anyone remind me

oh yer 3 championships out of the four since then and they only lost the fourth because of dirty drivin from the opposition

think your pessimism may be misplaced GTR or maybe Ray was right and your just in spin mode to recover

Thought of a new phrase yet?

[krypto71]

Didn't the VT road car arrive in 97, yet the race car didn't show until late 98? What is the difference now?

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by peckstar

how did the last parity change go for Ford can anyone remind me

oh yer 3 championships out of the four since then and they only lost the fourth because of dirty drivin from the opposition

think your pessimism may be misplaced GTR or maybe Ray was right and your just in spin mode to recover

Yet only 1 of those 3 championships could be called a dominating performance. Even then, Ambrose put on more dominating performances to win the previous years championship.