Ever wondered what car does Jamie Whincup drive when he storms around Bathurst and the Supercars circuit? If you follow Australian touring cars, his name and his machines are almost inseparable. Let’s take a quick lap through the cars he’s made famous, the teams behind them, and a few surprising stories from his garage.
The headline ride: Holden Commodores and the Triple Eight machines
Jamie Whincup is best known for driving Holden Commodores for Triple Eight Race Engineering during the peak of his Supercars career, carrying car number 88 for much of that time. Those Commodores — across VE, VF, and later ZB generations — were the race cars that powered Whincup to his seven championship titles and dozens of race wins. Triple Eight built and prepared the cars, and Whincup’s relationship with that team is central to his success.
What makes those cars special
Purpose-built touring cars: Supercars are silhouette racers that look like production Holdens and Fords but use bespoke race chassis, high-output V8 engines (historically) or specified power units, race suspension, brakes, and aerodynamic packages for close, aggressive racing.
Team engineering: Triple Eight Race Engineering is widely regarded as one of the best-run teams in the series; their setup work and continuous development helped Whincup extract consistent pace across seasons.
Driver-car synergy: Whincup’s driving style and feedback shaped development choices, and several chassis gained legendary status because of his results with them.
A quick timeline of notable cars Whincup drove
Early 2000s: Entry-level Supercars and development runs before major factory-backed success.
VE Series II Holden Commodore era (2010–2012): A dominant run that produced a famously successful chassis nicknamed “Kate” with many wins.
VF/ZB Commodore years: Continued championship campaigns and endurance race entries with the ZB Commodore in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Did You Know? Jamie Whincup nicknamed one of his most successful VE Series II Commodore chassis “Kate.” That car recorded an extraordinary string of wins and was later sold as a significant piece of Supercars history.
Common questions fans ask
Q: Does Whincup still drive Holden Commodores today?
A: Whincup’s driving career saw him primarily in Holden Commodores for Triple Eight, but team roles and series evolution have changed over time; Triple Eight later expanded to run Chevrolet-branded Camaros in certain seasons while still running Commodore-based entries during his championship years.
Q: What number does he race under?
A: He is strongly associated with car number 88, the number he used for many of his championship campaigns and endurance appearances.
Q: Is he still racing full-time?
A: In recent seasons Whincup has transitioned into leadership roles with Triple Eight while still making high-profile race appearances and endurance starts, reflecting a blend of driving and team management responsibilities.
Cultural and historical notes about Whincup’s cars
Australian touring car identity: The Holden vs Ford rivalry is a spine of Australian motorsport culture, and Whincup’s success in a Holden made him a central figure in that narrative.
Chassis legends: In Supercars history, specific chassis sometimes gain names and mythic status after repeated victories; Whincup’s “Kate” is a prime example of a race car becoming a cultural artifact.
Team legacy: Triple Eight’s engineering success reinforced the idea that championship-winning cars are a product of both driver talent and meticulous team effort.
The tech talk (simple version)
Chassis: Tubular or carbon-backed race structures with production-style body panels for the silhouette look.
Powertrain: Historically high-revving V8s tuned for reliability and torque; regulations evolved over the years affecting engines and aero.
Setup: Suspension, braking, and aero choices are tuned per track and driver preference to balance grip, tire life, and top speed.
Personal touch
I remember watching clips of Whincup’s races when I first dove into Supercars — there’s something addictive about the way a driver and his team can squeeze another tenth out of a car that already looks perfect. Seeing “Kate” and other cars retire from the track felt less like losing a machine and more like saying goodbye to a teammate.
Wrapping up the garage tour
What car does Jamie Whincup drive? For most of his headline-making career he drove Holden Commodores prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, famously sporting car number 88 and piloting chassis that became part of Supercars lore. Which Whincup car would you want to see in person or take for a lap — the championship-winning VE, the later ZB, or the legend “Kate”?