Whincup on right track

FORD’S Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin may be drawing all the plaudits but perhaps Jamie Whincup is the driver who should be most feared in the Supercars title race.

Six-time champion Whincup, 34, has openly vented his frustration at going through the opening 12 races of the year winless.

But the Gold Coaster’s consistency, with eight podium finishes including five second places, has him sitting a mere 16 points off Coulthard’s lead.

It puts him well within striking distance and 2005 Supercars champion Russell Ingall knows better than most that you don’t need to be a frequent race winner to clinch the endof-year silverware.

Ingall won only two races in his 2005 championship season and placed second on five occasions before taking the first of his victories that year.

The man known as “The Enforcer” said Whincup could not be ruled out despite his Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s current pace deficit to DJR Team Penske.

“I know it frustrates Jamie. It’s great to win championfinding

ships; you want to win races as well,” Ingall said at Fox Sports’ launch of the Watpac Townsville 400.

“It’s weird saying that Triple

Eight are probably not as competitive car-wise because we’re so used to them being up the front. While they are still sorting that out and the team is speed, he is just racking up the points and that is why he is sitting where he is.

“He knows how to do that. If the opportunities are there to win, he will grab it but you have still got to stay in the game and that is what he is doing.

“Make no mistake, he is still a dark horse, I reckon, in the whole scheme of things.”

Adding to the threat Whincup poses is his endurance season pairing with close mate Paul Dumbrell as co-driver in the No.88 Commodore, which could help him make up ground in the standings.

“He has got one of the strongest combos with Paul Dumbrell as well so that is where he will hit his stride,” Ingall said.

“Really he should have won Bathurst last year. He was the fastest car by miles so if it wasn’t for that incident at The Chase he would have won Bathurst and come very close to winning the championship.”

Whincup won his last title in 2014.

Supercars are next in action at Townsville from July 7-9, with Ingall tipping the likes of Garth Tander and James Courtney to spring a surprise.