Whincup 'flawless'

Only a major mistake stands between Jamie Whincup and a V8 Supercars championship after he blitzed the Desert 400 round.

Only a major mistake stands between Jamie Whincup and a maiden V8 Supercars championship after the Ford driver blitzed the Desert 400 round in Bahrain.

Whincup was flawless in his clean-sweep, winning all three races on Friday and Saturday to stretch his championship lead to 187 points over Mark Winterbottom with two rounds remaining.

It was the 25-year-old's fifth round win of the season and seventh straight race win after triumphs at Bathurst and in all three races at Surfers Paradise last month.

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It also helped erase the demons of his last visit to the Middle East track where he effectively lost the championship in 2007 by failing to collect a point.

With Whincup closing in on the title he so desperately wants, the championship leader said he would take a more conservative approach into the final two rounds at Tasmania's Symmons Plains and Sydney's Oran Park.

“We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Whincup said yesterday.

“There's still 600 points up for grabs in six races so, of course I'd be silly not to change my approach from here on in.

“I want this championship more than anyone else and will do whatever it takes to try and be No.1 at the end.”

The Triple Eight Racing team of Whincup and Craig Lowndes lit up the desert in their red Ford Falcons, with Lowndes claiming second overall in the round from the impressive Russell Ingall.

Whincup's rivals coming into the event, Winterbottom and Holden's Garth Tander, both found trouble.

Winterbottom at least kept himself in contention with fourth placings in the last two races, the first of which was stunning considering he started from 21st on the grid after an opening-day crash with Tander.

“We won't be giving up,” Winterbottom said.

“One DNF (did not finish) will put (Whincup) under pressure and he's at the back.

“You never give up but it's getting harder.”

Tander's hopes of retaining his championship were effectively buried after a disappointing weekend.

He was 23rd in the last race after crashing into teammate Mark Skaife, who finished only one race in a miserable round for the Holden Racing Team.

Whincup has 2916 championship points, ahead of Winterbottom (2729) and Tander (2624), who also refused to concede defeat.

“It's still mathematically possible and the next two tracks we're going to we've been very strong at the last two years,” Tander said.

“We won't be giving up without a fight.”

The teams will return to Australia for the Tasmania Challenge, which begins on November 21.

ROUND 12

DESERT 400, BAHRAIN

RACE 3 RESULTS