Ford Performance Racing’s Tim Edwards says personal comments about his driver Mark Winterbottom from rival Roland Dane are simply laughable.
Winterbottom controversially passed V8 Supercars championship rival Jamie Whincup in the dying stages of last month’s Sandown 500, a move which was later cleared by race officials despite contact between the two drivers.
But Dane labelled the pass “B-grade” and claimed Winterbottom was “as popular as a turd in a swimming pool” in the build-up to Sunday’s Bathurst 1000 endurance race at Mount Panorama.
FPR team principal Richards said Dane’s comments had caused plenty of mirth at the Ford factory outfit’s garage and suggested it showed how high tensions were running in this year’s championship battle.
“Why would somebody make such personal comments about Frosty being as popular as a turd in a swimming pool? I mean, he did a bloody good pass on Jamie, man up, accept it and try to do the same to us in the next race rather than tearing up,” Edwards told AAP.
“We think it’s hilarious.”
Edwards said Dane’s anger is a non-issue as far as FPR is concerned and his team is just fully focused on closing the 32-point lead Whincup holds over Winterbottom going into Sunday’s 1000km race.
“The great thing is Frosty’s beaten Jamie at the last couple of rounds,” he said.
“He’s the one leading the championship so he’s the one we’ve got to try and be in front of all the time.
“Craig’s (Lowndes) coming pretty fast but at the moment we’ve got to try and get in front of Jamie.”