Checkered FPR Revival In Bahrain

Frosty finishes 4th in Race 2 and 3

Spectacular driving from Mark Winterbottom in Bahrain today kept Ford Performance Racing's championship hopes alive as he fought back from yesterday's setback.

Frosty was resurgent in the day's first race, making up eight places in the opening four laps and executing a perfect pit strategy to finish fourth, despite starting from 21st after a collision with Garth Tander yesterday.

In some of the best racing of the year, the top five cars diced for the entire 32 laps of the Gulf Air Desert 400's third and final race. The Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon was never out of the running but was just edged out of a podium for a second fourth-place finish.

Team-mate Steve Richards' Castrol FPR Falcon was a jet following alterations overnight and he finished race two fifth from eighth on the grid. Similar adjustments proved a step too far in race three, however, and he slipped back to ninth. Despite that, Richo made up one championship place and is now lying fifth behind Craig Lowndes.

The V8 Supercar Championship Series will next take to the track in Symmons Plains on November 21.

Mark Winterbottom Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon
'I got a ripper start in both races and if you'd told me this morning I would get two fourth-place finishes I would have been happy. The points are good for where we were last night but it's just unfortunate for us that Jamie Whincup was so quick. If it wasn't for the points it would have been good fun today!

'We haven't given up. Until the chequered flag drops at Oran Park we won't concede defeat. Each round is getting a lot harder but you never know what will happen; we've got two more tracks, two different scenarios.'

Steve Richards Castrol FPR Falcon
'It's important to gain as much knowledge as you can by trying subtle changes to make the car a fraction better and that worked out for us in the first race today. When you haven't got the pace you spend the whole race defending and I didn't have to do that today. I could attack. It just puts you in a totally different atmosphere in terms of how we can drive the car; we could put pressure on the guys in front so I definitely enjoyed today's first race better than yesterday!'

David Richards Prodrive Chairman [FPR parent company]
'Do you think Lewis Hamilton was prepared to concede one lap from the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix? Well neither are we.'

Gulf Air Desert 400 – 2008 Supercar Championship Round 12 Bahrain International Circuit
RACE TWO
1. Jamie Whincup, 888
2. Russell Ingall, PMM
3. Craig Lowndes, 888
4. Mark Winterbottom, Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon
5. Steve Richards, Castrol FPR Falcon
6. Todd Kelly, Perkins Motorsport
Gulf Air Desert 400 – 2008 Supercar Championship Round 12 Bahrain International Circuit
RACE THREE
1. Jamie Whincup, 888
2. James Courtney, SBR
3. Craig Lowndes, 888
4. Mark Winterbottom, Orrcon Steel Ford Credit FPR Falcon
5. Russell Ingall, PMM
6. Will Davison, DJR
7. Fabian Coulthard, PCR
8. Lee Holdsworth, GRM
9. Steve Richards, Castrol FPR Falcon

Gulf Air Desert 400 – 2008 Supercar Championship Round 12 Bahrain International Circuit
SERIES DRIVER POINTS REPORT
1. Jamie Whincup (2916)
2. Mark Winterbottom (2729)
3. Garth Tander (2624)
4. Craig Lowndes (2367)
5. Steve Richards (2178)

Gulf Air Desert 400 – 2008 Supercar Championship Round 12 Bahrain International CircuitSERIES TEAM POINTS REPORT
1. 888 (4605)
2. FPR (4438)
3. HRT (3722)