‘Time to step up’
Whincup says team must close gap on DJR for good of sport
RED Bull Holden Racing Team star Jamie Whincup says closing the gap to rivals DJR Team Penske is vital for the health of the Supercars championship.
The Ford team continued a remarkable 2019 in Perth with Scott McLaughlin claiming pole position for both races at Barbagallo Raceway and he and teammate Fabian Coulthard claiming a win each over the weekend.
It means DJR have won 10 of 12 races this season with McLaughlin holding a 142point lead over Coulthard in the championship standings. Whincup says DJR’s dominance is dangerous for the category as a whole but changing the situation is on his team – not their rivals.
“These guys have raised the game and we’re still doing a similar thing to what we’ve done the last three or four years,” Whincup said.
“It all makes sense but really for the sake of the competition and the category we really need to step up to make a race of it.
“If we can do that everyone will win.”
The seven-time champion’s second place in Saturday’s 83-lap night race was his first podium since the
Australian Grand Prix round in March. It lifted him up to sixth on the standings having come into the weekend ninth, but he still trails McLaughlin by more than 400 points.
“It’s a lot,” Whincup conceded.
“The points are where they are ... we were absolutely nowhere at Phillip Island, so we’ll see what rolls.
“No point talking championship this early.”
Whincup also hailed the carnival atmosphere of the Perth night race event.
Barbagallo became the second Australian venue in 21 years to host a race under lights on Saturday night following last year’s event at Sydney Motorsports Park.
“The cars feel twice as fast in the dark,” Whincup said.
“We enjoy seeing sparks fly over the bonnet and brakes lighting up, flames, the whole lot. It’s great and the hill’s packed, it’s sort of a Big Bash feel or spectacle.
“Perth suits it really well, it’s as close as we get to a high-speed oval in some ways, so this track really suits it.”