Feeney: Whincup will be ready for Bathurst
Broc Feeney is adamant Jamie Whincup will be sharp for his first Bathurst as a co-driver in 18 years.
Whincup, who retired from full-time action last year, will share the #88 Red Bull Ampol Commodore with Feeney.
Feeney stepped into the car this season, with Whincup taking the reins of the team.
Whincup was only confirmed alongside Feeney in June, with Garth Tander retained alongside Shane van Gisbergen.
The four-time Bathurst winner recently claimed he felt "underdone" some 10 weeks out from the race.
Feeney, however, believes Whincup is more than ready, having ramped up preparation.
Whincup has shifted to team management
Whincup and Feeney cut laps aboard Triple Eight’s wildcard Commodore at The Bend last week.
The former has also turned laps in the Gen3 Camaro, and also completed speed comparisons at Albert Park in April.
"He says he’s overdone, but compared to others, he’s nearly overdone," Feeney told Supercars.com.
"He’s doing as much as he can, and making sure that when an opportunity comes up, he’s in the car.
"He did laps in the wildcard Supercar, and we also had a GT4 Mercedes there, he did laps in that too.
"He’s good. He’s trying to get used to the co-driver life; used tyres, bad conditions.
'He’s enjoying it, he’ll be ready'
"He’s enjoying it, he’ll be ready."
Come Bathurst, and Whincup will be making Great Race start No. 21.
For Feeney, it will be No. 3, with the race a week before his 20th birthday.
Feeney has so far impressed in 2022; he sits sixth overall, and scored a podium in Tasmania.
However, he still pinches himself that he’ll share a car at the biggest race of the season with statistically the greatest of all time.
Whincup will turn laps in a Tailem Bend ride day on Monday, before running the Additional Drivers session at Sandown.
From there, it’s all eyes on Bathurst, and Feeney is confident Whincup will be more than up to the task.
"It’s so cool to think that I’m sharing a car with him in Bathurst," Feeney said.
"Let alone just being there with him at test days and at the track.
"We have a ride day coming up after this weekend, so he’ll get some co-driver duties.
"Then he’ll have the co-driver session at Sandown.
"We were talking yesterday; these two months will go bloody quick.
"You need to put in the work now, and he’s doing that."
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