Supercars star Jamie Whincup will retire from full-time driving at the end of the 2021 season.
Key points:
- Jamie Whincup has won a record seven Supercars titles
- Whincup finished fourth in last year’s Supercars championship
- Whincup will become team principle and has increased his ownership stake in the team
The seven-time Supercars winner will step out from behind the wheel and take over as team principal of Triple Eight Race Engineering at season’s end, the racing team announced on Wednesday.
“I have to thank everyone who has supported me during my driving career — family, friends, fans and partners,” Whincup said in a statement.
“I’ll be giving my all to making sure we deliver the best results possible in 2021.”
Whincup, 37, is the all-time record holder for Supercars Championship race wins, with 122 career victories — all coming with Triple Eight Racing.
He finished in fourth in the championship last year, winning four races as part of 14 podiums, although he crashed out of the Bathurst 1000.
Whincup joined Triple Eight racing as a 23-year-old in 2006, winning his very first race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and following up with the first of his four Bathurst 1000 titles.
His retirement from full-time driving is part of a succession plan for Triple Eight as co-founder Roland Dane steps back.
Whincup will take over from Dane as principal and managing director. He has also increased his ownership in Triple Eight to 19 per cent.
Dane said it was always the plan for Whincup to take the reins of the Supercars team since he expressed an interest years ago.
“I have every confidence that he will approach his new role with exactly the same motivation, diligence and competitive spirit that he brings to the track at every round,” Dane said in a statement.
Whincup will evaluate the option of co-driving with Red Bull Ampol Racing — the sponsored name of Triple Eight racing — in 2022, the team said.
Meanwhile businessman and GT driver Tony Quinn has purchased a 40 per cent stake in the team.
AAP/ABC
