Motorsport: Whincup gets a hand to bag all-time record

Jamie Whincup drives the #88 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Holden in Sydney. Photo / Getty Images

Defending series champion Shane van Gisbergen helped Red Bull Holden Racing teammate Jamie Whincup to win Sunday's race at the Sydney SuperSprint.

With a lead late in the race but on older tyres van Gisbergen and his team opted to release his teammate and ensure the slightly faster Whincup could avoid being caught by chasing cars on fresher tyres.

The selfless act cost the Kiwi any chance of win - although the chasers were clearly going to catch him - but it meant Whincup could record his record 106th career race win and surpass Craig Lowndes at the top of the wins list. It also brought the six-time champion to within 12 points of championship leader Scott McLaughlin.

Saturday race winner Fabian Coulthard finished second, passing van Gisbergen with a couple of laps to go while McLaughlin took fourth having started from pole.

Earlier McLaughlin recorded his 13th pole position of the season to equal the record for most in a season but he botched the start and dropped to fifth by the end of the first lap.

Whincup was excited about getting the race win more than the all-time record.

"It felt good. The car was good - I got a good start," he said.

"Thanks to my teammate - we look after each other here at Red Bull - he let me through.
"I'm not getting too excited with the numbers but happy to get the win today."

Coulthard, who had been sick across the weekend, backed up his Saturday win with a valuable second place to improve his championship standings.

"I had a good battle with Shane - he had a good car and mine was better in others and I had a little more tyre left," Coulthard said.

Despite giving up the lead van Gisbergen was happy with how his race played out.

"It was pretty awesome. I let Jamie go because he was much quicker," he said. "Then Scotty and all the boys caught and I definitely wasn't letting Scotty go.

"I was just slowing up every corner to get a good exit so they couldn't get me at the next one."

The series moves switches to endurance mode with the first of three events next month at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne.

Championship Standings
Scott McLaughlin 2058 points
Jamie Whincup -12
Fabian Coulthard -107
Shane van Gisbergen -258
Chaz Mostert - 264