Falcon: AU
Round Results:
Round 1 Phillip Island - 4th
Round 2 Waneroo (Barbagallo) - 20th
Round 3 Adelaide Parklands Circut - 3rd
Round 4 Eastern Creek - 3rd
Round 5 Hidden Valley - 3rd
Round 6 Canberra Street Circut - 5th
Round 7 Queensland Raceway - 6th
Round 8 Winton Motor Raceway - 3rd
Round 9 Oran Park - 3rd
Round 10 Calder Park - 13th
Round 12 Sandown -
ENDURANCE ROUNDS - Co Driver: Neil Crompton
Round 11 Queensland 500 - 7th
Round 13 FAI Bathurst 1000 - 13th
SPECIAL EVENTS
Albert Park Hot Wheels V8 Supercar Showdown - 16th
Surfers Paradise -
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FTR seemed to grab a handle on finally being able to produce race pace from the AU Falcon. Glenn Seton held the record for most Ford driver podium appearences in 2000 coming painfully close to round wins. Also noteworthy the new paint scheme of the FTR Falcon's was desgined to mimic the helmet design of Glenn Seton.
The Adelaide 500 on Saturday seemingly belonged to Glenn Seton, however having pitted early for tyres forced the two times champion to relinquish his lead to a more grippy Lowndes driven HRT Commodore. The gap between the two had been shortened by the unfortunate roll Brad Jones experienced in his Ozemail Falcon, after clipping a tyre bundle triggering a safety car.
This lead to a factory team versus factory team front row in race two of which Glenn came home in 7th position. Which earned him a third position, however given the bizarre rules that state the round podium be made up of the first three finishers of race two, Glenn watched on a missed podium apperance.
Race two was made more bizarre as it carried double points status.
Consistent runs netted Glenn podium positions at; Eastern Creek, Hidden Valley and Oran Park. Sharing the podium with championship rivals, don't be fooled consistency counted and Glenn carried the Ford fight to the top positions of the champsionship.
A spirited drive also netted team mate Neil Crompton a third place result at the inaugural Canberra GMC 400.
Winton became a bitter sweet memory of how Glenn infamousley snatched defeat from the jaws of victory (a well known Mark Skaife quote of the time).
Qualifying on pole position after a animaited in car camera session, Glenn was engrossed in achieving the best time, jerking his head sideways, chewing on his drinking hose and talking his way around the famous race track. Made all the better by the fact Glenn still used an open faced helmet!
Race 1 went to Garth Tander, with Seton in 2nd trailed by team mate Neil Crompton. Race 2 witnessed Glenn take the lead of the race, team mate Neil Crompton slipped backwards to 19th. Glenn Seton was ecstatic with a race win following the slim pickings from the previous 2 years.
Race 3 was the undoing of the dream, coming onto the straight Glenn Seton and second placed Garth Tander demonstrated synchronised spinning on oil left by an unknown competitor. Glenn was forced to drive through the pits, a blow to the team at one its test tracks. Glenn drove through to finish in 16th, hanging onto a third position behind Ford's new hero World Touring Car Champion Paul Radisich.
Calder Park became the first official round of racing with the TEGA approved Falcon undertray, which was built to mimic the Commodore's undertray. However Seton was suffering from the flu at the time and fell backwards. At one stage the two times champion lost his fron spoiler.
Disaster, Phillip Island the 27th of September 2000. A rainey day at the famous Victorian circut was home to V8 Supercar testing. Bathurst recruit, famous motorcycle rider Wayne Gardner reported a lack of grip in the #6 FTR machine, Glenn Seton stepped in to compare.
What was to happen next was surely a bone chilling event, Glenn Seton lost control of the Falcon and impacted a earth wall at 150km/h. Knocking the two time champion unconcious, such was the impact fellow competitor and friend Mark Skaife stopped his HRT Commodore and ran over to the decimated FTR Falcon. Glenn was airlifted from Phillip Island to a hospital on the main land.
Though he was admitted soon after, Glenn was forced to sit on the sidelines at Surfers Paradise and Sandown.
Neil Crompton was forced to use Glenn Seton's Falcon as a new one was being completed for the Bathurst 1000. Neil campagined two rounds for the single car FTR team; finishing 7th at Sandown and 8th at Surfers Paradise.
Wayne Gardner proved himself at a wet Bathurst 1000, picking up pole position in Glenn Seton's ex-Falcon. Neil Crompton proved his was a threat in the race as Glenn's injuries were still healing. An over ambitious move by lapped Briton Matt Neal in the Big Kev Commodore forced Craig Lowndes and Neil Crompton into the pits for repairs. Not so minor for the #5 FTR car as the front splitter came off wrecking ducting and mount points.
Another Bathurst escaped Glenn Seton.
2000 bid farewell and good luck to Neil Crompton after close to three years of the pair being associated. Neil went on to partner Craig Lowndes in the doomed Gibson Motorsport / 00 Motorsport and Ford venture. Now Neil returns to commentating for V8 Supercars on Channel 10. His knowledge and experience allows him to be head commentator for V8 televised rounds. Neil is a true asset to V8 fans.
