MOTORSPORT: Jamie Whincup will race on

Jamie Whincup is not retiring from Supercars racing as he aims to re-set the record (again) with an eighth title in 2020.

After months of speculation, much of it fueled by Whincup himself, the seven-time champion and four-times Bathurst 1000 winner has made the predictable decision to race on.

Whincup (pictured with Triple Eight principal Roland Dane) will confirm details of his contract extension with Triple Eight Race Engineering tomorrow (Sat) at the Adelaide 500.

The Red Bull Holden driver refused to discuss the decision today to prevent any distraction from the first serious day of practice for the 2020 season, as he clocked the sixth-quickest time in practice to earn a place in Saturday's Top 10 shootout.

He was already the quickest during pre-season testing at Tailem Bend on Tuesday in his Holden Commodore, according to team testing results.

His long-time team boss and race engineer, Mark Dutton, gave carsales a clear indication of Whincup's feeling.

“Jamie always said he would continue racing while he was competitive. And it looks like he is still pretty competitive,” Dutton told carsales this afternoon (Fri).

Whincup’s sternest rival and winner of the past two Supercars championships, Scott McLaughlin, says he is happy to continue lining up against the GOAT (greatest of all time) in his sport.

“He’s staying. That’s great,” McLaughlin told carsales.

“I believe it’s a good because he is still at the peak, or very close to the peak, of his powers. He’s the greatest all time and he is still the one you have to beat.”

Whincup is only 37 despite his long string of championships but has been preparing for life after driving for several years. A part-owner of the Triple Eight team, he is also a member of the Supercars Commission that sets the technical direction for the sport and has other outside business interests.