With his second win of 2017, the Red Bull Holden Racing Team star sets a new benchmark for Supercars victories.
Jamie Whincup is officially the king of Supercars. On Sunday at Sydney Motorsport Park, the Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver won his 106th race in Australia’s premier motorsport category, the six-time series champion surpassing Triple Eight stablemate Craig Lowndes as the most successful driver in Supercars history.
Whincup took his second win of the 2017 season and moved to within 12 points of Scott McLaughlin’s championship lead with the victory, which came by a hair under 10 seconds from McLaughlin’s teammate Fabian Coulthard. RBHRT’s defending champion and Whincup’s teammate Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the podium.
Sydney Motorsport Park was, for the second year running, the site of a milestone for the 34-year-old; in the corresponding event this time last year, Whincup won his milestone 100th race in the category. With Sunday’s win, he’s now taken four victories at the western Sydney circuit in 23 races, and has finished on the podium eight times.
“It’s definitely a cool number, but I’m not really counting – and ‘Lowndesy’ will be around for another 25 years,” Whincup laughed after Sunday’s 52-lap race.
“Every victory is a great one. I picked up the 100 here last year, so 106 … it’s been a bit lean this year, so I’m just grabbing every win I can get.
“I’m not getting too excited by the numbers, but it’s definitely a good feeling to get the win today. It’s good to still be winning in one of the most competitive categories in the world.”
Whincup’s win, which came after he finished in third place in Saturday’s 31-lap outing, means he’s now finished the past 125 races in succession, a championship record and a run that stretches back to Gold Coast 2013.
The road to Whincup’s record
First race: Queensland Raceway, 2002
Rounds: 193
Races: 426
Wins: 106
Poles: 74
Podiums: 179
Championships: 6 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
By Matthew Clayton for redbull.com
