Whincup extends comfort zone
Jamie Whincup and Jason Bright continued their winning ways from Bargbagallo three weeks ago, sharing a win apiece at Winton over the weekend. The win and second place – the same haul he collected in Western Australia – means XXXX GOLD ambassador Whincup extends his Championship lead to a whopping 262 points after 11 races. As those behind battle ferociously to get in the top ten, Whincup seems to be able to rack up podiums with ease and consistency.
Bright’s win was an emotional one for the Brad Jones Racing team, based just up the road from Winton at Albury, with Jason Richards, missing from the V8 Supercar grid as he continues his cancer treatment, joining teammate Bright on the podium.
It was a welcome relief for Bright and BJR as dark clouds threatened to turn the concluding laps into a lottery. In fact, soon after the race as the drivers stepped off the podium, the clouds opened and showered Winton with heavy rain – so much so that the Formula 3 race had to be cancelled.
It was also a welcome relief for the large number of fans who were heading home as the heavens opened, as they avoided a drenching while watching the V8s. Particularly thankful were the big number of campers who spent the weekend at Winton, who in the main had packed up and were heading home as the rain came. They were there in big numbers this year, enjoying the V8s by day and partying/chilling at night. And it’s fair to say they were few bleary eyes by Sunday night…
Thankfully there’ll be little chance of rain at the next event on the V8 Supercars calendar in three weeks time, when the circus escapes the winter blues with a trip north to Hidden Valley – one of the most popular trips on the calendar. Can anyone stop Whincup when we head up north?
