Whincup was best of the rest in yesterday’s opening race at Barbagallo Raceway, but finished well behind the two DJR Team Penske Fords out front.

With the tricky West Australian circuit another example of DJRTP performing on what was previously a bogey venue, there is now a clear sense of longevity to the team’s front-running form – and that’s not lost on six-time series champ Whincup.

“In the interest of the sport, you need people stepping up,” he said.

“Everyone complained that we were at the front of the pack and it was no good for the sport, all we were doing was just encouraging everyone to step up and take the leap – which these guys have done.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us to make our car quicker and fight on for the rest of the year, and that’s what it’s all about.

“You can’t stay at the top forever, it’s all swings and roundabouts. We’ll grind it out like we know we can.”

Coulthard excited by consistency

Having been through less successful times with DJR Team Penske last year, points leader Fabian Coulthard admits that the positive performances in Tasmania and now in WA are a very promising sign.

“It’s enjoyable,” he said. “I went through a fair bit of pain last year; we had good speed some places, but we didn’t have the consistency at all.

“To now know that we’ll be there or thereabouts… this has been a bogey circuit for us, and the same with Tassie, but we’ve managed to turn it around.

“It’s exciting times.”