Winterbottom cold on retirement

Stymied star Mark Winterbottom is determined to continue in Supercars, eying a multi-year renewal with Team 18.

Winterbottom plans to race on beyond the end of this season, the last of his existing deal. The 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner and 2015 Supercars champion, who turned 41 on May 20, has ruled out imminent retirement despite being one of Supercars eldest full-time drivers.

‘Frosty’ declared his intention to keep racing into the new Gen3 era on the PARKED UP PLUS podcast. He also confirmed that he wants to stay in Team 18’s Irwin Tools Racing entry, with renewal discussions to start soon.

Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt revealed he is keen to re-sign Winterbottom, with whom he relaunched Team 18 in 2019.

Schwerkolt expanded to two ZB Commodores with full Triple Eight customer support in 2020, adding Scott Pye in the DeWalt entry.

It’s been a rough ride, with occasional podiums offset by inconsistency and regular failures. Winterbottom, who defected from Ford, has been winless since rejecting the chance to stay with Tickford Racing in a factory supported Mustang. In fact, he has often been outshone by Pye, who already has an on-going deal.

While he could retire at the end of this season rather than risk further eroding his reputation, Winterbottom wants to complete the mission he started and score race wins and regular podiums with Team 18.

Frosty is adamant that with the right equipment, he still has the speed and fitness to match the younger Supercars pacesetters.

He also believes that his vast experience will be an asset with the switch to Gen3 next year, giving small teams a better chance against the existing powerhouse squads.

Winterbottom told PARKED UP PLUS that he is convinced he can run at the front in a Triple Eight-built Chevrolet Camaro.

Schwerkolt added that he remains committed to Supercars and agrees that Gen3 is a chance to reset and make progress.

Listen to the podcast interview here: