Motorsport: Ford 'crazy' not to support DJR, says Courtney

James Courtney believes Dick Johnson Racing has a good case for Ford factory support next season. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Elated Ford V8 Supercar driver James Courtney says the car maker would be "crazy" not to step in and provide financial support for his Dick Johnson Racing team in 2010.

Courtney ended the 2009 season on a high with a victory in the year's final race at the Sydney 500 street circuit - a victory secured in front of Ford Australia president Marin Burela.

With just 10 cars expected to bear the blue oval in next season's championship and the defection of TeamVodafone to Holden, Courtney made his case following Sunday's season finale at the Sydney Olympic Park street circuit.

"Marin stuck his head in the window before I went out and said 'good luck' and I told him that I'd do everything I could to get Ford on the top step and we managed to do that," said Courtney.

"For him to be here and us to get the result, with everything that's going on, they'd be crazy if they didn't support us.

"We can only do with what we've got and the budget we've got is very different to the others and to get more money is going to help us be faster."

Holden's current grip on the sport was emphasised by this year's Bathurst 1000 top 10, where just one Ford team - the Holden-bound TeamVodafone pair of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup - featured.

Whincup managed to win back-to-back championships in a Falcon but will be racing a VE Commodore next year, while the Holden Racing Team pair of Will Davison and Garth Tander claimed both the Phillip Island and Bathurst endurance races as well as the team's championship.

And Courtney and Jim Beam Racing teammate Steven Johnson's 2009 results make a solid case for some factory-support as they chase a deal with Ford.

The pair finished third on the team's championship ladder ahead of Ford factory-backed teams Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing.

Sunday's race win also ensured Courtney had one more victory for the 2009 season, with two, than FPR's leading driver Mark Winterbottom.

Despite his team's struggles as Ford's top guns, FPR team principal Tim Edwards said after an improved finish to the season, which enabled Winterbottom to snare fifth place in the championship from Johnson, hopes were high for 2010.

"There's no doubt this has been one of the most challenging years since I joined FPR but its a true testament to the team that they havent got bogged down with our up-and-down performance and everyone's worked as hard as they can to get us to the front," Edwards said.

"We've learned a lot this year but we finished the season with a strong car which bodes well for 2010."

- AAP