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Plans for Super Black Racing to campaign a fifth Ford Performance Racing Falcon next season are well underway, but may have to overcome significant resistance from rival team owners in order to make the grid.
Owned by Kiwi businessman Tony Lentino, Super Black has openly stated a desire to join the field full-time following a successful wildcard campaign as an FPR customer in October’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Speedcafe.com has learnt that a deal between FPR and Super Black that will see an additional Falcon fielded for Andre Heimgartner in 2015 is now done, pending ongoing efforts to secure the use of a Racing Entitlements Contact.
News of the move raised eyebrows in the V8 Supercars paddock at Phillip Island as, according to several team owners, the REC agreement states that no team may control more than four entries.
FPR is thought likely to utilise an adjacent workshop, which was purchased by the team earlier this year, to its main factory as part of plans to separate Super Black from the existing two Pepsi Max FPR and single The Bottle-O Racing and Charlie Schwerkolt Racing cars.
Although an official determination on FPR’s level of ‘control’ over a Super Black car will not take place until details of the entry are lodged ahead of the December 1 deadline, conflict over such a program appears inevitable.
“It seems obvious to everyone in pitlane bar one team that you can’t run more than four cars,” said one team owner, who declined to be named.
“The intention of the rule is very clear and we must make sure it’s adhered to. We don’t want single teams controlling an unhealthy percentage of the grid.”
FPR team principal Tim Edwards told Speedcafe.com that he’s unconcerned by the prospect of objections to his team “providing support to” a Super Black entry.
“We’re always mindful of what is in the REC and we don’t believe anything we’re looking to do for next year falls outside that,” he said.
Meanwhile, which REC the Super Black entry will use appears set to be impacted by DJR Team Penske’s ongoing efforts to secure backing for its second car.
While the American racing giant is committed to funding Marcos Ambrose’s Falcon, there remains ongoing doubt whether a second entry will be run by the Queensland-based squad.
Although the team insists it is working hard to field Scott Pye under its #16 license, the REC looks likely to be farmed out to Super Black for 2015 if the required sponsorship for a two-car DJR Team Penske effort is not raised.
As FPR and DJR have an ongoing technical alliance, the Ambrose and Heimgartner entries would almost certainly be run out of adjacent garages at race meetings under such a scenario.
Several other REC options are however set to be available to Super Black as part of a late twist to the silly season.
Speedcafe.com understands that, following recent legal action and subsequent peace talks, the three RECs handed back to V8 Supercars by Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Triple F Racing and Tony D’Alberto Racing at the end of 2013 will now be returned to their former owners.
While TDR continues efforts to add its license to an expanded Tekno Autosports, the LDM and Triple F RECs currently have no clear home for 2015.
