 The last ever Ford Racing Australia-prepared AU Falcon race car will return to competition at next weekend’s Mountain Motorsport Winton 300, with a name synonymous with the Blue Oval – Johnson – to spearhead the driver line-up.Steven Johnson and Matt MacKelden will join forces for the 100 lap, 300 kilometre endurance race around the nation’s action track in the famous Ford, which will proudly wear the famous number 17.The Falcon XR6 was built under the supervision of Ford’s then-motorsport manager, Howard Marsden, for the 2001 Targa Tasmania, where it was campaigned by Steve Hoinville and Greg Foletta. The car is now owned by Stuart Lanham from Lanham Motor Group, one of Johnson’s sponsors, and has been sitting dormant in Lanham’s workshop.Johnson – a Supercars round winner and three-time Touring Car Masters Champion – and MacKelden – a two-time Bathurst 12 Hour class winner – host The Driver’s Seat radio show which is broadcast nationally on the SEN network, but this is the first time they are teaming up on track.The Winton 300 will be just one part of a busy Winton AMRS round for the Johnson family, with Steve’s son Jett heading into the weekend with a handy lead in the TA2 Muscle Car Series presented by Hytek. Aussie motorsport legend Dick Johnson is also attending the event, in support of his son and grandson.“We were already attending Winton for the final TA2 round, so when the opportunity came up to race in the 300, we thought ‘why not?’” Johnson said.“It’s a bit of fun for Matt and I – every time we talk about AU Falcons on The Driver’s Seat, we get a big response from our fans, so they’re very excited about us racing one.“We’re not sure exactly where the car will slot into the field in terms of outright speed, but we’ll be looking to stay out of trouble, get our strategy right and hopefully finish somewhere up the pointy end.MacKelden paid tribute to Stuart Lanham for his support of the Winton 300 campaign.“When Stuart heard about the Winton 300, he encouraged Steve and I to have a run in his AU, which has been sitting in his shed. He’s done a lot of work to prepare it for the event and because it was originally built by Ford Motorsport, it’s still in immaculate condition,” MacKelden said.“I’ve raced in the Winton 300 once before, back in 2016 when I shared a Hyundai Excel with Andrew Clarke. It was one of the slowest cars in the field but we had a blast.“Steve and I have never shared a car before, but we’re pretty much the same size so we should work well as a driver pairing.”Benalla Auto Club General Manager Stephen Whyte said the addition of the Johnson/MacKelden entry is a coup for the Winton 300’s revival as a marquee endurance race.“It’s terrific to have Steve and Matt competing in the race, especially in such an iconic car,” Whyte said.“We’re really happy with how momentum is building in the lead-up to the race, with Mountain Motorsports coming on board as the major sponsor and some high-profile drivers joining the field. It’s shaping up to be a fitting finale for the 2022 AMRS season.”Where to watchSunday’s AMRS action, including the Winton 300 will be live streamed via:AMRS Facebook pageAMRS YouTube channel |
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