Ford Performance Racing endured a tough birth, but by the mid-2000s was improving significantly and a win in the Sandown 500 cemented its path towards success.
Early drama for Ford Performance Racing was consistent as the team founded by English engineering firm Prodrive encountered a multitude of problems both on and off-track.
Controversy was never too far away from Ford’s factory team and a time of transition arrived in 2004 when Craig Lowndes left and Jason Bright arrived to drive the CAT Falcon.
Greg Ritter was also out before the season ended in 2005 allowing previous Development Series champion Mark Winterbottom to make the move from Larkham Motorsport to the factory effort.
Winterbottom was a Stone Brothers Racing protege before entering Supercars and his move to Ford Performance Racing proved a case of perfect timing.
Although Bright had scored two wins prior to the Sandown 500, but it was Winterbottom leading the charge through pure consistency.
Still chasing his first Supercars win, Winterbottom teamed with Bright for the endurance races and it bred immediate success.
Melbourne’s inclement weather played its part in dramatising the race, with Winterbottom completing more than half the race before Bright took control for the final laps.
A colossal fight took place for the win during the closing stages, but Bright withstood the pressure from Rick Kelly to take a 0.158s victory and in turn, delivered Winterbottom his first Supercars victory.
Winterbottom carried this momentum into the back half of the season by scoring nine podiums including his maiden solo win at Phillip Island.
Fast forward a decade and Winterbottom won the team’s first Supercars Championship.