Photo: V8 Supercars

Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight celebrate early double titles

Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering secured both the drivers’ and teams’ title after the penultimate V8 Supercars round of 2014 at Phillip Island.
“It’s always nice to gather up the championship with a race win. It’s a bit of a weird feeling to lock away the championship with a round to go because there is still a lot of pride on the line for the final races and we don’t want to let ourselves down right to the very end,” said Whincup.

Whincup secured his record breaking sixth V8 Supercars title after winning the second race of the weekend, a title Whincup labels as special.

“It’s a great result and full credit to the entire team, the car was fantastic. It’s a special championship win because this year has thrown up its own challenges particularly with our mid-year slump. Had we won, lost or drawn, I’m proud of how we’ve been able to turn that slump around, there’s a lot of grinding that goes on behind the scenes with the whole team and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that.

“Having won six championships is a weird feeling that I can’t describe at the moment. I’m sure it will mean everything when I look back at it and it has a chance to sink in. My motivation and love for racing is higher than ever and I’m looking forward to enjoying the next few races.”

Two top ten finishes in the final race of the weekend for Whincup and team mate Craig Lowndes saw the team securing the 2014 team title as well.

“All in all it was a very memorable weekend, one we will remember for a long time and we still got some fantastic points from today, so an awesome team effort. Today also sealed the V8 Supercars Teams Championship for us so we’re all proud of our efforts and looking forward to the Sydney 500 in three weeks,” said Whincup.

Lowndes is still in with a shot at the runners-up spot in the championship, currently trailing Ford Performance Racing driver Mark Winterbottom by 95 points in third position.

Note that the titles are provisional as any point reducing penalty in the season finale in Sydney could theoretically change the result.