Mark James"Frosty"Winterbottom(born 20 May 1981) is an Australian former professional racing driver. He last competed in theRepco Supercars Championship,driving the No. 18Chevrolet Camaro ZL1forTeam 18.His career highlights included winning the2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000(withSteven Richards), twice winning the Sandown 500 (2006 and 2015) and receiving the Mike Kable Young Gun Award in 2003. Winterbottom has also won his maiden championship title in the2015 International V8 Supercars Championship,making it the first title forFordin five years. He also voices himself in the Australian version of the hit 2011Pixarfilm,Cars 2.
| Mark Winterbottom | |
|---|---|
 Winterbottom in 2020 | |
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | 20 May 1981(age43) Sydney,New South Wales,Australia |
| Supercars Championshipcareer | |
| Car number | 18 |
| Current team | Team 18 |
| Championships | 1 (2015) |
| Races | 615 |
| Wins | 41 |
| Podiums | 150 |
| Pole positions | 43 |
| 2024 position | 15th (1557 pts) |
He retired from main driving at the end of the 2024 Supercars Championship, but promised to only race in the endurance for Tickford Racing, driving alongside Cameron Waters.
Early career
editBeginnings
editWinterbottom made his motorsport debut racing motorbikes, racing in club level 50 cc events, progressing to the 80 cc class and competing in fields that included ridersAnthony GobertandChad Reed.Winterbottom raced whenever he could between hissoccercommitments. Raced a dirt Mini-Speedcar and won the NSW and ACT State Championships.
Karting
editWinterbottom competed in his firstkartrace in the Cadet class atWollongong(NSW) and would continue racing karts successfully to the age of 21. Winterbottom won ten Australian Kart Championships and 25 state Kart Championships during his rise through Australia's karting ranks. Winterbottom's national titles were six Clubman Light titles, three Junior National Lights titles and one Junior Clubman title.[1]
In 1998, Winterbottom visited America on a family holiday and heard about a major karting event taking place close by – so a last-minute decision was made to rent a kart locally and compete. Winterbottom then won the Knoxville State Championship title race. In 1999 he competed in Japan at the Suzuka Champions Kart race on invitation.
In 2001 Winterbottom was crowned as Australian Formula A Kart Champion.
Formula Ford
edit
In 2001, Winterbottom made hisFormula Forddebut in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship. Winterbottom raced to runner-up honours after winning four races out of six rounds, missing one round due to karting commitments. He won the Ford Kart Stars Scholarship Championship, gaining aFord-supported drive in the2002 Australian Formula Ford Championship.
He finished second in the2002 Australian Formula Ford Championshipwith two round victories, five race wins and two pole positions. The championship was won by Winterbottom's future V8 Supercars rivalJamie Whincup.He was presented with 2002 Avon Formula Ford Rookie of the Year Award.
Touring car career
editDevelopment Series
editIn 2003, Winterbottom became theKonica V8 Supercar Serieschampion in his debut season. Winterbottom raced with Ford teamStone Brothers Racing(SBR) to five round victories and six pole positions in an almost perfect season. Two of Winterbottom's race victories were gained from rear-of-field reverse grid starts. He missed out on making a clean sweep of the series due to an engine failure in the fifth round atPhillip Island.
He also debuted in the V8 Supercars Championship at theSandown 500andBathurst 1000with SBR, sharing aBA FalconwithMark Noske.Winterbottom and Noske finished 11th at Sandown, before qualifying 16th at the2003 Bathurst 1000and then retiring at three-quarter distance whilst running in third with engine problems.
He was the recipient of theMike Kable Young Gun Award.
Larkham Motor Sport
editWinterbottom joined Ford V8 Supercar teamLarkham Motor Sport(LMS) and competed in the2004and2005V8 Supercar championships. Highlights of his debut season included a fifth-place finish at Bathurst and sixth-place result at Sandown in 2004. Winterbottom's best qualifying result was fifth at theDarwin roundin 2005. The lowlight was at theV8 Supercars China Roundin which Winterbottom avoided injury after a loose drain cover penetrated the chassis floor and damaged the driver's seat.
Ford Performance Racing
edit2006
edit
Winterbottom joinedFord Performance Racing(FPR) as driver of the number 5 Ford Credit Falcon for the2006and2007V8 Supercar championship seasons. This appointment continued Winterbottom's career-long involvement withFord Australiafrom the karting ranks all the way to a lead role with Ford's major V8 Supercars team.
He claimed his first V8 Supercars round victory co-driving withJason Brightat the2006 Betta Electrical 500and gained second place overall round finishes atPukekoheandSurfers Paradise.By the midpoint of the season, Winterbottom had climbed from 22nd to third in the championship standings and added two further podium finishes with a third atSymmons Plains Racewayand second at Phillip Island. Phillip Island also saw Winterbottom achieve his first V8 Supercars sprint race victory. With nine top ten finishes for the season, Winterbottom had secured third place in the Drivers' Championship in just his third season of main V8 Supercar Series competition.[2]
2007
editWinterbottom achieved 5th in the championship, with the highlight being winning his first solo V8 Supercars round at theDesert 400inBahrain,preserving FPR's undefeated record at the international round.[2]Winterbottom also gained four pole positions, including his first at Pukekohe Park, which was followed by poles at the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and at the Desert 400. These four poles allowed him to claim the 2007 V8 Supercars Pole Award. Winterbottom went off late in the race whilst leading the2007 Bathurst 1000.[2]FPR secured Winterbottom as the driver of the number 5 FPR Falcon for a further three years.
2008
edit
Winterbottom's highlight of 2008 was a dominant round victory at theBigPond 400at Wanneroo'sBarbagallo Racewayin Perth, Western Australia. Winterbottom achieved pole position and wins in all three races. Winterbottom also won the2008 City of Ipswich 400atQueensland Raceway.With further good results atAdelaide,Eastern Creek,Surfers Paradise and Symmons Plains, he placed second in the championship, just behind his former Formula Ford rival Whincup.[2]
2009
edit
Winterbottom experienced a challenging season, finishing in fifth position in the championship, eight places ahead of team-mateSteven Richards.[2]His highlights included an event win at theGold Coast 600and pole positions for Race 3 of the championship at theHamilton 400inNew Zealand,and race 5 atWinton Motor Raceway.On both occasions, he had troublesome races which resulted in little or no points for the championship. In race 6 at Winton, Winterbottom recovered from the difficulties of race 5 to finish in second position. He also won a race at theV8 Supercars Challengenon-championship round at theAustralian Grand Prix.
2010
editIn 2010, Winterbottom was a distant yet mathematical chance of winning the championship title heading into the final round, theSydney 500.However a crash, which ironically also involved fellow contenders Whincup andJames Courtney,in wet conditions in the Saturday race ruled Winterbottom out of the title race.[2]
2011
edit
In 2011, Winterbottom finished a distant third to theTriple Eight Race Engineeringcars. He scored two wins, at the Gold Coast 600 with international co-driverRichard Lyonsand in the final race of the year at the Sydney 500.
2012
edit
Winterbottom finished the season in third position, with three race wins in the middle of the season. Before the final round of the championship, the Sydney 500 on theHomebush Street Circuit,Winterbottom was in second, but fell behindCraig Lowndesto finish third. Winterbottom also claimed the covetedBarry Sheene Medalfor the best and fairest driver in the series.
2013
edit
In 2013, Winterbottom won theBathurst 1000alongside ex-teammate Steven Richards on 13 October.[3]However, due to a poor start to the championship, Winterbottom was only able to finish fourth in the championship, with three race wins. TeammateWill Davisonfinished narrowly ahead in third, aiding FPR's rise in the Teams' Championship to finish second for the first time.
2014
edit
In 2014 Winterbottom started the season very well, leading the championship by 161 points after the2014 Skycity Triple Crownin June.[4]Despite high hopes of claiming his first title, Winterbottom's campaign ultimately crumbled against the Triple Eight juggernaut. He did not win another race after the Darwin round. At the2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000,Winterbottom was a chance of going back-to-back late in the race, until an incident with an attacking Craig Lowndes resulted in him dropping back, and eventually recovering to take a fifth-place finish. As in 2012, going into the final round in Sydney, Winterbottom was second with Whincup in first and out of reach. However,Shane van Gisbergenwon the Sunday race to demote Winterbottom to third in the standings.
Prodrive Racing Australia
edit2015
edit
In 2015, Prodrive Racing Australia (the new name for Ford Performance Racing, due to reduced support from Ford) debuted theFord FG X Falcon,and it brought considerable success almost immediately, with Winterbottom taking four wins out of four races at the non-championship V8 Supercars Challenge event at the Australian Grand Prix. Winterbottom then achieved eight race wins in the middle part of the championship year, including a clean-sweep of the2015 Castrol Edge Townsville 400.This resulted in Winterbottom taking a large championship lead into the endurance races. Driving withSteve Owen,Winterbottom then went on to increase his lead with his ninth win of the year at the2015 Wilson Security Sandown 500,before finishing second at the2015 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.Despite not winning a race after Sandown, Winterbottom held on to secure his first championship title in a showdown against Craig Lowndes at the final round, theSydney 500.[5]
2016
editWinterbottom had a slow start to his championship defence, not achieving a podium finish until the fifth race of the season atSymmons Plains.Winterbottom's first victory of the year was at thePerth SuperSprint,where on older tyres he held offScott McLaughlinby under half a second.[6]Two podiums atWintongave Winterbottom the championship lead, before a poor event inDarwindropped him back in the standings. Solid results atTownsvilleandQueensland Racewayfollowed, leaving Winterbottom third in the championship standings before the winter break. However, a decline in pace in the second half of the season left Winterbottom to finish sixth in the championship, with only one further race victory, at theAuckland SuperSprint.[7]
2017
edit
2017 saw Winterbottom complete a winless year for the first time since moving to Ford Performance Racing in 2006. Highlights included podiums at thePhillip Island 500,Townsville 400andAuckland SuperSprint,while the lowlight was crashing out of theBathurst 1000on the penultimate lap while battling for fifth place. Winterbottom secured sixth in the championship for the second consecutive year, albeit only after Craig Lowndes' late retirement at the season-endingNewcastle 500.
Tickford Racing
edit2018
edit
In 2018, Prodrive Racing Australia was again renamed, to Tickford Racing, and Winterbottom began the year with a top five Saturday result at theAdelaide 500before a pit lane penalty dropped him down the field in the Sunday race.[8]His fortunes did not improve, with Tickford Racing enduring a difficult start to the season until Winterbottom scored both his and Tickford Racing's first race podium of the year at the fifth event at Barbagallo.[9]It was confirmed on 1 November that Winterbottom would leave Tickford Racing at the end of the 2018 season, after 13 years with the team.[10]Despite a difficult final season with the team, in which he finished only 12th in the championship, Winterbottom left the team with a record of 412 race starts, 38 wins, 35 poles and 117 podiums.[11]
Team 18
editWinterbottom announced ahead of the2018 Newcastle 500that he would be moving toTeam 18in2019,the first time he will have driven aHoldenin his career.[12]
Stock Car Brasil
editIn 2014 and 2015, Winterbottom appeared in the season-opening two-driver round of theStock Car Brasilchampionship, for Voxx Racing. In 2014, he drove alongsideSérgio Jimenezto fourth at theAutódromo José Carlos Pacewhilst in 2015 he finished second withMarcos Gomesat theAutódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna.Just like Winterbottom, Gomes went on to win his respectivechampionship titlein 2015. Winterbottom returned to Brazil in 2018, finishing eleventh at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace driving withÁtila Abreu,despite starting from the rear of the grid.[13]
At the conclusion of his Tickford Racing stint, Winterbottom had received an offer to contest the championship full-time in2019.Having described the opportunity as "appealing", he declined on the grounds that it wasn't a binding contract.[14]
Personal life
editWinterbottom is the son of the 1969 and 1974Australian Sprintcar Championand former chairman of theSprintcarControl Council of Australia, Jim Winterbottom. Educated atDoonside Technology High School,Winterbottom took up the sport of Soccer from the age of six, and by eleven was competing with a state level team, (BlacktownUnited) in matches across New South Wales. He made the decision to give up soccer to pursue his motor racing ambitions at the age of eleven.
Winterbottom was used as the voice of the character 'Frosty' in the Australian Release of the 2011PixarfilmCars 2.[15]He also appeared as a contestant onSeason 3of theSeven Network's celebrity seriesAustralia's Greatest Athletein 2011.
Career results
editKarting career summary
edit| Season | Series | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Junior National Light | 1st |
| 1996 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Junior National Light | 1st |
| 1997 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Clubman Light | 1st |
| 1998 | Knoxville State Karting Championship | 1st |
| 1999 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Formula Yamaha Light | 1st |
| 2000 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Formula Yamaha Light | 1st |
| 2001 | Ford Kartstars Series | 1st |
| Australian National Sprint Kart Championships - Clubman Light | 1st | |
| Australian Formula A Kart Champion - Rotax 125cc | 1st |
Circuit racing career
editSupercars Championship results
editComplete Bathurst 1000 results
edit| Year | Team | Car | Co-driver | Position | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Stone Brothers Racing | Ford Falcon BA | Mark Noske
|
DNF | 102 |
| 2004 | Larkham Motorsport | Ford Falcon BA | Jason Bargwanna
|
5th | 161 |
| 2005 | Larkham Motorsport | Ford Falcon BA | Jason Bargwanna
|
DNF | 122 |
| 2006 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon BA | Jason Bright
|
DNF | 28 |
| 2007 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon BF |  Steven Richards
|
10th | 161 |
| 2008 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon BF | Steven Richards
|
4th | 161 |
| 2009 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Steven Richards
|
DNF | 49 |
| 2010 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Luke Youlden
|
9th | 161 |
| 2011 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Steven Richards
|
4th | 161 |
| 2012 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Steven Richards
|
11th | 161 |
| 2013 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Steven Richards
|
1st | 161 |
| 2014 | Ford Performance Racing | Ford Falcon FG | Steve Owen
|
6th | 161 |
| 2015 | Prodrive Racing Australia | Ford Falcon FG X | Steve Owen
|
2nd | 161 |
| 2016 | Prodrive Racing Australia | Ford Falcon FG X | Dean Canto
|
DNF | 132 |
| 2017 | Prodrive Racing Australia | Ford Falcon FG X | Dean Canto
|
DNF | 159 |
| 2018 | Tickford Racing | Ford Falcon FG X | Dean Canto
|
12th | 161 |
| 2019 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | Steven Richards
|
6th | 161 |
| 2020 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | James Golding
|
8th | 161 |
| 2021 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | Michael Caruso
|
16th | 161 |
| 2022 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Holden Commodore ZB | Michael Caruso
|
15th | 161 |
| 2023 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Chevrolet Camaro Mk.6 | Michael Caruso
|
DNF[16] | 160 |
| 2024 | Charlie Schwerkolt Racing | Chevrolet Camaro Mk.6 | Michael Caruso
|
18th | 161 |
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
edit| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Overall position |
Class position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | BMW Team SRM
|
Steven Richards Marco Wittmann
|
BMW M6 GT3 | AP | 281 | 14th | 7th |
Complete Stock Car Brasil results
edit| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Voxx Racing | Peugeot 408 | INT 1 4 |
SCZ 1 |
SCZ 2 |
BRA 1 |
BRA 2 |
GOI 1 |
GOI 2 |
GOI 1 |
CAS 1 |
CAS 2 |
CUR 1 |
CUR 2 |
VEL 1 |
VEL 2 |
SCZ 1 |
SCZ 2 |
TAR 1 |
TAR 2 |
SAL 1 |
SAL 2 |
CUR 1 |
NC | - |
| 2015 | Voxx Racing | Peugeot 408 | GOI 1 2 |
RBP 1 |
RBP 2 |
VEL 1 |
VEL 2 |
CUR 1 |
CUR 2 |
SCZ 1 |
SCZ 2 |
CUR 1 |
CUR 2 |
GOI 1 |
CAS 1 |
CAS 2 |
BRA 1 |
BRA 2 |
CUR 1 |
CUR 2 |
TAR 1 |
TAR 2 |
INT 1 |
NC | - |
| 2018 | Shell V-Power | Chevrolet Cruze | INT 1 11 |
CUR 1 |
CUR 2 |
VEL 1 |
VEL 2 |
LON 1 |
LON 2 |
SCZ 1 |
SCZ 2 |
TBA 1 |
TBA 1 |
TBA 2 |
CAS 1 |
CAS 2 |
VCA 1 |
VCA 2 |
TAR 1 |
TAR 2 |
TBA 1 |
TBA 2 |
INT 1 |
NC | - |
References
edit- ^"Australian Karting Champions".Karting Australia.
- ^abcdefGreenhalgh, David; Howard, Graham; Wilson, Stewart (2011).The official history: Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years.St Leonards,New South Wales:Chevron Publishing Group.ISBN978-0-9805912-2-4.
- ^"FPR Wins the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000".V8 Supercars. 13 October 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 17 October 2013.Retrieved13 October2013.
- ^Bartholomaeus, Stefan (22 June 2014)."Winterbottom wins tyre battle in Darwin finale".Speedcafe.Retrieved30 June2014.
- ^Howard, Tom (5 December 2015)."Winterbottom claims maiden V8 Supercars crown".Speedcafe.Retrieved6 December2015.
- ^Bartholomaeus, Stefan (8 May 2016)."Winterbottom snaps winless streak in Race 9".Speedcafe.Retrieved8 August2016.
- ^"ITM Auckland SuperSprint V8 Supercars Championship Results - Race 26".supercars.Retrieved9 December2016.
- ^Howard, Tom (4 March 2018)."Angry Winterbottom lashes out at penalty call".Speedcafe.Retrieved11 March2018.
- ^Howard, Tom (7 May 2018)."Winterbottom rues missed top five opportunity".Speedcafe.Retrieved10 May2018.
- ^Adam, Mitchell (1 November 2018)."Winterbottom to leave Tickford".supercars.Retrieved1 November2018.
- ^Adam, Mitchell (20 November 2018)."Winterbottom set for emotional Tickford farewell".supercars.Retrieved28 November2018.
- ^Howard, Tom (22 November 2018)."Winterbottom to race Team 18 Holden in 2019".Speedcafe.Retrieved28 November2018.
- ^Howard, Tom (11 March 2018)."Winterbottom narrowly misses top 10 in recovery drive".Speedcafe.Retrieved11 March2018.
- ^"Winterbottom reveals 'bizarre' international offer".Speedcafe.11 December 2024.
- ^"Supercar star gets animated in film role".The Daily Telegraph.UK. 22 March 2011.Retrieved2 April2011.
- ^"Winterbottom's cruel last-lap DNF explained".V8 Sleuth. 9 October 2023.
External links
edit
- Personal website
- Ford Performance Racing website
- Mark Winterbottomcareer summary at DriverDB
- Mark Winterbottomdriver statistics at Racing-Reference