RUSSELL Ingall and Broc Feeney have a big challenge ahead of them as a wildcard entry in the Repco Bathurst 1000, but they won’t lack for winning equipment.
Triple Eight will field the duo in the Great Race aboard chassis 888A-053, which has 10 race wins to its name including a couple of the championship’s biggest prizes.
The Commodore ZB was presented in plain red with Supercheap branding for the launch of the wildcard entry, but is expected to receive a full race livery for the October event.
It will compete with #39, which Ingall campaigned during his stint aboard Supercheap-backed Paul Morris Motorsports Holdens, and represents Ingall’s age (57) minus that of Feeney (18)!
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Chassis 888A-053 was Whincup’s car throughout the 2019 and ’20 seasons before being relegated to spare chassis duties when the seven-time champion stepped into a fresh Commodore this year.
Scott McLaughlin’s domination of the early part of 2019 means this car did not score a win until the Ipswich SuperSprint in July of that season.
After that, Whincup and co-driver Craig Lowndes combined to win the Saturday race at the Gold Coast 600, the two Saturday sprints at Sandown and the subsequent Sandown 500, which clinched the Enduro Cup crown.
Whincup won with it again on Sunday at the season-ending Newcastle 500 and backed that up with victory in the opening race of 2020 at the Adelaide 500.
A win at Hidden Valley and two in Townsville in 2020 complete the car’s hit list… of which the only clear omission is success at Bathurst.
This car was shared by Whincup and Lowndes to fourth place in the controversial 2019 race wearing retro Holden colours, to celebrate 50 years of the marque’s factory involvement in the race.
Last year Whincup crashed out of the race at The Cutting while in a battle with rookie Brodie Kostecki, which was the car’s last competitive outing.
The chassis was repaired and returned to the track for a Dunlop tyre test at Queensland Raceway in mid-November, where Whincup evaluated the super soft compound to be introduced later this year.
It also took to Norwell later that week where, in addition to ride duties with Whincup and Lowndes behind the wheel, a Red Bull competition winner had a drive.
Ingall and Feeney will have just three test days in the car prior to October’s Repco Bathurst 1000 under Supercar’s strict testing rules.
Both though have experience in other Triple Eight Commodore chassis which, in Feeney’s case, is a VF that he currently drives for the team in Super2.
Ingall meanwhile raced Triple Eight customer cars during his stints at Paul Morris Motorsport (2010/11) and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport (2014).
The 57-year-old has one previous race start for Triple Eight itself: the 1998 Super Touring Bathurst 1000 aboard one of the team’s Vectras!
Ingall and Feeney started their build-up to Bathurst in winning form on Saturday night, taking out a 90-minute Hyundai Excel race from pole position at Sydney Motorsport Park.
