Whincup dominates season finale in Newcastle as McLaughlin seals 2019 title

Jamie Whincup powers to victory

Jamie Whincup has taken out the season finale at the Coates Hire Newcastle 500, but it was not enough to prevent Shell V-Power Racing taking the teams’ title.

Polesitter Whincup held off a rejuvenated Fabian Coulthard, who scored his second podium of the weekend to head into the summer break on a high.

Coulthard’s championship-winning teammate Scott McLaughlin ran fourth, with Shane van Gisbergen recovering to seventh after running a three-stop strategy from 21st on the grid.

Joining Whincup and Coulthard on the podium was Tim Slade in a feel-good story as the Brad Jones Racing driver stares down the barrel of being without a full-time drive in 2020.

But it was Whincup who bounced back from a mistake in yesterday’s race to take full momentum into the off-season with his fifth win of the year, equaling van Gisbergen’s mark.

It also was the Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s seventh straight race win, having taken out every start since McLaughlin’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 triumph where the team allegedly cheated to win.

Back-to-back titles for McLaughlin

“I'm really proud of everyone, they fought hard until the end," Whincup said.

“We didn't have that much performance at the start of the year, but we chipped away and two wins this weekend for the team gives us confidence going into next year that we can certainly be contenders.

“Hopefully we can take it to them next year, but congratulations to Scotty, he did a great a job."

Meanwhile, Penske driver Scott McLaughlin claimed his place in history as a two-time Virgin Australia Supercars Champion.

The 26-year old kiwi hoisted the Championship trophy high above the streets of Newcastle following this afternoon’s final race of 2019 at the Coates Hire Newcastle 500.

He becomes just the tenth driver to etch his name into the elite group of back-to-back title winners in Australasia’s toughest racing category, following a dominant 2019 in which the Shell V-Power Mustang driver recorded:

• 18 Championship Race Victories (new record)
• 15 ARMOR ALL Pole Positions
• 22 Podium Finishes
• ARMOR ALL Pole Position Award
• The Darwin Triple Crown (first-ever time it’s been won)
• Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Victory
• Fans’ Choice – Most Popular Driver

It was an emotional day for McLaughlin who had plenty of highs and lows in 2019, before he was able to skid across the scenic Newcastle street circuit and celebrate this year’s title victory this afternoon in front of thousands of fans.

"I'm so glad to finally be able to celebrate with my team," McLaughlin said.

"We won the teams championship too, that's bloody awesome. Pissed off I didn't blow both tires [in the burnout], I blew one of them. I'm just glad it's all done and we can party now, I can't wait to have a few beers tonight.

"I think anytime an organization can win 18 wins in a single car, but then 20 wins as an organization is pretty impressive.

"When chips are down, like Gold Coast after the crash there, to come back and we don't care what's been said, we just get on with it and I couldn't be prouder."

For the record this afternoon’s race was won by Jamie Whincup, the 118th of his career with Fabian Coulthard and Tim Slade third.

"I'm really proud of everyone, they fought hard until the end," Whincup said.

"We didn't have that much performance at the start of the year, but we chipped away and two wins this weekend for the team gives us confidence going into next year that we can certainly be contenders.

"It wasn't much of a battle, unfortunately car #17 disappeared up the road a bit, but hopefully we can take it to them next year, but congratulations to Scotty he did a great a job."

The result sealed another victory for McLaughlin and his Ford teammate Fabian Coulthard – the coveted 2019 Teams Championship. That means the pair will start from the critical position of front of pit lane in 2020.

Today’s result means van Gisbergen finishes Championship runner up to McLaughlin for the second year in a row, while Whincup is third and Coulthard finishes fourth.

Chaz Mostert and David Reynolds were next and finish in front of the Tickford Mustang trio of Cam Waters, Will Davison and Lee Holdsworth while Nick Percat equaled his career-best finish of 10^th place.

Macauley Jones finished the best of the two rookies, two places ahead of Nissan’s Garry Jacobson, with both expected to be on the grid again in 2020.

Drivers will head to Sydney tomorrow night for the awarding of the highest individual honor in the category, the Barry Sheene Medal.

Race Summary

Holdens have won all the races since race officials investigated the Penske Ford team for cheating. Hmmmmm

Starting second, Cameron Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) shadowed Whincup in the opening laps before stopping on Lap 5. 10 laps later, McLaughlin stopped and took on more fuel as Tickford gambled Waters on track position.

That plan came into effect once the Safety Car was called following an awkward collision at the exit of Turn 2 between James Courtney and Anton De Pasquale. While Courtney managed to return the #22 Walkinshaw Andretti United ZB Commodore to the lane with a right-rear puncture, De Pasquale’s damaged car was buried in the Turn 6 barrier. Courtney was later pinged for an unsafe release in the pit lane and earned a drive-through penalty.

At the front, Tickford blinked and stopped Waters on Lap 49, with the black and green Mustang taking on 27 seconds of fuel due to the earlier short-fuel stop. Whincup pitted a lap later and retook the effective lead, and was followed by Coulthard. McLaughlin was brought in one lap later, and the sequence filed through before spots of rain set the pit lane into a flurry of tension.

For the second day running, the weather didn’t eventuate, but once James Golding seemingly buried the #34 Boost Mobile ZB Commodore into the Turn 2 barrier, a possible late-race Safety Car loomed to bring the leaders together.

Golding escaped, and the race raged on as Saturday winner Shane van Gisbergen – having recovered to run long after starting 21st – stopped on Lap 77 and battled through to seventh.

However, it was teammate Whincup who proved his pace to oust Coulthard by 2.1s, with Slade just 1.6s back as the checkered flag flew at a time-certain 93 laps.

“Really proud of everyone, they just fought hard right to the end," said Whincup after the race.

“We didn’t have that much performance at the start of the year but we chipped away, chipped away, (and) got two wins this weekend for the team.

“It gives us confidence going into next year that we can certainly be contenders."

Newcastle Race 2 Results