Frosty and Lightning Forecast for Townsville

Frosty uses number 95 in honour of Cars 2 release

Ford Performance Racing (FPR) will bring a touch of Hollywood to next weekend’s Sucrogen Townsville 400 V8 Supercar event when Cars 2 star Frosty takes to the track in the #95 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon.

Factory Ford driver Mark Winterbottom who voices the character Frosty in the latest animated movie from Disney.Pixar will switch from his regular #5 to #95 – the same number raced by Cars lead character, Lightning McQueen.

Car #95 will also carry the name ‘Frosty’ on its rear windows rather than Winterbottom in reference to his character.

Despite having raced with his familiar #5 since joining FPR in 2006, Winterbottom believes racing with #95 will help him be as fast as Lightning McQueen.

“It will be great to bring Cars 2 to the racetrack and although it will be a little strange to not see number five on my car, it is a great honour to be using the same number as a racing legend like Lightning McQueen,” Winterbottom said.

“Obviously Frosty spent a bit of time chatting with him at the party for the World Grand Prix so hopefully I can put McQueen’s tips to good use when we get to Townsville.”

“It is also pretty cool to have the name Frosty on the car, though I hope with all the changes our fans will still realise it’s me driving and not that good looking car from the movie.”

Winterbottom has claimed pole position for the last three V8 Supercar races and will be aiming to make it four in a row at the seventh event of the year in Townsville.

He and team-mates Will Davison and Paul Dumbrell completed a mammoth day of testing earlier in the week and feel the team has made further gains from the front-running pace all three cars showed at the last event in Darwin.

The Sucrogen Townsville 400 will also host the first stop of Disney.Pixar’s Cars Truck Tour at a V8 Supercar event.

The tour gives race-goers a chance to take part in family-friendly activities including Lightning McQueen’s slot car racing tournament, Mater’s Pitstop, Doc Hudson’s Driver Training Track, Ornament Valley photography, Lizzie’s Curio Shop and the ultimate Cars PS3 Race-O-Rama Championships.

The Sucrogen Townsville 400 is scheduled for 8-10 July. For tickets go to http://townsville.v8supercars.com.au  or call Ticketek on 132 849.