Martin Short, Race Engineer for the #88 Ford Mustang and Supercars Championship leader Broc Feeney, gives an in depth preview of the upcoming Melbourne SuperSprint round including the uniqueness of short, fast racing alongside F1 on the world’s biggest stage.

How did you, Broc and the team feel after round one at Sydney Motorsport Park?
Absolutely happy with the start, to come away with two of three wins and leading the Drivers Championship, it’s a great way to kick off the year, especially with the switch to the new Ford Mustang.

To come away from round one with those results between us shows the team has done a fantastic job in the off‑season.

What did you learn about the car and the rest of the grid in that opening round?
The Mustang has a strong base. Its balance is consistent over a stint and it responds clearly to setup changes. There’s still more performance to unlock, but we’re encouraged by how competitive it felt straight out of the gate.

The field is incredibly tight this year. A lot of teams have found gains, so we expect margins in both qualifying and the races to stay very small. Execution will matter more than ever.

What are the differences between SMP and AGP for setup and driving?
SMP is all about tyre life. It has a high‑flow layout like AGP, but with much lower grip and an older surface that’s tough on tyres… almost like a cheese grater.

AGP, by contrast, has much higher grip and a smoother, more modern surface. At Albert Park we focus on a more aero‑efficient, stable platform to maximise confidence in the fast sections.

The biggest difference is how much the grip evolves. The track hasn’t had rubber on it for a year, so the surface improves rapidly across the weekend. The surface is relatively new and designed for Formula 1, so it’s extremely smooth. It rubbers in quickly and generates grip levels higher than most circuits we race on. You need to anticipate that increase and adjust the setup as the track evolves.

Once the Formula 1 cars run and lay down a lot of rubber, the track can be up to a second quicker for when we drive on it.

What are the key parts of a lap around Albert Park?
AGP is technically a street circuit, but not in the traditional Supercars sense… it’s wider, faster, and more flowing. It’s a blend of long straights, fast‑flowing corners, and fewer heavy‑braking zones. You carry speed for most of the lap.

The plan is to qualify on pole, get a strong launch, and ideally lead into that complex at turn three, four and five to stay clear of any congestion.

They removed the old chicane a few years ago, that’s made the circuit significantly faster and more flowing. That section now rewards commitment and contributes heavily to the increase in average lap speed.

With a clean exit from turn eight, we’re flat very quickly. The car reaches top speed, around 275 km/h, just before braking into turn nine. It’s roughly 18 seconds from exiting turn eight to the braking zone, so it’s a very long, fast run.

Melbourne weather can play a huge part in the race — what if it rains?
Melbourne weather can be very unpredictable, which is always a challenge. For the past two years we haven’t had pit garages at AGP, meaning we can’t perform pit stops easily during a sprint race. Changing tyres mid‑race is highly unlikely, so the pre‑race tyre call becomes even more critical.

If conditions deteriorate too much, race control may red‑flag the race. In that scenario, teams would be able to change tyres under controlled conditions before the restart.

Thankfully the weather is looking ok all weekend from what we’re seeing.

*Quotes not for republishing

Peter Ringwood, Technical Director for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team, gives an in depth preview of the upcoming Taupo Super 440 round, including the change in track conditions from Sydney and Melbourne to the first race of the New Zealand double header.

Does it change the team’s preparation having not seen the cars for three weeks while they travel by boat to NZ?

We are geared up for tight turnarounds, so not having access to the cars for a prolonged period isn’t a big issue. It’s all about planning and preparation, we know the New Zealand rounds are coming up and can be ready for the unique logistics situation they present. Everything gets front-loaded, we get it done early or as soon as we can following the Melbourne round, and actually allows the mechanics, and other crew on the race team some time to recharge over Easter. We had a frantic start to the year and the crew worked incredibly hard through the end-of-year break on the engine program and the new-car builds, so this has been a valuable reset period for them.

Compared to SMP and AGP, does Taupo focus on high-speed or low-speed cornering?

Taupo is a different change of pace compared to Sydney Motorsport Park and Albert Park. The track is much tighter, more technical, and more traction limited which all impact the way the car is set up and driven. There are much fewer long, aero-loaded corners in Taupo compared to the Sydney and Melbourne circuits which we’re coming from, so mid corner rotation and drive are going to be a very large focus for us.

Taupo is known for a number of track surface changes through the lap, what does that mean for tyres and degradation?

The varying grip and varying surfaces have a large effect on the driving lines, especially in the wet, and it sounds like there will be some rain at some stage of the weekend. The surface sometimes means that if you miss a corner apex, stay wide, but are on a good surface, the lap time can be quicker.

Is the new Super 440 format, 2 x Saturday and 1 x Sunday races, going to be better or worse for tyre management and flat-out racing?

The mixed tyre format, between soft and super softs, has a large effect here in Taupo. It’s a track well known for high tyre degradation, but all races will be a flat out sprint.

The team saw a huge change in performance and fortune after Taupo last year. What was that weekend like and what were the learnings from it?

Taupo 2024 gave us several key setup learnings, especially around mechanical grip and balance, which translated into a much more competitive package as the season went on. The items we worked through there carried forward into the off-season and this year’s development direction so we’re hoping to come out strong on Friday for practice and carry some positive momentum in to the race weekend.

Are you expecting the Mustang to perform differently to the Camaro (last year) at Taupo?

As Taupo tends towards the lower speed side, the aero kit has less of an effect than say Sydney or Melbourne, but the aero kit is still doing a lot of work. The large tyre degradation at Taupo will also highlight any imbalance, so adapting to a different aero balance or stability margin with the Mustang will be a key focus. This track will highlight quickly whether we’ve got the platform in the right operating window or not.

*Quotes not for republishing

Mark Dutton, Team Manager for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team, gives an in depth preview of the upcoming Christchurch Super 440 round, and an insight in to team preparation ahead of the second race of the New Zealand double header.

Today, it’s Wednesday of race week, we’re setting up and servicing the #888 and the #88 cars today at Ruapuna ahead of the second event of this NZ double header. It’s been a few years since Supercars teams have been to a track they haven’t raced on before. That means no one has previous data or proven setups here. As a competitor we love these challenges, when everyone is basically starting from scratch, it’s a real test.

The track itself is quite technical, especially out of turn 4 then all the way to exiting turn 8, a small early mistake in that sequence of corners could result in a large time deficit as one corner flows into the next.

We’ve seen the Red Bull Ampol Racing cars fast at three different styles of tracks now in Sydney, Melbourne and Taupo. How important is having pace at both fast and slower, tyre friendly and high degradation circuits?

It’s critical, we need to be on the pace and able to tune our cars for all scenarios, this is easier said than done, the car performance between the teams is so tight, that the margin for error is so small.

Is the car performance ahead of where you thought it would be after the change to Ford Mustangs in 2026?

Definitely not ahead of schedule as we aren’t leading the Driver’s Championship, however we are extremely proud of where our performance is and what we have been able to achieve so early on in the season with the switch. With these cars, throughout the year, there is constant evolution, and refinement, you can never afford to be complacent and think you are in a sweet spot for the rest of the season.

There was again some bumper bashing in Taupo. Do you expect this to be the style of racing for the season and does that impact race strategy and approach?

We expect more rubbing in racing this year, just hope that it is kept hard but fair, and consistent.

This is the first Gen 3 Supercars race at Ruapuna. What have the team, Broc and Will done to prepare for next weekend?

I believe all or most the drivers in Supercars took the opportunity to do some laps in Ruapuna a few weeks back, whilst not in their Supercars, they all got to learn the circuit.

There are four races now in Ruapuna, with Friday added after Sundays race cancellation in Taupo. What are the key things the team and drivers need to consider with such a busy schedule and short turnarounds between sessions?

We have to be precise and follow our processes, and have our team mates backs more than ever when we’re on track so much so frequently over those three days of a race weekend.

Red Bull Ampol Racing are once again leading the Teams Championship. Outside of points and trophy, how important is front position in pit lane to the race team?
It is mega critical for us in so many ways. We use it as a constant reminder of our persistency in consistency, being the leading team in pitlane is our priority. Selfishly as car controller it makes my job in pitlane a little easier too.

*Quotes not for republishing

Will Brown, 2024 Supercars Champion and last season’s runner up, will race with #888 on his brand new Mustang GT for the 2026 Supercars Championship season, the race number made iconic by long time Triple Eight driver and motorsport legend Craig Lowndes.

Red Bull Ampol Racing driver Will Brown has decided on a race number to take to the track with ahead of the 2026 Supercars Championship season.

After making the request to Managing Director and Team Principal Jamie Whincup and speaking with previous Triple Eight teammate Craig Lowndes, who has raced with #888 on his car for the last twenty years, Brown will compete with the iconic number on his car for the 2026 Supercars Championship season with Lowndes’ blessing.

Lowndes won Triple Eight’s first ever race in the Supercars Championship back in 2005 in the #888 Betta Electrical Falcon. 2025 was Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight’s last year together after a 20-year relationship that accounted for more than half Lowndes’ 110 Supercars Championship race wins and six of his seven Bathurst 1000 wins.

Brown raced as #87 in his 2024 Supercars Championship winning season and first year with Triple Eight before adding the #1 to his car in 2025 as defending Champion. Will Brown and teammate Broc Feeney both recently signed three-year contract extensions that will see them with Triple Eight until the end of the 2029 Supercars season.

Triple Eight announced in January 2025 they will join forces with Ford Racing as the manufacturer’s Supercars Homologation Team from 2026 onwards, a move that will see the team race brand new Ford Mustang GTs driven by Broc Feeney as #88 and now Will Brown as #888.

Craig Lowndes, Former Driver, Triple Eight Race Engineering:

“This number is iconic to the team. In motor racing and in sports sponsors come and go, liveries change, kits change. But this is Triple Eight Race Engineering, that’s the number and it’s iconic with the success that comes out of this workshop.”

“When I first arrived I was lucky enough to carry the number and to see the legacy of the number continue on, it’s an iconic number for the sport, and it’s an iconic number for the team, so it’s going to be really great to see the car running around with that number on the side.”

“I know Will pretty well, to have him carry on that legacy I think that he’ll do it proud. He’s obviously a great young talent which does sound strange already being a Supercars Champion, he’s a proven young talent.”

“I think the new change of manufacturer, the new change of car, the new change of number, it’s all a good fit and I think at the start of the season he’ll come out punching.”

Will Brown, #888 Driver, Red Bull Ampol Racing Team:

“It’s cool to know I’m going into 2026 with such an iconic number on my car. Obviously there’s a lot of history there, I’ve watched the #888 race around for years now ever since I started watching the sport.”

“For me there wasn’t a question mark, I’ve had two great years already with the team – one awesome year with the Championship win and one great year last year fighting all the way to Adelaide, so it meant a lot to me to start the conversation about 2026 and my race number.”

“With Craig leaving the team he thought it best that the #888 number stay with Triple Eight, he was really keen for it to stay here. That was a really easy conversation to have knowing how much it meant to him. I’m really excited to go racing with that number.”

Race 1 Qualifying: 4th (1:28.2173)
Race 1 Result: 1st

Race 2 Qualifying (TTSO): 9th (1:31.9662)
Race 2 Result: 6th

Race 3 Qualifying (TTSO): 1st (1:29.6792)
Race 3 Result: 1st

“This weekend, first round of the season, overall a great weekend. I mean, Friday was obviously a great start. Qualified fourth and then went on to win that race which was fantastic. First race with Ford, or first race back with Ford. That was a huge team effort, so to get that win was unreal.”

“Saturday was a little bit tougher for us. We got a bit of rain in the shootout which made it more difficult for a few runs and one of those was us, put us back a bit to start the race. To be honest we had a fantastic race. Take out a pit stop blunder and we had a fantastic race, but that fifteen second penalty for that blunder is a killer.
To recover to sixth then was an effort and a good effort, and even without the result we wanted it felt like every day we made a step forward with this car. It’s really good and we’re still learning so much about it.”

“Then Sunday was great! Car felt really good once again, made another huge step forward, was able to go from tenth in qualifying (pre-shootout) to first in the shootout and then really just manage the race from start to finish. Had some cool suit problems out there and combined with it being a super hot day here in Sydney… not great, made it a hard one. To be battling with that then battling with Kai (Allen) on track who’s fast and having a great weekend was tough there for a bit. It rained which changed things up, then he had a problem with his car so after that it was just managing everything to the finish.”

“But overall just stoked with the effort from the team. The amount of hard work that’s gone in over you know the past twelve months since we made that Ford announcement but really the last three months to get us in a position to lead the Championship after round one with this car is fantastic.”

Supercheap Auto and Triple Eight Race Engineering have revealed their 2025 Supercars Championship Wildcard livery that will feature on the team’s #888 Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Craig Lowndes and Zach Bates.

Attendees at a Supercheap Auto fan event at their flagship Everton Park store in Brisbane were the first to see the Camaro in its 2025 colours.

Supercars and motorsport fans were treated to the unveiling as the car drove in and parked out the front of the store with Zach Bates at the wheel, while Craig Lowndes introduced the car to a live breakfast TV audience on Weekend Sunrise.

This season’s rendition adds yellow accents to the trademark Supercheap Auto red with Lowndes’ long running 888 number featuring on the roof, and also features Supercheap Auto and the team’s partners across the car.

With ongoing support from long time naming-rights partner Supercheap Auto, the team also welcomes support from partners; Bendix, Bosch, Century Batteries, LOST, Sony, Sperling, ToolPRO, and Turtle Wax.

The Supercheap Auto Wildcard Camaro will be put through its paces at a test day at Queensland Raceway in July ahead the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 round of the Supercars Championship where Zach Bates will drive the Wildcard car as a solo entry.

The Wildcard drive at the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 in August will be Zach’s first solo race at the Supercars level and marks a rapid rise from winning the 2024 Super2 Series Championship to joining the Triple Eight team.

Lowndes and Bates will then co-drive at The Bend and Bathurst for the Enduro Cup portion of Supercars season.

Jamie Whincup, Managing Director, Triple Eight Race Engineering:

“We’re excited for the fifth year of the Wildcard campaign. We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve with the Supercheap Auto Wildcard program to date. There’s been some incredible results, and it’s an enjoyable program for us to run each year, and we love representing Supercheap Auto, alongside all of their valued Trade Partners that come onboard for the program.”

“We’ve continued the trend of having an established driver with an up-and-coming rookie, and I recognized that Zach was one of those up and comers and pushed hard for him to be in the car this year. We’ve got big expectations on the program. We want to get results of course, but we want to be just as good off track as we are on track. I know presentation and professionalism are right at the top of Supercheap Auto’s expectations, and that mirrors us at Triple Eight as well.”

“We have got some of the best crew in the entire field with the Wildcard program in Ty Freele and Wes McDougall who both understand how to win and have shown that for a long period of time. A great crew, paired again with Craig Lowndes, who we know always rises to the occasion. So, there’s no excuses – we’ll give it absolutely everything it deserves.”

Andre Korte, General Manager e-Commerce and Marketing, Supercheap Auto:

“The 2025 Supercheap Auto Wildcard is looking fantastic, and we’re excited to reveal this year’s livery as we launch into another thrilling season.”

“This year’s program sees Craig Lowndes return alongside rising star Zach Bates, marking an exciting new chapter in our ongoing support of Australian motorsport talent.”

“We’re proud of our partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering and the Supercheap Auto Wildcard program which is in its fifth consecutive season, reinforcing Supercheap Auto’s long-standing commitment to the sport and its passionate fanbase.”

Craig Lowndes, Driver #888 Chevrolet Camaro, Supercheap Auto Wildcard:

“It’s always a challenge to try and mix up the livery, but I think they’ve done a really, really good job this year, particularly with the silhouettes down the centre of the car. It definitely stands out. I think that as people get closer to the car, they’ll see the details of what’s going on. So that design side of it, I’m impressed with.”

“Supercheap Auto always puts on a great event, especially for launches. I always love and enjoy being part of it. They don’t hold back with the lengths that they go to for events like this. And, again, it’s just it’s all about the fans and the interaction of the people.”

“The benefit this year for the Wildcard program is that Zach has a Super2 Championship under his belt. He comes with another twelve months of experience on that side of it. He’s very mature. I also think that he understands the program because he sees what’s been going on over the last couple of years. And I’m really excited about using this as a platform for him to go further in his career like the drivers have in the past.”

Zach Bates, Driver #888 Chevrolet Camaro, Supercheap Auto Wildcard:

“It’s been a long-anticipated wait, but it’s definitely worth the wait. The second half of the year is going to be extremely exciting for the whole team. I’m very excited to represent Supercheap Auto and Triple Eight as we go into the Enduro season and a solo Wildcard appearance. The car looks awesome as always, and it’s exciting to see how much effort Supercheap Auto put into these launch events, it really is second to none for a smaller wildcard program such as this one.”

“It’s obviously an extremely exciting opportunity for me. I don’t think I’ve ever prepared as much as I have to be ready. The Triple Eight crew have been super welcoming at the workshop, and the Supercheap Auto team have been so awesome in getting me involved in everything. I am joining one of the most successful teams in Supercars and it’s this program is huge for my development – let alone teaming up with a guy like Craig Lowndes. It’s truly a dream come true, bring it on!”

Supercars Championship leader Broc Feeney has put the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs to the ultimate test, taking on his Supercar in a challenge of Tug of War.

NRL and NRLW players Matt Burton, Jacob Preston, Viliame Kikau, Tayla Preston, Alexis Tauaneai & Anglina Teekaraanga-Katoa went head-to-head against Broc Feeney’s Camaro. A vehicle that weighs over 1300kg and has 600+ horse power.

A simple game of Tug of War like you have never seen it before.

“It’s a hard cross over but at the same time, they are operating at the highest level of their sport, and we’re trying to operate at the highest level of ours.”

“I didn’t really know what to expect, but for it to come to life pretty quick has been a lot of fun.”

Feeney currently holds the championship lead at the halfway point of the Supercars Season, while the Bulldogs sit top spot on the NRL Ladder.

Broc Feeney
Driver #88 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing

Check it out here: https://youtu.be/bEJR4CILqnc 

Red Bull Ampol Racing team drivers Broc Feeney and Will Brown have both signed three-year contract extensions that will see them with the team until the end of the 2029 Supercars season.

Back in 2023 both Feeney and Brown signed contracts with Triple Eight until the end of 2026 with Will Brown joining the team as a replacement for Supercars Championship winner Shane Van Gisbergen at the time. This latest extension adds three years to the current contracts for both Red Bull Ampol Racing drivers.

The team announced the driver contract extensions in a video using fictional characters Wheeler and B-Feen, a throwback to the 2016 promotional videos featuring J Dub (Whincup), Cappy (Lowndes) and Gizzy (Van Gisbergen), the team’s drivers at the time.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/dsAGAzTomOQ

Brown, currently in his second year with Triple Eight, won the 2024 Supercars Championship in his first year with the Red Bull Ampol Racing team.

In his two seasons with Triple Eight, Brown has started forty-five Supercars races, winning six and finishing on the podium twenty-eight times. Consistent top-three finishes in 2024 saw Brown claim the 2024 Supercars Championship over teammate Broc Feeney by 222 points at the final round in Adelaide.

While at Triple Eight, Brown has also driven as a part of the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States in both 2024 and 2025, as well as competed in the Formula Regional Oceanic Championship for open wheel racing where he won the 2025 New Zealand Grand Prix.

Broc Feeney, currently leading the Supercars Sprint Cup going into the final round at Queensland Raceway, has been driving with the Red Bull Ampol Racing team since entering Supercars full-time in 2022 as a nineteen-year-old.

In his five seasons with Triple Eight, Feeney has started over one hundred Supercars races winning twenty-two and finishing on the podium forty-one times. Before being elevated to the Red Bull Ampol Racing team, Feeney drove as part of Triple Eight’s Wildcard program at Bathurst with Russell Ingall in 2021 after winning the Super2 series that same year.

2025 has been Feeney’s best season to date with nine pole positions and ten wins from twenty-one races.

Feeney and Brown will take to the track at Queensland Raceway for the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440, the Queensland-based team’s ‘home’ race from 8 August.

Triple Eight announced in early 2025 a move from GM after a sixteen-year relationship to be the Supercars Homologation Team for Ford as a part of a long term strategic and commercial partnership that will see the team race Ford Mustangs from 2026 driven by Feeney and Brown.

Jamie Whincup
Managing Director
Triple Eight Race Engineering

“In motorsport, it’s not easy to find a genuinely positive dynamic between two drivers. So to have two guys who not only get along well but are also fully committed to the bigger picture—driving each other forward and lifting the whole team—is something quite special.”

“That’s exactly why I’ve pushed hard to lock in this driver lineup for the long term. It’s a massive win for Triple Eight. Two of the best drivers in the field choosing to build their future here speaks volumes about what we’re creating.”

“At the end of the day, drivers want to be in the best machinery, with the best team around them. Will and Broc wouldn’t have made this commitment if they didn’t believe Triple Eight could continue to deliver at the highest level. Their decision is a huge vote of confidence in our crew and everything we stand for.”

“Personally, I just love what these two bring to the table. They are, without doubt, two of the most naturally talented drivers in the country. Their driving is dynamic and exciting—it’s the kind of stuff that makes people fall in love with the sport. But it’s their attitude that really stands out. They’ve both got an incredible work ethic, not just when the helmet’s on, but in everything they do. They’re the kind of people who return their shopping trolley to the rack when they’re done—genuinely good humans who care about the little things.”

“Their enthusiasm is infectious and aligns perfectly with the mindset we’re building here: glass half full, team-first, possibilities are endless. That kind of energy lifts everyone around them, and it’s a big reason why we’re so excited about the future.”

Will Brown
Driver #1 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing

“It’s cool to re-sign, obviously it’s fairly early, I had another year on my contract, but I think it’s cool after winning the Championship last year that the team has come to us and wanted to re-sign us sooner than later to lock us down.”

“For me there wasn’t a question mark, no question mark about the team in any way, I’m very happy here, the team does such a fantastic job. So to re-sign with this team is amazing and this soon makes it even better. Looking forward to having my future sewn up and just concentrating on the racing.”

“Obviously, you have Broc going pretty well, I was really happy to hear that both Broc and I signed on together. For me it’s about having a competitive teammate, which I absolutely do have this year that’s for sure. He’s been doing a fantastic job, but it pushes you to be better and it also keeps the team operating at a very high level, that’s all of our crew, all of our crew are the best of the best and if we can have that in drivers it sets us up.”

Broc Feeney
Driver #88 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing

“It’s awesome to sign a second contract with Triple Eight. After signing a long term deal initially, then to sign on for another multi year deal is really exciting.”

“For me, there was no other place that I’d rather be here in Australia and, you know, I’ve always loved being with Triple Eight here so it’s awesome to already be renewing for the future. I think the results this year are showing the strong relationship that we’ve got here, and Triple Eight’s not one to go through drivers, a lot of the guys have been here for a very long time, so hopefully I can continue to get the results and hopefully some big trophies to go with it in the next few years.”

“Obviously Will and I get along pretty well, it’s always good to get along really well and work together well and I think it’s really good for team and really good for the future, locking in younger guys that can stick around for a long time, it’s exciting. I mean, now I don’t have to think about anything else except for winning for another few years, which is a good mentality to have.”

After recently announcing his retirement from full time Supercars driving, Nick Percat has confirmed he will join Triple Eight Race Engineering and the Red Bull Ampol Racing team as a co-driver next season in the #88 car with Broc Feeney.

Red Bull Ampol Racing has announced its co-driver lineup for the 2026 Enduro Cup with incumbent Scott Pye and newly signed Nick Percat to join the team alongside Will Brown and Broc Feeney following the decision by Supercars legend Jamie Whincup to step back from co-driving.

Nick Percat, who made his Supercars debut in 2010, recently announced his retirement from full time driving. Over a fifteen year career in the sport Percat has delivered regular top ten Championship finishes highlighted by multiple race wins, victory at his home race in Adelaide, and a Bathurst 1000 title as a rookie with Garth Tander in 2011, his first attempt at The Mountain.

Percat, after finishing eighth in the 2024 Supercars season, made his full time Supercars driving retirement announcement mid-way through season 2025 while still in Finals contention. Percat will partner with Broc Feeney for Supercars rounds at The Bend and Bathurst next season.

Jamie Whincup, who started his racing career in karting and Formula Ford, has been a part of the Supercars Championship since 2002 in a driving career that has fans and those involved in the sport recognizing him as one of the greatest of all time. Whincup has won an unprecedented seven Supercars Drivers’ Championships, four Bathurst 1000 titles and over one hundred races from more than five hundred race starts. The most memorable moments from one of Australian motorsports’ most accomplished careers are a three peat win at the Bathurst 1000 in 2006, for the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy, then again in 2007 and 2008, and claiming six Supercars Championships in a dominant seven year stretch from 2008 with a seventh title in 2017.

In 2022, after retiring from full time Supercars driving, Whincup assumed the role of Managing Director of Triple Eight Race Engineering and Team Principal of the Red Bull Ampol Racing team where he has focused on building a successful future for Triple Eight. This will now be his sole focus, where key milestones already include a manufacturer and homologation team switch from GM to Ford, long term signings for current Supercars drivers Broc Feeney and Will Brown, establishing Triple Eight’s own Engine program and an expanding manufacturing arm for the business.

The confirmation that Nick Percat is joining the team as well as news current co-driver Scott Pye continuing on for a third season finalises the full driver line up for the Brisbane based squad ahead of a season that will also see Red Bull Ampol Racing change manufacturer and homologation team duties bringing new cars to track in 2026.

Scott Pye, who made his Supercars debut in 2013 and has won multiple races since, has been with Triple Eight Race Engineering since 2024 and will enter his third season co-driving for Will Brown at the Brisbane based team. The duo won the Sandown 500 on Pye’s debut with Triple Eight and backed that up with third at the Bathurst 1000 in 2024. Recently at The Bend round of the Enduro Cup, Scott Pye together with teammate Will Brown drove the #1 car from sixteenth on the grid to fourth place. Scott Pye will again partner with Will Brown for rounds at The Bend and Bathurst next season.

The 2026 Supercars Championship season will begin at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 20 with the Enduro Cup for co-drivers being held at The Bend on September 11 and Bathurst on October 8.

Nick Percat
Driver #88 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing

“I am extremely excited to be driving at Triple Eight and to be honest it was the only team I wanted to be with. Putting myself with the best possible team on and off the track with the calibre of staff and drivers at Triple Eight was the priority for me.”

“To be co-driving with Broc is very cool, to be with someone with such raw speed but also the dedication to go with it has me seriously excited. We’ve driven together before and also get along really well off track and out of the garage. I’ve also known Broc’s race engineer Marty since my early racing days so it was a perfect fit.”

“To be stepping into the seat Jamie was in is a bit of an honour. Jamie was the guy we all tried to beat for so long and his ability inside the car is seriously incredible. I was fortunate enough to have a few battles with him over the years but more often than not he was schooling all of us!”

“I’m excited to work closely with him and see how he goes about it all both as Managing Director but in the garage and in pit lane as well. Although he’s not in the #88 I’m sure there is still plenty he can teach me. Having a literal racer as your boss is pretty unique but a very big asset for us, the drivers.”

Jamie Whincup
Manging Director
Triple Eight Race Engineeering

“What a journey it’s been. Since starting my Triple Eight Race Engineering ownership back in 2018, I have always said I will continue to drive the car as long as the management team and I feel like I’m the best person for the job. In 2021 it was clear that Broc Feeney was ready to debut in Supercars and needed a break to get in. This allowed me to move into the teams Managing Director role which I’m continuing to love while striving to improve and be the best I can be there.”

“Now the opportunity has come up where a leading main game driver in Nick Percat has decided to pursue a co-driver role and we are thrilled he chose this team to do it with. I’ve absolutely loved my time with Broc and the #88 crew, there were people keen for me to continue on but I’ve made the call that Nick is our best chance for success to team up with Broc for next season. I truly feel the driver line up we’ll have in 2026 will compliment the rest of our superstar crew to give us the best chance to showcase what we do best.”

“I would like to officially welcome Nick to the Triple Eight family and I’m very grateful to have both Nick and Scott showing trust in us to deliver them fast and reliable race cars.”

“I’m not saying Bathurst was my last race in a Supercar. At this stage I will not be driving a Red Bull Ampol Racing race car in the 2026 or 2027 Enduros, and right now have no other plans but to continue to be a better Managing Director. I’m not shutting the door on driving ever again, it’s not something to read anything into either, right now have no other plans than Managing Director of Triple Eight and I’m looking forward to putting everything into that.”