Whincup on track for win

THE Sultan of Symmons — reigning supercar champion Jamie Whincup — was fast and furious at Tasmania’s V8 battleground yesterday on his way to clocking the fastest time ever around the 2.41km circuit. The winner of a record 11 races at Symmons Plains, Whincup is favourite to today notch up another victory at Tasmania’s biggest sporting event when the 26 supercars hit the track for a new-look, three stage qualifying session for the first 50-lap dash this afternoon in front of 20,000 fans.

JAMIE Whincup is on the verge of equalling the late, great Peter Brock for the record number of poles at Symmons Plains today after posting the fastest time ever by a supercar around the Tasmanian power track.

The Red Bull Racing ace and reigning champion is on seven pole positions in Tasmania, one behind “Peter Perfect”, who racked up eight in his famous 05 Commodore.

In setting the fastest time in a frenetic second practice session yesterday, Whincup bettered the race lap record set by his Triple Eight stablemate Craig Lowndes (51.4370s) last year and pipped his own qualifying record of 50.9676s, set in 2014. He clocked 50.509s to be the man to beat heading into the three-stage qualifying session ahead of today’s 50-lap race at 4.55pm, followed by an 84-lapper at 2.05pm tomorrow.

Reigning Bathurst champion David Reynolds laid down the second-best time, followed by Lowndes, Scott McLachlan, Shane Van Gisbergen and Fabian Coulthard.

After climbing from his Red Bull rocket, Whincup said his super time was wind-assisted.

“It was all about the wind — the wind today was great,” he said. “We were protected from it going up to the hairpin and then as you turn you get that big tailwind that rips you down the back straight.”

Whincup did some “gardening” at the end of the main straight. “Sometimes when you’re trying to go a bit quicker you make mistakes,” he said.

“We’re not just circulating — we’re trying to go as quick as we can, so you’re trying to find that limit and upping your pace until you find that moment.”

Holdens filled four of the top five spots.

“The Penske [Ford] cars are rockets, like always, and to be honest we were a bit nervous about how the new [Holden] body shell would perform around a circuit like this,” Whincup said. “Early indicators are that it is every bit as good as last year’s so positive signs before qualifying.”