MOTORSPORT: Penske looks beyond Ford

Motor racing mogul Roger Penske has revealed his championship-winning Supercars team may not be racing Fords beyond 2018.

Speaking to motoring.com.au at this week's Detroit motor show, Penske revealed his frustration that a deal with Ford to race the Mustang in Australia’s premier tin-top formula hadn’t been done.

And he confirmed there were other potential manufacturers that DJR Team Penske could consider swapping to from 2019.

DJRTP will again race the Falcon FG X in 2018, despite the showroom version ending production in October 2016 when Ford’s Campbellfield assembly plant closed.

“We have had lots of conversations [with Ford], but I see nothing on the drawing board right now that we will be running a Mustang in 2019,” said Penske.

“It would almost be impossible.

“I think we have to look at what manufacturer we go to, because we have had other manufacturers talk to us.

“If we can’t get the support we need from Ford in Australia – they have been very sensitive to their situation there and to me we have to manage through that – we will look at what other manufacturers might have interest with us.”

Which manufacturers that might be is a mystery, although BMW did confirm discussions with Penske some years ago.

Ford withdrew the last vestiges of its support from Supercars racing at the end of the 2015 season, preferring to invest its marketing dollars in other areas as it transitioned away from Falcon and into becoming a full-line importer.

Since going on sale in 2016, Mustang has been a massive sales success in Australia without a racing program.

Penske said he expected the Falcon to again be competitive in 2018, but also warned the new Holden ZB Commodore would pose a strong threat.

The 2018 Commodore has been developed by Triple Eight Race Engineering, the parent of Red Bull Holden Racing Team that is controlled by veteran team owner Roland Dane.

“Going into 2018 it’s going to be more competitive,” said Penske.

“We have more experience and I think it’s going to be great racing. We are looking forward to it.

“I am assuming Roland will be competitive and it will be interesting to see.

“We are going to try and come back and be a competitive set in 2018.”

In its third year of operation since Penske bought a majority stake in the team from Australian touring car icon Dick Johnson, DJRTP won the most races, took the most poles and claimed the team’s championship.

In his first year with the team rising Kiwi star Scott McLaughlin only missed out on winning the championship in his Shell V-Power Ford after he was penalised on the last lap of the last race of the year.

Instead he finished second in the driver’s championship to Red Bull HRT ace Jamie Whincup, while his teammate Fabian Coulthard was third.

Penske, who also owns NASCAR and IndyCar teams and will enter IMSA sports car racing with Honda’s Acura division in 2018, is clearly impressed by McLaughlin and confirmed he would consider him for drives beyond Australia in the future.

“He has the job to do -- he has to win the championship and we have got to have more success,” he said.

“But we would certainly like to get him over here [North America] and put him in something at some point.”

Penske was philosophical about the way the championship finished, acknowledging the improvement new engineering chief Ludo Lacroix brought to the team. The Frenchman joined DJRTP from Triple Eight.

“McLaughlin hit the ground running [in 2017]. The disappointment was obviously the last race from the standpoint that he didn’t win the championship personally, but the team did,” he said.

“We are all on the same team and he knows that. He has been a real pro about that.”

It’s been a rapid climb to success for a program that started with the shock departure of Marcos Ambrose from the driver’s seat just two races into the 2015 season.

“For us it was a break-though year,” said Penske. “I am not sure anyone expected us to have the success we had.

“But it was a combination of getting the right people. We started out with Marcos and then he decided it wasn’t how he wanted his career to end, so we were kind of in a little bit of a difficult position.

“But over time we were able to build a strong team on the floor. Our engine team did a great job and of course Ludo coming in was a great asset for us because he was up to speed on the things to do and things not to do.”