So you are Jamie Whincup....

[Micklegend]

you are on the verge of winning a 3rd championship, have won Bathurst a few times, won races in Holdens and Fords, multiple race wins, some easier than others....whats next?

Clearly JW has nothing much left to prove in the V8s and Im sure if the opportunity arose, he would go offshore to take on another challenge.

This may be another topic that was done a year or two ago, but given his continued success, its worth reviving.

So, is he now a wasted talent in V8s? Where does he go, what does he do? Backing permitting, where would people like to see him next?

[peckstar]

29 next year, still young, but is he too old for something else?

does he have family ties in australia?

[D.R.T.]

He has spoken about NASCAR but I hope this isnt the case.

Sportscars, WTCC would be interesting

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

He has spoken about NASCAR but I hope this isnt the case.

Sportscars, WTCC would be interesting

are those two categories really a step up for him,

[Senna05]

If he could worm his way in, a good seat in a Le Mans program would be a fantastic opportunity. While we don't often hear of the Pagenaud's, Bordais' and co, they don't seem to be short of a coin.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by peckstar

are those two categories really a step up for him,

I would think so.

Sportscars are a definite step up from touring cars and as a domestic touring car champion, competing for a world touring car title would be a natural progression.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

I would think so.

Sportscars are a definite step up from touring cars and as a domestic touring car champion, competing for a world touring car title would be a natural progression.

The cars may be a step up. The series is not. ALMS is really a rich amateur series with just a handful of cars. LMS in Europe is not that much different. It's really just a one event calendar it's not a full time gig unless you're with Audi or Peugeot and even then half their drivers race in other series to keep their miles up.

So, no, sportscars is definately not an option. GT is harder to say. Is Whincup really going to go overseas to race much less often as a class car in ALMS/LMES? Really no. Other GT series are really amatuer series and there is no real benefit to Whincup to race there.

He's too old now for open-wheel. WTCC? Whincup would be paid less to race unfamiliar cars on unfamiliar circuits, be a support category at some meetings, in cars with significantly less power than V8s?

The only series that might hold any appeal that is practical is the World GT Championship and they are in total upheaveal this off-season. It would be brave to commit to a team in that series.

Or DTM I suppose, but none of the teams in DTM would be willing to commit to Whincup.

USA? Ambrose left not just because of the challenge of breaking into America but also because of a few fueds he'd built up and he really no longer liked racing V8 Supercar. Is Whincup really similarly discontented with V8 Supercar so much he'd be willing to do that?

Seriously this is just speculation for the sake of speculation. He ain't going nowhere. Maybe like Jason Bright in the past he might be able to do the occasional race overseas in another category, like a Le Mans or Nurburgring, but it's not that serious.

Brock, Johnson, Skaife, Moffat all of those other top guys for 30 years have been happy enough to race here all their careers. Why would Whincup be different just because Ambrose made the jump?

[porsche91722]

If he were to go overseas, he'd have to go now. At 28, he's not exactly over the hill, but to crack a drive in any top team, or should I say, any teams in any of the major series, he would be jumping the queue over lots of talented younger guys on the way up. To my knowledge, he hasn't done much real endurance racing, so most of the main sports car teams wouldn't be showing too much interest. I don't follow NASCAR closely, but it appears to me that other than the circuits, Ambrose, although doing quite well for himself, hasn't exactly set the world on fire over there. One token Aussie might be enough for them at the moment.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by porsche91722

If he were to go overseas, he'd have to go now. At 28, he's not exactly over the hill, but to crack a drive in any top team, or should I say, any teams in any of the major series, he would be jumping the queue over lots of talented younger guys on the way up. To my knowledge, he hasn't done much real endurance racing, so most of the main sports car teams wouldn't be showing too much interest. I don't follow NASCAR closely, but it appears to me that other than the circuits, Ambrose, although doing quite well for himself, hasn't exactly set the world on fire over there. One token Aussie might be enough for them at the moment.

All things considered I think Ambrose has done pretty good with what has had to work with and his experience.

Overall, the only realistic option for Whincup is Nascar.

There are guys that make a living as guns for hire in sportscar racing, but it would be a step down for Whincup.

In Europe your only realistic option is to have a factory drive in something like DTM.

In the past when I heard interviews with Whincup, it didn't sound to me he was too into being in motorsport past 30 years old and seemed to have other plans and interests in his life. What those are, dunno, but it will be interesting to see what he assesses as the time goes on. When you're in a great team and have everything at your fingertips, it would be hard to give that up I would think.

[Belly13]

Interesting to see if he does what Lowndes did when he was at the height of his powers - join a not-so-developed team. I suppose the $$$ attracted Lowndesy in the first place to Gibson Motorsport, but the challenge of taking a team from scratch to the top (potentially) was an opportunity he wanted to take.

[F J Nedos]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

In the past when I heard interviews with Whincup, it didn't sound to me he was too into being in motorsport past 30 years old and seemed to have other plans and interests in his life. What those are, dunno, but it will be interesting to see what he assesses as the time goes on. When you're in a great team and have everything at your fingertips, it would be hard to give that up I would think.

Perhaps he might take up tap dancing...

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by peckstar

are those two categories really a step up for him,

Absolutely!! Both are genuine worldwide categories, they would put JW on a world stage.

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

WTCC? Whincup would be paid less to race unfamiliar cars on unfamiliar circuits, be a support category at some meetings, in cars with significantly less power than V8s?

A car with less power means you have to be smoother. It would show just how good he really is IMHO. Step out of the comfort zone and challenge himself.
Good move I say.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Absolutely!! Both are genuine worldwide categories, they would put JW on a world stage.

see falcadores post, he disagrees with you and explains why

[R4z3rw33n]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Absolutely!! Both are genuine worldwide categories, they would put JW on a world stage.

Originally Posted by peckstar

see falcadores post, he disagrees with you and explains why

The post raised some pretty valid points - in regards to sportscar racing, it also neglected to acknowledge there's now a World Endurance Championship.
You could also argue that, if one were planning on competing in a GT category, ALMS would be the series to run - given the level of professional competition at present.

[bluesport]

I hope Whinky goes to NASCAR. It would be great to see him do battle with Ambrose at the "Glen" and other road courses.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

WTCC? Whincup would be paid less to race unfamiliar cars on unfamiliar circuits, be a support category at some meetings, in cars with significantly less power than V8s?

Wouldn't part of the challenge be learing unfamiliar circuits and learning to drive unfamiliar cars?

V8Supercars are a support category at two of their events next year (Albert Park and Abu Dhabi), no difference there as the WTCC is only a 'support race' at the Macau GP.

What does the car having less power than a V8Supercar have to do with anything?

[GTRMagic]

I think Mr Whincup's next move will be an interesting one.

From all appearances, Mr Whincup's speed comes from a meshing of a very strong engineering package from the team, an engineer that knows how to interpret the feedback from the driver, and a 100% commitment from the pilot to focus solely on motor racing.

If you break that down a little, Mr Whincup wakes up on every race weekend knowing that his race car will be at or close to the best on grid every time he goes out. Its a confidence builder for sure. Plenty of resources, plenty of smart blokes, plenty of spare parts.. great spot on pitlane.. plenty of commitment. And love.

Does going to the same circuits every year with the same setup in the book from the year before with ostensibly the same car as the year before really continue to float his boat?

Would Mr Whincup feel the same if he 'did a Lowndes' and showed up at somewhere like LDM, and had the challenge of bringing a smaller team to the front? Could he do the business from a smaller team, without 40 people with serious engineering degrees and aerospace experience? Does this even interest him?

Mr Whincup is known in the sport as a bit of a data junkie.. of taking his MoTeC squiggly lines home on his laptop, overlaying his teammates' results, last year's results, anything he can get some kind of guide on.. and trying to learn more about taking a different approach to corners, to lines on the straights.. to doing things a different way, to see if it yields a gain.

But how would Mr Whincup go in a series that is completely data systems free, like NASCAR? Where the experience a driver has is a closely guarded secret in terms of setup, where a crew chief has to interpret what the driver is saying, and modify the myriad settings options based solely on those thoughts, and feedback as to their success or failure from the same source. Is Mr Whincup any good at setting a car up, or more accurately, tuning a car from an existing setup without the benefit (crutch?) of data acquisition tools?

The biggest factor in racing anywhere is the sponsorship backing that affords a driver the luxury of being a race car driver in the first place. Does Mr Whincup enjoy meeting fans, signing autographs, doing media work, glad handing sponsors in order to keep his show on the road? Some say he isnt very good at this side of the sport, his customary patter is repetitive, dull and not particularly engaging. Mr Whincup has written on occasion that he is overloaded with promotional activity, sometimes calling the load "disgusting". Does this suggest that the pilot does not appreciate how the bills are paid?

What does any of this mean? Well there is no doubt Mr Whincup is a multi time V8Supercar championship winner, a multi time Bathurst winner. And that at the height of his powers, in a team at the height of theirs, he is extremely strong.

How do you land a role in another series that offers similar opportunities? DTM fits well enough, with cars designed by NASA and run by them.. with a win centric focus.. largely free of sponsor requirements, with the manufacturer fulfilling most of the financial commitments, and some other brand on there for the show... Plenty of data around, maybe not so many teammates willing to be open and help though.. the challenge of new tracks.. a new country (the $125k wakeboard boat would have to stay in the garage on the Gold Coast) to live in...

In the same way, I dont know if NASCAR would be good for Mr Whincup, the lack of pure technology to aid the development process might be a hindrance to his success too.

Sportscar racing is a good way to make a living as a pro driver, the likes of Mr Simonsen runs in several series for different teams, earning kudos for his performance, and an income to maintain the lifestyle... but its a tough gig, with many many competitors for the same seats, and programs that can warm up and go cold at the whim of the patron..

Can/has the connection been made? Mr Lowndes & his management have gone out of their way to engage the Audi people, and some use of the McLaren/Mercedes links as well.

Does Mr Whincup's manager have the connections to even knock on the door of the guys at Mercedes, at BMW and ask about a DTM test with a view to a permanent ride?

Too many questions..

[Micklegend]

Lots of good questions there GTR, I took it from reading his book that his focus first is as a driver, sponsors and fans are a necessary evil.

In the times I have come across him in the paddock he has never been particularly engaging despite stopping for a photo or signature, and these times were not particularly hectic. No disrespect, he is a decent bloke who took time out when asked, but im sure im not the only person to see him dart into a tent, truck or dunny to avoid a crowd.

I think his management is the key here to see where he can succeed, and my observations from Nascar are that the Aussie thing has been done with Ambrose, the fans there and media have taken to him as he respected his opposition from day one, and its taken a few years to gain any street cred, now paying dividends with his current ride and increased media exposure. Another Aussie there may be a hard slog.

Is there leverage with Vodafone or Roland that may see him become a big thing elsewhere?

Im sure no one would want to see him fail, perhaps some time out to test the waters elsewhere may not be a bad thing. With the right backing of course.

[Driver TBA]

Thers no doubting Whincup's talent, but he is a very bland person. I neither like or dislike him, there's just nothing very inspiring about him.

He has comprehensively flogged his teamate for the last 6 years, yet Lowndes remains far more popular. Have a look at the cult following Lowndes, Skaife and Ambrose built up during their 'dominant' periods to see Whincup lacks something.

Would he have the commitment to NASCAR after watching how hard it's been for Ambrose?

I'd love to see him have a crack at DTM or even WTCC. Maybe some Vodafone contacts might help?

[mountainstar]

Good analysis GTR. Well thought out.

[emjaya]

Originally Posted by Driver TBA

Thers no doubting Whincup's talent, but he is a very bland person. I neither like or dislike him, there's just nothing very inspiring about him.

That phrase could describe three quarters of the grid.

[billybanana]

Don't really see any reason for him to leave. He can stay here, continue to dominate and earn a very good living. Is that enough for him ? I suspect so.

[Neil Hart]

How many boats can you waterski (wakeboard?) behind? As my mate Gordon Gekko is want to say..

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by one five five

Wouldn't part of the challenge be learing unfamiliar circuits and learning to drive unfamiliar cars?

Yes it would, if Jamie is bored with V8 Supercars. Does he look bored? Do you think he's one of the very very small number of athletes who will put aside a very comfortable life and career for something very high risk? Paul Tracy is a driver loved and respected by many, but he turned the opportunity to try Formula One down because Champ Car was looking after him very well. Alex Zanardi was prepared to put it all on the line to return to F1 after success in Champ Car, and very embarssingly and mystifingly failed. When he got back to Champ Car he wasn't as good. Couldn't get to a good team and was running mid-field until his accident. Similarly Sebastien Bourdais was one of the most lauded Champ Car drivers in history, but after the F1 gamble came apart for him he is limping from part time Indycar program to part-time Sports Car program.

While Montoya has made it in NASCAR and Ambrose has clawed his way in the list of recent NASCAR failures is long and immensely distinguished. Dario Franchitti, Christian Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve, AJ Allmendinger is almost gone, NASCAR sucks careers up whole and people are never heard of again. Why do you think Danice Patrick has been so very cautious when she could have made the transition five years ago?

NASCAR is just about the most idiosyncratic major motor sport series on the planet, you would want to be very sure of yourself to make the transition.

V8Supercars are a support category at two of their events next year (Albert Park and Abu Dhabi), no difference there as the WTCC is only a 'support race' at the Macau GP.

Yeah but look at the quality. Support race for Formula One is a bit different to support race for Formula 3.

What does the car having less power than a V8Supercar have to do with anything?

Because it has always been more difficult to move from a more powerful car to a less powerful car than vice versa. It's a lesson learned by a great many over time.

Some drivers can jump from category to category very well, some become trapped within the idiosyncrasies of the category they spend a significant portion of their career in. Whincup has almost no experience of racing cars beyond V8s. The last time he raced anything else was Formula Ford wasn't it? A very long time ago now.