A revamp of the local factory motorsport department has been underway since late last year, effectively formalising Ford Racing’s presence in Australia.
Ford Racing replaced Ford Performance as the Blue Oval’s global sporting umbrella at the start of this year.
As part of that process there is now a three-strong cohort based in Australia that are solely committed to motorsport and report directly to Ford Racing in the US.
The department is responsible for all local motorsport programs that have official Ford support, led by Supercars and now bolstered by the Ford-backed Mustang Cup.
Leading the department is engineering guru Brendan McGinniskin who has been a central figure for Ford since the introduction of Gen3 to Supercars.
McGinniskin’s updated role is Australian Motorsport Program Manager.
He is supported on the technical front by Sports Car Program Engineer Lucas Kirby, who joined late last year after a six-year stint working for Garry Rogers Motorsport.
The newest addition to the department is Cameron Kirby (no relation) who has moved from the road car side of the business to Ford Racing’s newly-created Sports Car Marketing Specialist role.
That role, another direct US report, will oversee the marketing activation of Ford’s suite of motorsport programs.
Kirby arrives with existing motorsport experience, having started his career as a journalist before eventually progressing to Ford Australia.
There, he and senior Ford communications man Ben Nightingale were heavily involved in the motorsport activities while not formally being part of motorsport department.
Kirby’s appointment therefore formalises a marketing and media presence at Ford’s key Australian motorsport events.
The three manufacturers involved in Supercars all have different approaches to their motorsport department.
General Motors is in its own phase of transition with Grant McPherson’s impending defection from Grove Racing to a top locally-based technical role with GM.
He is joined by the likes of Supercars Racing Program Manager Simon McNamara and technical whizz Jeromy Moore, although the latter is set to focus on GM’s LMDh program once McPherson starts work.
Toyota, meanwhile, has an Australian motorsport boss in Ben Casagrande, whose background is in marketing and oversees both the rally and Supercars programs.
There is also Neil Crompton, a Toyota ambassador and important figure in the Supercars program, while significant responsibility is charged to Supercars homologation team Walkinshaw TWG Racing.
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