'Pressure's on me': Whincup feeling weight of Feeney streak
Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup will combine for the fourth year
Dominant Feeney clinched Finals berth with Repco Sprint Cup victory
Four-time Great Race champ Whincup winless in Bathurst since 2012
Broc Feeney has won all before him in 2025, and has already clinched a Finals berth.
However, there are two enduros and a championship to win, and Jamie Whincup — despite his 500-plus races of experience — is still feeling the pressure of needing to perform for his driver.
Triple Eight team boss Whincup has had the best seat in the house to his star driver’s season, with Feeney claiming 12 wins and 13 pole positions.
Feeney and Whincup will combine for the fourth year, and have already delivered a Sandown 500 victory. However, a Bathurst win remains elusive, with the duo falling agonisingly short last year following a mechanical failure in 2023.
The Feeney/Whincup pairing is an overwhelming favourite for this year's enduros, and also topped a recent Supercars.com poll of the best combinations on the 2025 Ryco Enduro Cup grid.
However, despite being odds-on to be top seed for the first round of the Finals, Feeney could still fall as low as fourth in the standings after Bathurst with a double DNF.
Given Feeney’s form and favouritism for both the enduros and the title, Whincup — who is winless in Bathurst since 2012 — knows he can’t afford to put a foot wrong.
"I just see Broc and his crew just doing a seriously good job. They're making sure that they're minimising their weaknesses and they keep working on their strengths as well,” Whincup said.
"They're in a really good place. But as we know, the way that the year's been changed with the point system, you have to perform at the end of the year.
“So we're gonna make sure we don't go too hard too early, make sure we've got plenty left in the tank for the last few rounds. This season of endurance is always an important factor of the year.
“If you're strong at Tailem Bend and strong at the biggest race of the year, then that always puts you in good shape and gives you good confidence going into the final few races.
“It's critical, and I feel like I'm a part of that. I play a big role being a co-driver, so the pressure's on me to make sure I perform and do a good job.”
For all his successes, Whincup has recently had a fraught relationship with the Mountain. His 2024 Bathurst podium alongside Feeney was his first in the Great Race since 2013, when he was pipped to the post by Mark Winterbottom.
While he has to get through The Bend first, four-time winner Whincup said it would be “nice” to reclaim the Peter Brock Trophy, despite insisting he doesn’t want to appear greedy.
"I've been lucky enough to certainly win a few up there at the Mountain,” the 42-year-old said.
"But, I've had a few that get away and I haven't stood on the top step for a long time, so it'd be nice. I'm not a greedy person, but it'd certainly nice. That's the goal to try to get back on the top step.”
Track action at the AirTouch 500 at The Bend commences on Friday.
