The Supercars world has been shocked by reports one of its biggest teams, Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU), will switch to Ford in 2023.
According to a report on speedcafe.com, WAU will run Ford Mustangs when the Gen3 rules come into force next year.
WAU was, until 2016, the official factory Holden Racing Team.
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Speedcafe reports that the deal to switch to Ford has been “done” for several weeks, and an announcement could come as early as the next couple of days. Ford has flagged an “important … Supercars announcement” this Friday.
WAU are the reigning Bathurst 1000 champions, with Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth having scored a dominant victory in 2021.
The move is almost certainly linked to a deal for Walkinshaw Performance to modify Ford vehicles for sale to the public.
HRT was the benchmark in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife combining to win five consecutive championship titles.
Holden switched its official backing to the Triple Eight team for the 2017 season, before announcing its withdrawal from Australia in 2020.
The Mustang will go head to head with the Chevrolet Camaro when Supercars introduces its Gen3 rules next year.
WAU’s switch to Ford is sure to divide fans, in a move that rivals Triple Eight’s switch from Ford to Holden in 2010.
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