Whincup takes 2011 Crown

Jamie Whincup has become a three-time V8 Supercar Champion after securing the title by just 35 points over team mate Craig Lowndes by securing an eighth place finish on the streets of Homebush yesterday.

Twelve months earlier Whincup relinquished the championship to rival James Courtney in the same race, thus sparking a twelve month hunt to get the number one back on his car, yesterday an eighth position in Race twenty-eight of the championship a calculating Whincup did enough to keep his car out of trouble and secure enough points to hold-out team mate Craig Lowndes who was searching for his first drivers championship in over a decade.

Typical to the Sydney Homebush event the day wasn’t short of drama with only nineteen cars finishing the race the most high profile outings being Paul Dumbrell (in the final race of his career) and Lee Holdsworth (in his final race for Garry Rogers Motorsport) who were running second and third respectively on lap 68 when they came together forcing both out of the race.

Dumbrell, chasing down Mark Winterbottom at the time, came up behind slower traffic in Dean Fiore which forced the Bottle-O Ford driver to take the corner wider, he spun and as he attempted to recover caught the front of Holdsworth’s car ending both of their days – the accident at the same time saw championship hopeful Craig Lowndes miss the carnage by mere millimetres.

The late safety car period saw Jamie Whincup rise to eighth on the road, meaning even if Craig Lowndes won the race he wouldn’t have enough points to snatch the championship, however it was the re-start by Whincup as the car’s took off for the final two flying laps that had competitors fuming. The leading championship hopeful sitting six car lengths back from the front of the pack to ensure he wasn’t involved in any further carnage.

Competitors behind him complaining on the radio that he was costing them the chance for last ditch positions on the track. While holding cars back to keep out of trouble Whincup at the same time would not relinquish any position to any of the following drivers who had attempted a move to try and get onto the podium.

Lowndes did everything he could to secure victory finishing just over half a second behind eventual event winner Mark Winterbottom, however due to the eighth place finish for Whincup it was all in vein as the younger of the pairing secured his third championship.

“We just had to finish today in any position. I was expecting Craig to charge through and get close to finish the race, so we knew we had to get better than 14th.” Jamie Whincup said following the race and after being crowned the 2011 series Champion.

“There were people going off left right and centre, I’ve never driven so softly believe it or not. On the restarts I was just trying to get clean air and stay out of the carnage, which there was plenty of.”

“At the end it has been a long year and a long week to be honest. Everyone has told me I was going to do this but it’s never done until it’s done. I’ve got a fantastic team with fantastic sponsors, and a fantastic team-mate who kept it professional and fought it out right to the end. ”

Race winner Mark Winterbottom from Ford Performance Racing said after his victory on his home track

“I am extremely happy to win here and the car has been a rocket all weekend. What I am most happy about though is how well the team has turned it all around this season. Since our win on the Gold Coast people wondered if we could back it up and I certainly think we have done that and then some. I am disappointed for Paul Dumbrell as he deserved a better result in his last race. But overall as a team we should be very proud about what we’ve achieved and learnt as we are qualifying and racing well. Next year is different again but we should be confident.”

“You have to be in the position to take the opportunity and the opportunity was there, I just didn’t take it. It was pretty tough to end things the way I did but I’ve been in V8 Supercars full-time for nine years and lived and breathed motorsport my whole life and been in many different situations so it comes with the territory. I wasn’t actually pushing at the time as we were nearly home, but that’s life. A podium would have been the best way to close this chapter, but that’s life and it didn’t happen.” Paul Dumbrell, who was in second when his race came to a shattering halt said.

While Ford Performance Racing Team Manager Tim Edwards said “To end the season with a win after all we have been through as a team throughout the season is very fitting and means we can head into the off-season knowing we have a car that can qualify and race well wherever we go. For Mark to win in his home town, not far from where he grew up, is a special thing and I’m sure makes it all the sweeter for him and by also sewing up third he’s shown what a fighting spirit he has. Paul looked destined for a fairytale finish but it just wasn’t to be. Will charged through the pack after trying to make the most of a strange situation at the start of the race with the weather. He and PD backed up Mark’s pace and showed we have the cars to do the job. To come back as we have and secure third in the drivers’ and second in the team points is a credit to everyone that works at FPR.”

“We just kept rolling the dice in qualifying and the race today, but we never quite got the numbers we wanted in qualifying and then the race as well, with the way the rain was there today,” said Rick Kelly.

“We should have started on slicks like Todd so we fell back a lot. Unfortunately the strengths of our Jack Daniel’s car just don’t suit being in traffic. As soon as we were back there I couldn’t do a lot about it.

“When I was in clear air at the start of the race on green tyres our pace was as good as anyone’s. I think we can take very positive things away from this weekend as far as the pace goes and just come back next year and try to qualify higher.

“It was good to finish the year. At the moment we are sixth in the championship but that’s before all the Stewards enquiries that are going on. If we manage to stay sixth that will be ace.”

“I had a lot of fun at the start there,” said Todd Kelly.

“I love those conditions when it’s wet and dry and no one knows what’s going on.

“Just before pit entry on the warm-up lap I said ‘I’m in, throw some slicks on’, which is always a pretty scary call.

“A heap of people did that and those first few laps I had a ball. You can take a lot of risks and get rewarded quite big for them.

“I picked off a lot of cars and the pace was pretty good. Then once it all dried out I was quite happy behind (Shane) van Gisbergen.

“I pushed a little bit hard and used the rears up trying to put a bit of pressure on him. I should have just sat there.

“I dropped back off him a little bit but still hard no drama staying there, then Garth (Tander) got behind me and fired me straight into the fence and snapped the steering out of it.

“It’s a bit of a shame. We could have trucked around a spot or two from where we were quite easily with how the car was. Certainly, after another pit stop and a fresh set of tyres, if I had managed them better the pace would have been quite good.

“It’s a shame to end the year like that. I would have quite liked to get a decent result today but you can’t help what is going on behind you.”

“We ran on slicks at the start, the start was stuffed up and they held us way too long, which cost us a bit of an advantage,” said Greg Murphy who finished eleventh and the championship in thirteenth.

“We went on our way and got through a fair few cars, but had a few moments along the way that were a little bit costly.

“But when it dried up and we were on level pegging with the field, we were just getting beaten up out there left, right and centre and didn’t have the pace to maintain position.

“Some of the things we have been trying to make better on the Pepsi Max Commodore all weekend were still not quite right so we got hit all over the place and fortunately we ended up 11th, so it could be a lot worse.”