The 43-year-old is featured in a brief Red Bull Ampol Racing social media video showing off a new helmet featuring T8 and Ford Racing branding.
“Heading over to the US this week on a special mission,” he said. “A special mission needs a new helmet. Watch this space.”
Speedcafe understands Whincup’s trip to the US will include promotional activities with Ford, rather than a return to competition.
It’s likely that Whincup will strap into the Gen3 Ford Mustang Supercar that the Blue Oval keeps in the US for filming and demonstration events.
Originally built and campaigned by Dick Johnson Racing, the car was last seen in Red Bull colours when driven by Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen.
Whincup stepped back from Supercars co-driving duties this year, although has sampled T8’s own Gen3 Mustangs during ride and shakedown days.
The seven-time Supercars champion is fully focused on his role as managing director of T8, which began its new chapter with Ford this season.
That tie-up has included Red Bull Ampol Racing’s defection from General Motors and a recently announced T8-branded Mustang road car.
Whincup’s trip to the US is also expected to include meetings with Ford bosses about other future projects involving the two companies.
It’s Whincup’s second overseas sojourn in a matter of weeks, having missed Supercars’ New Zealand events while on a “search-and-discovery” mission in China.
This article first appeared on Speedcafe.com, a sister site to MotorRacing.com.