Whincup puts title chase in overdrive
MOTORSPORT JAMIE Whincup put his Bathurst controversy behind him with a sizzling win on the streets of Surfers Paradise to keep his dreams of a seventh Supercars Championship alive.
Whincup executed a faultless race at the Gold Coast 600 yesterday to edge Red Bull Racing Australia teammate and championship leader Shane van Gisbergen by nine seconds in the 300km endurance test.
Van Gisbergen backed up his Saturday win with another podium to claim the Enduro Cup and has retained a 148point lead at the top of the standings, but Whincup is well within striking distance with two rounds to go.
It was a sweet victory, his 101st in the championship, for Whincup, who a fortnight ago was at the centre of one of the most controversial incidents in Bathurst 1000 history.
Whincup crossed the finish line first at Mount Panorama, but a 15-second penalty for an incident involving Garth Tan- der and Scott McLaughlin saw him relegated to 11th spot. An appeal dragged on for 10 days before being thrown out.
The Gold Coast local said he was not motivated by the Bathurst fallout and it would be tough to run down van Gisbergen in the championship race.
“I won’t dwell on the past. I wasn’t out here to make amends for what happened a fortnight ago,” Whincup said.
“It (criticism) doesn’t affect me but it was affecting my teammates and family. That’s why I stepped in, made a bit of a statement and rewrote the wrongs.
“We’ll do the best we can. We’re still working together to make sure both cars are up there.
“It’s going to be a tall ask from here but we’ll race hard until the last lap on Sunday at Homebush.”
Ironically, it was the Red Bull co-drivers who did the bulk of the driving yesterday, with Paul Dumbrell and Alex Premat performing admirably throughout the opening 60 laps.
Van Gisbergen charged through the pack after the Red Bull garage opted to double stack, eventually passing second-placed Mark Winterbottom after 84 laps.
The championship will conclude with a Sydney finale from December 2-4.
I WON’T DWELL ON THE PAST. I WASN’T OUT HERE TO MAKE AMENDS FOR WHAT HAPPENED A FORTNIGHT AGO