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Ford Performance Racing has confirmed its endurance driver combinations for the upcoming endurance races – the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Experienced driver Luke Youlden will join Mark Winterbottom aboard the Orrcon Steel Falcon, while James Moffat will make his V8 Supercars Main Series debut alongside Steven Richards in the Dunlop Super Dealer Falcon.
Youlden will be racing at Bathurst for the third straight year with FPR, having previously recording five top 10 results on the Mountain since debuting in 2001. His best result came in 2003, partnering Steve Ellery to third place.
On both previous occasions behind the wheel of the FPR Falcon Youlden has teamed with Dean Canto, with the pair registering a seventh place finish in 2008, before retiring late in last year’s event while running in fifth position.
It is expected that Youlden will also team up with Winterbottom in the Armor All Gold Coast 600, while Richards will be paired with international IndyCar star Will Power.
Moffat has been campaigning the Ford Rising Stars Racing Falcon in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series this season, currently sitting fifth in the points standings. Moffat, the son of four-times Bathurst winner Allan Moffat, had a stunning debut season in 2009 where he finished second in the championship, picking up the Mike Kable Young Gun Award.
FPR team principal Tim Edwards believes that his driving combinations have the perfect mix of speed and experience.
“We are very happy having Luke and James team up with Mark and Steven, and we’re extremely confident of a strong showing in the endurance races,” Edwards said.
“Over the years, Luke has demonstrated that he is one of the most talented drivers in Australia without a full time drive, and we are glad that he has joined the team for a third straight year.
“We have obviously been following James very closely through our association with Ford Rising Stars Racing, and he is a very mature driver for only his second full season in V8 Supercars.”
The third FPR-prepared Falcon (The Bottle-O Racing), regularly driven by Paul Dumbrell, will be co-driven by Canto.
