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Triple Eight Race Engineering, General Motors' and the sport's most successful Supercars team, is returning to Ford from next year as Toyota also joins the field with Walkinshaw-backed Supra.
The Supercars Championship's most successful team is ditching the Camaro for the Mustang, and plans to assume the role of Ford's Supercars homologation team from 2026.
The top secret news was leaked prior to Ford's announcement today, delivered simultaneously in Australia and the USA, with a livestream broadcast during the Ford Performance racing season launch at its hub in North Carolina.
Andrew Birkic, President and CEO of Ford Australia, said: "This partnership is about delivering an unforgettable experience for our fans, and is a statement of our commitment to Australian motorsport. This is also a demonstration of Ford’s motorsport ambition, which is stronger than ever."
Prior to this, Triple Eight was aligned with Ford, running factory-backed Falcons from 2003 to 2009.
During this period, the partnership achieved great success, with three Bathurst 1000 victories for Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, along with back-to-back drivers' championships for Whincup.
However, after losing factory support, they switched to Holden and was officially granted the Holden Racing Team title in 2017.
While General Motors (GM) has lost its top team, not to mention the fact the Camaro is out of production and hasn't been sold in Australia since 2020, the brand is committed to maintaining its presence in the sport – for at least another season.
"GM has had a long and highly successful partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering," said Jess Bala, Managing Director General Motors Australia and New Zealand.
"We share the disappointment with fans about Triple Eight’s decision, and the news that they will be moving to Ford in 2026.
"Eyes forward on the 2025 Supercars season - we look forward to extending our full support to all the Chevrolet Racing Camaro teams, for another year of on track success."
With WAU’s switch, Ford Performance's current 2026 line-up will feature five teams, including Triple Eight, alongside other celebrated teams such as Dick Johnson Racing and Tickford Racing.
Triple Eight’s success with General Motors has been remarkable, securing 11 drivers' championships and 12 teams' championships – the most recent in 2024, won by rising star Will Brown.
Triple Eight will continue to compete as Red Bull Ampol Racing in the Australian Supercars Championship.
Emma has been on our television screens for over a decade. Most of her time in the industry has been spent at racetracks reporting at major motorsport events in Australia - from TCR and Superbikes to Porsche Sprint Challenge and Supercars. Emma has also hosted various MotoGP and F1 events interviewing the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Jack Miller. Having previously presented on an automotive show, she made her move to the Drive family in 2020. Fiercely proud of her Italian heritage, Emma is a coffee loving, stylish-black wearing resident of Melbourne.
