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V8 Supercars: Teenager Broc Feeney to step into Jamie Whincup’s seat at Triple Eight

Todd Balym and Rebecca WilliamsNews Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
Triple Eight Race Engineering young gun Broc Feeney. Matthew Elkerton
Camera IconTriple Eight Race Engineering young gun Broc Feeney. Matthew Elkerton Credit: News Corp Australia

The greatest Supercar driver in history will be replaced by an 18-year-old after Red Bull Racing confirmed Broc Feeney will take the seat of seven-times series champ Jamie Whincup in 2022.

Feeney will join Shane van Gisbergen at Red Bull Ampol Racing in 2022 with Whincup set to take up the role as Managing Director and Team Principal.

Feeney, who turns 19 in October, currently leads the Super2 series and will partner veteran Russell Ingall in a wildcard entry at the Bathurst 1000 in November.

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Supercars young gun Broc Feeney has been named as Jamie Whincup’s replacemen at Triple Eight racing. Matthew Elkerton
Camera IconSupercars young gun Broc Feeney has been named as Jamie Whincup’s replacemen at Triple Eight racing. Matthew Elkerton Credit: News Corp Australia

“It’s an amazing opportunity for me to be replacing ‘The GOAT’, Jamie Whincup. It’s so surreal for me at the moment, but I think it will start to kick in at the start of next year,” Feeney told the Supercars website.

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“To be aligned with this amazing team in my Super2 season and to be promoted into the main series is a dream come true.

“To be honest, I always wanted to get to Supercars, but to be behind the wheel of a Red Bull Ampol Racing machine is pretty exciting.

“The Super2 season has been a very important year for me. I knew at the start of the year that there was an opportunity to replace Jamie, and it all depended on how my results went this year.

“To get four out of six wins this season and winning two out of three rounds has been a great opportunity for me, and this now feels like a big reward.

“My focus at the moment is winning the Super2 championship, and then we’ll set some goals for next year. It is hard to have expectations at the moment going into next season, but I just want to have a consistent year and learn as much as I can.

“Everyone says the rookie year is the toughest, but I’m looking forward to having a good and consistent year.”

Whincup believes Feeney can have just as much success at Triple Eight as the team had when they took a punt on signing him 15 years ago when he couldn’t land a drive.

“I think some people will look at this decision and think we would have gone in an ‘established driver’ direction, but we’re not a team that takes things conservatively,” Whincup said.

“We take risks at Triple Eight, we’re on the front foot and we have a crack and lead with our gut-feel, and it seemed right to give Broc the opportunity.”

Why Whincup can’t wait to reveal his successor

Supercars legend Jamie Whincup is backing Triple Eight’s new driver to be a future star of the sport as the powerhouse squad gets set to officially unveil his replacement on Tuesday.

After 20 years in the category, Whincup will retire from full-time driving at the end of the year with the seven-time champion to take over as team boss from Roland Dane.

Young gun Broc Feeney is favourite to land Whincup’s coveted seat to race alongside this year’s series leader Shane van Gisbergen from 2022.

Bathurst 1000
Camera IconJamie Whincup has five races left in his Supercars career. Credit: News Corp Australia

The highly-rated teenager leads the Super2 championship for Triple Eight and has already been called up to partner veteran Russell Ingall in a Bathurst 1000 wildcard this year.

The team will reveal Whincup’s successor on the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, Whincup could not confirm the team’s new driver but said he was excited to welcome new talent into the squad.

“One of the main reasons for me hanging the helmet up was to make sure I didn’t hold up an opportunity for a potential young talent to come in and show their skills,” Whincup said.

“I’m really excited for us to be able to sign on a new young kid with a whole future ahead of them.

“The driver has created an opportunity to drive one of the best cars in Supercars through nothing but hard work and dedication, which is fantastic.

Triple Eight Race Engineering young gun Broc Feeney. Matthew Elkerton
Camera IconTriple Eight Race Engineering young gun Broc Feeney. Matthew Elkerton Credit: News Corp Australia
Broc Feeney will team with Russell Ingall in a Triple Eight wildcard at the Bathurst 1000.
Camera IconBroc Feeney will team with Russell Ingall in a Triple Eight wildcard at the Bathurst 1000. Credit: News Regional Media

“It’s one of the best seats in the category and we all have, as motorsport fans, an opportunity to see what a young kid in the best equipment can do.”

Triple Eight’s new driver has big shoes to fill, replacing an all-time great with more titles, race wins and podiums than any driver in Supercars history.

Whincup acknowledged it would be hard for any newcomer to “set the world on fire in year one” but predicted the team’s new racer could be a future champion.

“With how fierce the competition is at Supercar level, it’s a hard ask for any newcomer to come in and dominate and really make a huge impact in the first year,” Whincup said.

“He has done a fantastic job to absolutely earn this position and if he continues on the same trajectory, and continues with the same values and same work ethic, then 100 per cent he can be a consistent race winner.

“Hence why we have picked him. We haven’t gone out and chosen someone we thought was going to run midpack.”

Whincup was an emerging talent when he first signed with Triple Eight in 2006.

Now 38, Whincup is still chasing an unprecedented eighth Supercars crown, sitting second in this year’s championship to teammate van Gisbergen with five scheduled rounds remaining.

The four-time Bathurst 1000 champion admitted the new driver announcement had made his decision to call time on his full-time racing career hit home.

“I must admit, it did hit me one morning. I thought ‘Hang on a sec, we have got two cars and now we have got two drivers and one of them is not me’,” Whincup said.

“I can’t change my mind now, there is no seat left. I did have a bit of a shock moment then quickly saw the funny side of it.”

Originally published as V8 Supercars: Teenager Broc Feeney to step into Jamie Whincup’s seat at Triple Eight

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