Rod Nash has spent the last 12 years of his V8 Supercar life in Holden Commodores – as a driver and team owner.

In 2010, he switches to Ford.

For the passionate guy that he is, it’s a deal that will take some time to settle into, and it wasn’t until he started to see final designs of the car and merchandise that he realised that his loyalties were about to switch from ‘red’ to ‘blue.’

“When all the contracts were signed and everything was done and dusted, the bit for me that banged me in the back of the head was when I saw the merchandise range with the Ford logo on it that’s when I started to think ‘Hey, this is different,” he told Speedcafe.com.au.

“I’ve always been a bit of a ‘red’ person, and as we know ‘red’ spells Holden in this country.

“All of a sudden, I’ve had to start liking the colour blue! That’s just from a personal side, but we’re in a very high-profile business these days. It’s a commercial reality that makes these decisions, but passion is what our brands are all about.”

Nash says that it’s a significant change, but it is likely to be for the best. After two seasons with Tony D’Alberto in his privately-run team, he steps into the factory Ford Performance Racing squad with Paul Dumbrell as his driver.

Will it bring Nash his first win in the competitive category?

“A change is as good as a holiday,” he said.

“All of my ties have been with Holden, but we’re stepping into the Ford thing now is just that next step, next progression.

“It’s a very competitive world, and in 12 years, I haven’t had a win, and neither has Paul, and with Paul’s standard of driving linked with what FPR is doing, it would be great to go all the way.”