MARK Winterbottom and Brad Jones have weighed in on the Tim Edwards legacy in the wake of news that he’ll split with Tickford Racing after 19 years.
Edwards’ tenure at the helm of the Ford squad will finish at season’s end, with Tickford launching an extensive search for his successor.
Beyond running Tickford/PRA/FPR, Edwards has also operated in a bigger picture capacity on the Supercars board or Commission, where he has often crossed paths with rival team boss Jones.
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“Tim has been a major contributor to this sport for as long as I can remember,” Jones told V8 Sleuth.
“He has worked behind the scenes really hard and diligently to help form the sport to what it is today. We’ll certainly miss him in the Commission and his point of view.
“I hope that he finds what he is looking for and that it all works out.
“He’s a fierce competitor. As a leader he has won the championship and Bathurst, and you can’t really ask for much more than that.”
Jones added: “To find a balance between helping the sport become what it is, and running a car-four team, is a very fine line and Tim has been able to manage that.
“He’s got an immense amount of motorsport experience and does understand what’s going on, on the ground. From a sport’s perspective we will really miss his input.”
Winterbottom is the most prolific driver in Tickford history, having worked together with Edwards from 2006 to 2018 before joining Team 18 where he continues to compete.
“He was the one who interviewed me and identified me as a guy to go to his team,” Winterbottom told V8 Sleuth.
“I worked with him for 13 years; he had a lot of success and has been there a really long time.
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“You don’t survive in this industry if you’re not a good person with a good work ethic and driven to do it.
“He has been a leader for a long time, good to work with, and we shared a lot of success together. Good memories.
“Those guys, they never disappear forever so I’m sure we’ll see him around the traps somewhere.”
Tickford has achieved 80 of its 81 Supercars Championship race wins under Edwards’ watch.
Three events remain this season: the Repco Bathurst 1000, Gold Coast 500, and Adelaide 500.
