MARK WINTERBOTTOM NAMED 2012 SPORTS DAD OF THE YEAR!

Frosty wins 28 percent of the votes

September 2, 2012 - Ford Performance Racing V8 Supercar driver, Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom, has been named the Phillips 2012 Sports Dad of the Year after gaining the highest number of votes from sports fans across the nation.

Winterbottom topped a field that included AFL stars Darren Jolly, Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown and Kangaroos vice captain Drew Petrie, along with NRL stars Cameron Smith, Eels legend Nathan Hindmarsh, Michael Ennis and Rabbitoh John Sutton. Socceroo and Sydney FC star Brett Emerton was also nominated, as was legendary Olympic and Tour de France cyclist Stuart O’Grady. The 2012 Phillips Sports Dad of the Year was the sole V8 Supercar driver nominated.

“I am stoked that a V8 Supercar driver could out vote sports dads from both the AFL and NRL codes and other major sports. I thank my fans, friends and the motorsport press, who all helped to promote the fact that I was a finalist in the 2012 Phillips Sports Dad of the Year Award,” Winterbottom said.

“I love being a dad and soon it will be twice the fun - as now is a better time than ever to let everyone know that Renee and I are currently expecting our second child,”  The excited race driver added.

Winterbottom has won a total of $10,000, and while $5,000 was his own prize money with the other half being donated to his elected charity by the award organisers, the popular racing driver and father to one year old son Oliver, has generously elected to donate the entire $10,000 to his elected charity the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This is a cause that is very close to his heart, as his mother June succumbed to cancer last year, after having been first diagnosed with breast cancer back when Mark was eight years of age.

Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom has raced to 20 V8 Supercar victories, 24 Pole (top qualifier) positions and has gained 60 Podium (top three) finishes since joining Ford Performance Racing in 2006.  He was the first Australian athlete to star in a Disney.Pixar movie when he voiced the character of “Frosty the Australian Racing Car” in CARS2 last year.  He is currently one point behind Holden rival Jamie Whincup in the fight for the 2012 V8 Supercar Championship title, with six race events remaining.