Bathurst 1000 blitz proves why Ford needs to remain in V8s | Comment

Toyota Peformance Racing star Chaz … Wait. That doesn't sound right. Let's start again. Hyundai charger Chaz Mostert … Nup. That doesn't work either.

Beginning any story about Bathurst's newest champion with anything other than Ford would just not be right. But sadly we may soon be calling the kid who shocked Mount Panorama a Toyota top gun, a Hyundai hero, or maybe even - and God forbid - a Holden driver.

As revealed by News Corp Australia last week, Ford have told high-ranking V8 officials that they do not have a future in the sport.

They may elect to give Ford Performance Racing - the one and only team they sponsor this year - some help next year, with the team committed to racing the new model Falcon. But after that they are out.

They want to kill off the famous Ford v Holden rivalry; the great Australian sporting war. It's the war they just happen to be winning despite their apparent lack of interest as Mostert helped them to back-to-back Bathurst titles on Sunday following Mark Winterbottom's epic win last year. They won't commit to Ford Performance Racing despite the team proving they are not just one of Australia's best sporting teams, but also brands.

They are fast, popular and right now facing an uncertain future because Ford can't see the value in taking $2 million a year from a $60 million marketing budget and spending it on … wait for it …cars.

Sure, we all know the car market is changing. Apparently the only people buying cars are 22-year-old, latte-sipping, poodle-walking girls. But even if this is true, isn't it still the father that ultimately takes his daughter to the dealer to have the final say?

A bloke called Bruce, who hates poodles, drinks Nescafe and has watched every Bathurst 1000 since he was born? Let's take the emotion of a car company using cars to sell cars (yeah, stupid right?) and look at the pure advertising.

Ford need to be as visible as possible. Since announcing they are shutting down their Australian operations at the end of 2016 and axing the Falcon, people think the company is in decline. Some people even think that Ford will not exist in Australia soon. The company needs to be as visible as possible, so what can FPR do?

Well how about the 3.7 million people who sat in their homes watching a 300km/h advertising board win Bathurst? And the 193,647 that were at Bathurst watching the Ford poster beat Nissan, Holden and Mercedes.

There is that. And then there are the other 14 rounds of the championship. The ones that hundreds of thousands of fans go to and spend $60 to become mobile advertising boards themselves by buying the shirts, hats, and flags. Wait … they pay to advertise your brand? Yep.

They do much more than that. They buy cars, too. Sure, maybe there won't be any V8s on the road soon, but these people will still be driving something. Ford, do you still want them to be driving a Ford?Chaz Mostert's Bathurst win could not have come at a better time. Surely it will make Ford see what they will lose if they go. Wake up Ford. You have been warned.