The 37-year-old will soon make a call on his future plans, with an announcement potentially coming during this weekend's season-opening Adelaide 500.

If 2020 is the Red Bull champion's last hurrah, a record eighth title would send him and Holden off in perfect style.

DJR Penske flyer Scott McLaughlin has dominated in his Ford during the past two years, but Whincup remains in the hunt for silverware.

McLaughlin might have cantered to a second straight championship last year, but Whincup finished 2019 in stronger form by claiming three of the last four victories of the season.

Remarkably, Whincup has been in the top three of the overall standings every year since 2007, except for 2015 when he placed fifth.

To halt McLaughlin's golden run, Whincup knows he needs early results after his maiden win last year didn't come until the Ipswich round in July.

"We had a slow start for one reason or another (last year) but we felt we were as competitive as anyone by the end of the year as a team," he told AAP this month.

But McLaughlin is already bracing for his rivals to be extra fired-up as they aim to send Holden off on a high after General Motors' shock announcement of its plans to shut down the car brand.

The New Zealander's future in Supercars is also clouded, with the 26-year-old making no secret of his desire to one day race full-time in America.

The Shell V-Power Racing star wowed Team Penske during tests in an Indycar this year.

So much so that he has been selected to start in May's GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Speedway.

Penske great Dick Johnson has given McLaughlin his blessing to pursue his American dream from next year.

"I encourage him because he's got a career that he's got to make the most out of and in this day and age, these careers are getting shorter and shorter," Johnson told Supercars.com.

Whincup isn't the only Holden driver determined to knock McLaughlin off his perch.

Shane van Gisbergen has been championship runner-up during the past two campaigns, with his sole title coming in 2016.

He won five races last year, but that figure was dwarfed by McLaughlin's record-breaking 18 victories.

Australian Associated Press