Ford Performance Racing will return to the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series in 2014 with Cameron Waters driving a factory-prepared Ford with the aim of capturing his and the team's first development series crown.
The factory Ford team is back in V8 Supercars' second-tier category for the first time since 2012 when it narrowly missed claiming the overall title with the team's new main series driver, Chaz Mostert.
Waters finished 10th in this years Dunlop Series and is well-credentialed after claiming both the Australian Formula Ford title and the maiden season of the Shannons Supercar Showdown in 2011.
The 19-year-old has spent the past two seasons gaining knowledge of the circuits and believes he can challenge for the Championship.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Ford Performance Racing for next year's Dunlop Series and my goal is to win the team's first DVS title," Waters said.
"FPR has great people and the equipment to do the job and I want to use 2014 as a springboard to launch my career to the next level, just as Chaz Mostert has recently done.
"My preparation has already started and the opening event of next year just can't come quickly enough."
Waters will drive the FPR-808 chassis, which has been driven in the main series by Paul Dumbrell and David Reynolds, and also appeared in the Dunlop Series later in 2012 with Mostert at the wheel.
FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards welcomed the team’s return to the series and touted Waters as the right driver to represent the factory team.
"The Dunlop Series is the ideal breeding ground for future V8 Supercars star drivers, engineers and mechanics so we are glad we are back," Edwards said.
"Cam has come through the ranks, been successful in Formula Ford and has started to make progress in his short time in the Dunlop Series so he is the right driver to have in our car. The fact he is also a Shannons Supercar Showdown winner is a nice link given our relationship with the show this year.
"We've seen what Chaz's exploits have led to so we are keen to see Cam set off on the same path and collectively we all want to win the title so we look forward to working together in 2014 to make that happen."
Edwards recently told v8supercars.com.au how important a return to the second-tier category was for FPR.
The 2014 Dunlop Series gets underway at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide at the end of February and will be contested across seven rounds.