THE very first Ford Performance Racing-built Falcon V8 Supercar has been reunited with one of its former drivers.
Former V8 privateer Tony Evangelou, who won the 2010 Kumho V8 Touring Car Series in the car, has re-acquired the car – 12 years after he sold it!
Evangelou, who also acquired an ex-Triple Eight Falcon out of New Zealand late last year, will return the ex-FPR/CAT car to the grid of this year’s revived Kumho V8 Touring Car Series.
“We did a test up at Winton recently and it went like a rocket!” beamed Evangelou.
“I remember everything about it. I just love this car. We did three runs and put it on the truck. It’s in fantastic condition and we didn’t have to touch it.
“We’ll race it in its current colours (2003 CAT FPR) and leave it as it is. It’s still got the H-pattern gearbox in it too. We’re going to get the band back together and enjoy some racing this year.
Evangelou’s car was the #6 CAT Falcon BA driven by Craig Lowndes during FPR’s debut season in V8 Supercars in 2003.
It won the rain and red flag shortened race in that year’s championship at Phillip Island and finished runner-up in that year’s Bathurst 1000 with Lowndes and Glenn Seton at the helm.
It became Seton’s #5 Ford Credit-backed car for the early part of the 2004 season and Jason Bright’s #6 CAT car for the first half of 2005.
Evangelou took over the car in 2006 and raced it in Dexion colours in the Fujitsu Series, though made a V8 Supercars Championship Series round start in the Phillip Island finale competing under the Team Kiwi Racing #021 franchise.
The car spent further time in the V8 Development Series driven by Tim Slade and Luke Youlden before Evangelou entered it into the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series.
Having won the 2010 series, the FPR BA01 chassis was sold to Western Australian Ken Coppin the following season.
It was returned to its 2003 CAT/FPR livery and raced at various events at Wanneroo prior to Evangelou recently re-acquiring the car.
The 2023 Kumho V8 Touring Car Series kicks off at Phillip Island on May 12-14 as part of the SpeedSeries.
It will then take in rounds at Winton (June 9-11), Sydney Motorsport Park (June 23-25), Sandown (September 8-10) and Bathurst (November 10-12).
