If Jamie Whincup could pick any two tracks to V8 finish the Supercars season, it sure wouldn’t be Phillip Island and the Homebush street circuit in Sydney.

But the defending champ will need to conquer them both if he’s to become the first man since Mark Skaife to win three V8 drivers titles in a row.

Whincup denied feeling the pinch ahead of the three-race Phillip Island meet this weekend, despite losing his established lead last time out.

“I wouldn’t say I’m feeling the pressure but I’m disappointed to be in this position,” Whincup said on Thursday.

After leading the Supercars series since April, a DNF on the Gold Coast handed Red Bull Racing team-mate Craig Lowndes a six-point lead.

Whincup heads to Phillip Island without a win there since 2009, ahead of the season-ending round at a Sydney track where he’s never set foot on a podium.

Breathing down Whincup’s neck are the Ford Performance Racing duo of Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison, who swept the circuit last year.

The Ford team are both within 120 points of the lead and Whincup isn’t discounting a late challenge.

“It’s definitely not a two-horse race,” he said.

“Will Davison is unbelievably dangerous and hasn’t even been spoken about in the last month.”

With all four drivers still in the championship mix, Whincup is predicting a grand battle in less than grand conditions.

“You get some crazy conditions down here and we’re expecting it again, but at least it’s the same for everyone,” he said.

With such narrow margins between the top drivers, the championship will go down to the final meet in Sydney.

Phillip Island hosts a 28-lap race on Saturday before two 23-lap races on Sunday.

The final round is at Sydney Olympic Park on December 6-8.