Orrcon Steel has elected not to renew its naming rights sponsorship deal with Ford Performance Racing next season.
The company has spent the last six years as the major backer of the #5 entry driven by Mark Winterbottom, but will revise its relationship with the team to that of a subsidiary sponsor.
Orrcon Steel managing director Leon Andrewartha has cited a “need to focus our efforts on our core business” as the reason for its decision.
The news follows confirmation that Tradingpost, the major sponsor of the team’s Will Davison-driven #6 car, will step away from the factory Ford squad at season’s end.
Team principal Tim Edwards has paid tribute to Orrcon Steel’s efforts with the team in recent years.
“Orrcon Steel has been a loyal partner of our team for many years and while it is disappointing they will no longer be a naming rights partner, we are very happy we will continue our strong relationship,” he said.
“Orrcon Steel is the benchmark in trackside activation and must be applauded for their efforts as for the last decade they’ve kept raising the bar year-on-year and with it the profile of V8 Supercars.
“We look forward to their continued support, though we are obviously focused on who will replace them as well as Tradingpost.
“There has been a high level of interest and we are pleased with how things are progressing.”
Orrcon Steel entered the V8 Supercars Championship is a naming rights sponsor in 2002 with Larkham Motor Sport.
The company stayed with Larkham’s team until it folded four years later, before completing a single season as a minor backer of WPS Racing in 2006, and joining FPR in 2007.
