Motorsport: Ford leaders battle mystery engine problems

Triple 8 Racing - the leading Ford team that will switch to Holden next year - is fighting a mystery engine fault. Photo / Getty Images

BRISBANE - Engine problems have the leading Ford team of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes scratching their heads ahead of the "make or break" V8 Supercars endurance rounds.

Despite tasting success at last weekend's Queensland 300 at Ipswich, Lowndes admitted the team had some work to do to nut out a problem that may yet hamper series leader Whincup's championship hopes.

Lowndes revealed both Falcons at the team had experienced an "engine situation" during the Ipswich round and they were yet to finalise the problem.

The team will be determined to solve the mystery as the series heads to the rounds that could determine the 2009 championship - endurance rounds at Phillip Island (September 11-13) and the legendary Bathurst (October 8-11).

It wasn't obvious on the Queensland 300 results sheet that their Ford team had engine dramas - Whincup won the opening race while Lowndes was runner-up in the second.

However, Lowndes barely completed two laps of the opening 100km race before retiring while Whincup battled to 13th in the second.

"To be honest, I don't think so," Lowndes said when asked if they had solved the engine problems.

"We really have to look at it. We have more time now after the weekend (round).

"They (team mechanics) have an idea of what is failing but they don't know why it is failing.

"Up until now we have been pretty reliable, everything has been running perfectly.

"We were monitoring the problem all weekend (but) it raised its ugly head on Saturday. Jamie got away with it (in race one), I didn't."

Whincup leads the series on 2,007 points ahead of Holden's Will Davison (1,824) and Garth Tander (1,479) while Lowndes is next on 1,478.

But Lowndes claimed drivers wouldn't know where they stood in the championship until after the two endurance rounds which carry major points.

Drivers pair up for the enduros, and Lowndes said he couldn't wait to combine with Whincup again - especially for the Bathurst 1000 where history looms.

They are aiming to become the first to claim four straight victories on Mount Panorama.

"We are excited about pairing up again. We have got a great chemistry, a similar feel for the car and understanding," Lowndes said.

"You don't know where you stand in the championship until the other side of Bathurst.

"This either makes or breaks (the championship) - it is a very important couple of rounds."

Despite their excitement over Bathurst, Lowndes said they were currently focussed solely on redeeming themselves at Phillip Island.

A Whincup error allowed Tander to pass for a lead he never relinquished at the 2008 event.

"I'm sure Jamie will rue what happened last year and make sure it doesn't happen again," Lowndes said.

"He is still a little bit annoyed with that situation. He knows he probably should have done a better job - he is disappointed with that.

"I'm sure Jamie will be fired up, that the team will be fired up. We will be ready to go to see what we can do."

- AAP