The most successful team in Supercars Championship history will once again run Fords from 2026, with Triple Eight going back to the Blue Oval after a 16-season hiatus.
In a shock move, Ford Australia announced today that Triple Eight Race Engineering – also known as Red Bull Ampol Racing – will race the Mustang from 2026 onwards, returning to the brand after departing at the end of the 2009 season.
Between Triple Eight arriving in Australia in mid-2003 and 2009, the team raced the BA, BF and FG Falcons, winning the Bathurst 1000 three times (2006, 2007 and 2008) with Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, as well as two titles with the latter (2008 and 2009).
However, a funding dispute saw Holden poach the team, which led to a period of domination, resulting in a further seven Bathurst 1000 wins (2010, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023) and eight driver’s championships (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022) under the Holden and Chevrolet banners.
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Triple Eight winning the 2006 Bathurst 1000
Triple Eight’s return to Ford will come in the same season that current Blue Oval team Walkinshaw Andretti United – once the Holden factory squad – moves to Toyota, with the Japanese brand coming to race its Supra.
The signing of Triple Eight is a huge coup for Ford, which hasn’t been in contention to win the title or Bathurst since the new ‘Gen 3’ regulations came in at the start of 2023.
While Triple Eight homologated the Chevrolet Camaro for the championship – which has won all major titles in the past two seasons – it’ll now be the team responsible for the homologation of Ford’s challenger from 2026, taking over the role currently occupied by Dick Johnson Racing.
Ford’s decision to once again partner with Triple Eight was based purely on the latter’s sheer dominance in the category, which has netted more than 250 race wins.
“We’ve always admired Triple Eight’s unwavering commitment to excellence. Their engineering prowess and tireless pursuit of victory are almost incomparable,” said Ford Performance global director, Mark Rushbrook.
“But more than that, there’s a shared history, a bond forged in the fires of competition, that makes this partnership feel so right.”
“This is about looking forward, about building a future together, and conquering new challenges”.
The partnership’s timing also aligns with the Red Bull Formula 1 team receiving Ford powertrains for the 2026 F1 season and beyond, while the energy drinks giant also sponsors the Blue Oval’s Dakar and World Rally Championship teams, among others.
Triple Eight team principal Jamie Whincup – statistically the most successful driver in Supercars history with seven titles and 125 race wins – said the partnership extends beyond on-track performance, noting Ford’s renewed commitment to motorsport globally.
“Triple Eight’s success is first and foremost down to our people and a relentless, shared desire to win that has set us up for this partnership,” Mr Whincup said.
“Our return to the Blue Oval isn’t just about winning; it’s about that feeling of shared purpose and determination that’s backed up by an exciting road car portfolio.
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Jamie Whincup won two of his seven titles with Ford
“What excites me most about our future together is the commitment Ford is demonstrating to our sport, to Triple Eight and to all Supercars fans through this long-term partnership. This is a huge strategic commitment that we are very proud to share.
“We’re very excited to be a part of the Ford Performance ecosystem and the potential opportunities this partnership will present.”
While the announcement means Ford now replaces at least the departing WAU from its Supercars stable, it leaves the future of General Motors in Supercars in the air.
The Chevrolet Camaro hasn’t been sold in Australia for almost half a decade, and it went out of production in the US last year, with no publicly announced plans for the iconic pony car to return.
At least one other team – expected to be Team 18 – is due to race for Toyota from 2026, meaning Chevrolet could be down to just four Supercars teams.
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