The V8 Supercars season might be just around the corner, but fans, teams and their respective drivers are still faced with the same problem – no one seems to be able to compete with Triple Eight Racing.
Triple Eight have been the picture of dominance over the last decade in the Supercars Championship, with their key drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes dominating everything.
To put it in a numerical value, they have won seven of the last nine drivers championships – that’s an insane figure and among the most dominant runs in any sport.
Whincup has done most of the damage, but there is no questioning, at least early in his run, how much he has benefited from the knowledge of the more senior Lowndes who has been competitive but hasn’t won the championship in Triple Eight’s run of domination.
Shane Van Gisbergen, one of the most aggressive drivers in the field, came into the fold last year and did some of his best work, not only beating everyone else but getting the better of his teammates to snatch an elusive first drivers championship.
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It was little wonder they won the best team award and in the lead-up to the new season, which gets underway with the Clipsal 500 around the streets of Adelaide, very little looks like changing.
Rather than asking which driver is going to win the 2017 championship, it feels like the question on everybody’s lips is ‘which Triple Eight driver is going to win the championship?’
It’s a scary thought to be saying that with the season just around the corner, but it follows a bit of a trend in motorsport at the moment, because it was no different in Formula One last year as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton drove their Mercedes away from… well, everyone.
The only remaining question is can anyone stand up to Triple Eight and take the championship away from the now Holden Factory team for the first time since 2015 when Mark Winterbottom, driving for Prodrive, secured his first?
‘Frosty’ has to be one of the odds-on favourites to cause an upset. Even though Ford are no longer putting money into the category, his Prodrive team have been there and thereabouts over the last number of years, and the breakthrough in 2015 came as little surprise.
It was a matter of when Winterbottom was going to win the championship, rather than if. The same question is being asked about his second championship as well.
Winterbottom’s biggest challenge for the championship may come from within his own team, though, with Cameron Waters being one of the up-and-comers of the field.
Long marked as the pathway to the V8s, Waters won the Dunlop Series in 2015 before finishing 19th in the drivers championship last year, headlined by a fourth-place finish at Bathurst alongside fellow youngster Jack Le Brocq.
It would be fair to say Waters had very little luck driving in the top category last year, and even though it’s no longer the Ford Factory team, the Prodrive setup is an extremely professional one that has the tools and ability to reward good drivers.
The fact that Waters has been with them for some time means he has always been earmarked as one of the most talented young drivers in the country, and he showed it at Bathurst last year. While it might be a bridge too far to suggest he could actually win the Championship, he will certainly take the fight to the Triple Eight racers.
The other team racing with the blue oval on the front of the car in 2017 will be DJR Team Penske, with Fabian Coulthard always a force to be reckoned with.
The Kiwi, like Van Gisbergen, races aggressively more often than not but is yet to take the next step to become a real contender.
When there is only one other team not racing as Holden, it doesn’t fill anyone with great confidence either. The Nissans, racing with the Kellys at the helm, have struggled since they came into the category. No positive results have come from them and the pressure is on to succeed with Volvo pulling out during the off-season.
As for the rest of the Holden teams, it’s hard to see any competing with Triple Eight now they are the factory team. Walkinshaw Racing, who used to be the factory team, will have a point to prove, with James Courtney staying on, joined by youngster Scott Pye who will have the famous no.2 on the door.
The other team who may be able to cause an upset is Garry Rogers Motorsport. Back in the Holden colours, Garth Tander will be at the helm alongside James Moffatt.
Moffatt has had some impressive results over the last few years, while Tander will have plenty to prove. One of the most experienced drivers in the field, Tander will have a fire burning after he was cut from the Walkinshaw set-up at the end of last season.
The bottom line heading into 2017 is that the Triple Eight racing team, led by Whincup, are the favourites without a doubt and it’s up to the rest to stick it to the man, or else we might as well award the trophy to the boys from the Holden Factory team now.
speedyd
Guest
i agree with scott i want to know differant on there car's i know there are a lot of cheats out there you only have to read about the penaltys each week (nascar) and usally gm cars i know you can get a differance in proformance but not that much v8 supper cars not for me no where near close racing thats y i follow nascar if its close theres a differant winner every week now thats close racing 30 cars all together 200mph v8 supper cars no where near equal
Jacko
Guest
hey Scott, any chance of an article explaining what will happen to holden and falcon when they are no longer being made? What do they change to and when does it happen?
Bayden Westerweller
Roar Guru
It'll be intriguing to see how van Gisbergen handles the champion moniker, as we saw Winterbottom endure a middling campaign following his breakthrough. Whincup will be keen to reassert himself as the main man at 'HRT', whether this leads to increased friendly fire, as witnessed at Pukekohe - opening the door for competitors to strike, remains to be seen. There will be poetic irony if HSV Racing exits the doldrums and continues to deny the moniker it represented for so many years from being associated with success. Another factor could be how much focus Triple Eight places on development of the 'Gen2' chassis and shifting attention towards its 2018 campaign. They lost out decisively upon switching to Holden in 2010, they'll need to spread resources evenly if they don't wish to surrender superiority whilst playing the long game.
Jacko
Guest
SVG will get better than last year I believe. He happily admited that he was a bit of a "pussy" at times in the last race and that just tells me he wants it bad. His win last year still had some area's where he will improve including Tasmania where he led before he went off in the oil slick of another car and if he can learn about getting points instead of racing others for the sake of it. However Wincup also has plenty of races from last year where he will improve also. A lot of advantage will go to who leads each race between the two, meaning who gets stuck with the double stacking which hurts the second driver big time. That is one rule I would like to see changed as it certainly disadvantages the two driver teams
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Whilst all Triple Eight's rivals in 2016 only showed up occasionally to the fore. As you say, that consistency is key. Whether the new compounds of the Dunlop rubber will impact a team's approach in 2017 also remains to be seen.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cheers Jawad, You're right. Penske and his crew have to have a big season or it could be curtains. Consistency is going to be key though. SVG and JW, plus CL just turn up at every single race meeting and go hell for leather. You want to beat them, it's going to take a lot of aggression and consistency.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Great write up Scott! I personally reckon that this is a do-or-die season for DJR Team Penske. They could have been excused in 2015 for not being in the winner's circle, with all the shenanigans surrounding Marcos Ambrose. With two cars in 2016 and the immense resources they have, you'd have expected at least a win or two. Now with Scott McLaughlin on hand, along with Fabian Coulthard, Ludo Lacroix and the already strong engineering team - you'd expect them to shake up the established order this year. GRM will be an interesting one to watch, with their switch back to Commodores. As will be the newly rebranded HSV Racing Team. Plenty of contenders out there who could usurp the Triple Eight juggernaut, but it is a matter now of whether they can execute across the entirety of the season.
Garry Edwards
Guest
Yep, yep, yep, couldn't agree more Jacko, absolute blasphemous not to mention young SM. And I reckon within a short time (beginning ~rd 4) he'll be the one to stick it up T8 for a win. I'm not as confident as the author is about Fabulous being a threat and I think he could be shown the door if he doesn't out perform SM. So with two years into his contract and his own personally selected engineer the "K" man he needs to deliver. Penske employs winners........ and I think he already has a young CM in his game plan.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks Jacko, Massive oversight on my part. I could have sworn I mentioned him, but clearly missed it. He definitely deserves to be in the discussion.
Jacko
Guest
A good story and all but Scott McLaughlin surely has to be written about SOMEWHERE in an article about V8s. He was 3rd in the championship last year and beat 1 tripple 8 car in the process. Surely now that he has signed with Team Penske he will at least be competitive and at best a good shot at winning the whole shebang. You didnt even mention him.