Asian Motor Sports

Jamie Whincup chose one of the biggest stages on the V8 Supercar calendar to secure his maiden win in the series with victory in the second race of the Clipsal 500 weekend in Adelaide.

After finishing third in race one – a race won by Team Betta Electrical team-mate Craig Lowndes – Whincup picked up his first race win since securing the Australian Formula Ford title in 2002 to establish himself as one of the early front-runners in the race for the 2006 championship crown.

The only drama of the day for Whincup was a poor start, when he dropped from third on the grid to eighth, but the decision to bring him in early for his opening pit-stop meant that 23-year-old was able to drive at his own pace without worrying about being stuck in traffic.

The important part of the race came on lap #22 when a safety car allowed Whincup to make his fuel stop, while his rivals were making their first stops for tyres. This vaulted him into the leading pack of cars; which then became the lead when they all made their own fuel stops.

The race was punctuated by a multi-car accident that included Lowndes, James Courtney, Brad Jones, Jose Fernandez and Cameron McConville but when the safety car pulled in Whincup was able to retain the lead – as he did later in the race when the safety car was again called out following an accident involving Mark Skaife and Greg Murphy.

The victory means Whincup holds the championship lead going into the non-championship race at the Australian Grand Prix next weekend, with a five point lead over Rick Kelly – who also claimed two podium finishes from the opening round of the year.

“What a thrill, a perfect way to start my career with Team Betta Electrical and Ford,” Whincup said. “The team gave me a great car and all the right calls from the pits. It’s amazing to be part of such a professional outfit.

“I’m delighted for not just myself, but also for the younger group of drivers in this championship. I know that I’m not the only young driver that can really challenge the established stars. The only thing I’m not so happy about was my start. I’ll take a good look at improving that part of my driving.

“The key to our result today was that we set our own plan with the early pit stop. The guys told me to put my head down and work towards the middle part of the race. The safety car fell perfectly for us, as we just came into the fuel window to make it to the end. The job was by no means then done. I had to fight all the way as I had Todd giving me plenty.

“To not only win, but also lead the championship has far exceeded my aim before this weekend. Now I need to make sure I can remain consistent for the next championship race in New Zealand.”

However Whincup refused to get too carried away with the victory and said it was too early in the season to be talking about a title challenge, preferring instead to look at the season on a race-by-race basis.

“I have had to earn my place in this championship and I know that I can’t rest on this result,” he said. “Today was the first race I had led since Formula Ford in 2002. In many ways I had to remember how to not just lead again, but also protect that lead.

“I’m not going to say that I’m a championship contender. The lessons I’ve learnt over the past four years has taught me to never look so far ahead. I really concentrate on how I perform as apposed to the results sheet. I must say that this weekend I was happy with both!

“My life has changed so much since coming to Team Betta Electrical. First of all I actually left home! The major factor is that I have never worked so close with a team before. I have exactly the same equipment as Lowndes and that is a clear sign of my role in the team; I’m not the second fiddle.

Via Crash Net)