Mark Winterbottom believes fairytales do happen and his return to Tickford Racing is just that.
Supercars fan favourite Winterbottom’s career will come full circle after announcing his Tickford homecoming just days after his final race at the Adelaide 500.
Winterbottom was forced to close the chapter on his 21-year-long full-time career last month after he was dropped by Team 18 in August with little time to find another seat in pit lane.
A return to the team he won his maiden and only Supercars championship with was never certain, but the 43-year-old had left the door open.
“Sometimes fairytales get written,” Winterbottom said in October.
Tickford made the ‘fairytale’ official on Wednesday, heralding the return of their favourite son.
Before joining Team 18 in 2019, ‘Frosty’ was synonymous with success behind the wheel of a Ford car.
The Sydney product amassed 38 race wins, 117 podiums, 35 pole positions, won the 2015 championship and the 2013 Bathurst 1000 across 13 years to gift Tickford - then known as Ford Performance Racing - their most successful period.
He is Tickford's only driver to have won the championship.
Winterbottom has battled to recapture his form in the years since his Ford days, adding just one race win, three podium finishes and a pole position to his haul since 2019.
Now in the twilight of his career, Winterbottom will act as co-driver to Cam Waters for another shot at Bathurst glory while taking on a mentoring role in the team’s development program.
“Bathurst (in October) really hit home when people kept saying, ‘Go back to Tickford’,” Winterbottom said.
“Tickford feels like family. So many of the same people are still here, and the fans’ support has been overwhelming.
“I came here as a young driver in the Ford program, and we went on to achieve incredible success together - race wins, a championship and Bathurst.
“It feels like the right time to come full circle, and I’m here to win again, with Cam and with Tickford.”
Winterbottom replaces long-time Tickford co-driver James Moffat as Waters’ co-driver, with Moffat to instead share Thomas Randle’s car.
Perennial bridesmaid Waters has not won at the Bathurst 1000, finishing fourth this year with Moffat after three podium finishes (2nd - 2020, '21; 3rd - 2022).
“He’s going to be a huge asset,” Waters said.
“Frosty was a key role model for me in the early days of my career and played a significant part in my development.
“For things to come full circle now, driving together next year is pretty special.”
