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Fred Gibson's association with Ford Motor Company started back in 1967, when Gibson and Harry Firth teamed up to win Fred’s first Bathurst race – then the Gallagher 500.
Gibson drove for Ford again in 1968 in XTs, then in 1969 he took over the works XW. He stayed with Ford through to 1973, driving his way through a series of XWs, XYs and the fabulous blue and white two-doors campaigned by Howard Marsden for Ford in '72 and '73, twice winning the manufacturer's championship for Ford on the way.
After Ford's withdrawal from the sport, Fred moved to Alfa, winning the 2-litre class championship for the Italian marque.
He then raced as a privateer from 78 – 81.
From 1981 to 1985, Fred drove for Nissan Australia under Howard Marsden, who was then Product Planning Manager and Motorsport Manager for Nissan. Then in 1985 Fred bought the Nissan Motorsport Team and under his direction, the team set fastest times for pole at Bathurst in 1986 and 1987, and won Sandown twice.
In 1989 he was responsible for developing the phenomenal Skyline GT-R – commonly known as Godzilla - with which he and his team won three consecutive Australian Touring Car Championships, '90, '91 and '92, and Bathurst victories in 1991 and 1992.
A rule change saw the formation of the Ford v Holden series that we have today, relegating the Gibson Nissans to obsolescence.
Gibson promptly took on the new challenge in partnership with the Rothmans Company, and won the Touring Car Championship again in 1994, this time for Holden. 1995 saw a new financial challenge to Gibson and others, with the end of cigarette sponsorship and a subsequent hunt for new long-term sponsor.
Gibson set about rebuilding the team and seeking a new sponsor and in 1999, the partnership of the Gibson/Wynns Racing Team was back on top at the mountain, winning the Bathurst 1000.
Wynns sponsor Garry Dumbrell was so impressed with the Gibson team that he made an offer to buy the operation. That meant that 2000 saw Gibson fulfilling a new role for him - consultant to the highly competitive Kmart team.
Now with the buy-back of his old team, the sponsorship of Ford Australia, who helped him hit the big time back in 1967, and the signing of V8 superstar Craig Lowndes, Fred is set to take on a whole new set of challenges.
His track record is all about winning. It's about excellence in everything he does, in attention to detail and about personal and professional integrity.
Gibson and Ford are back together and they're both smiling. It should be a winning combination, just as it was all those years ago when Fred was behind the wheel of the old XR.
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