Lowndes and Triple Eight won’t stop racing

The union between Craig Lowndes and Triple Eight Race Engineering will continue into an uncharted second decade after the fan favourite signed a contract extension.

Lowndes is not hanging up the helmet anytime soon with his time at the team set to hit two decades having extended his contract for another two years until the end of 2025.

This will mean the smiling assassin will race on until he is at least 51 and be the first driver that is not a team owner to race at a Supercars team for over 20 years.

Zane Goddard and Craig Lowndes will be back behind the wheel testing the #888 Supercheap Auto Camaro at Queensland Raceway. Image: Mark Horsburgh

Having initially dominated taking three championships and a Great Race victory at the Holden Racing Team between 1996 and 2000, Lowndes, who then known as “The Kid” went across the divide to Ford.

But after unsuccessful two-year stints at Gibson Motorsport and Ford Performance Racing, Lowndes was on the move for 2005.

He ended up becoming the face of the then unproven Triple Eight Race Engineering and felt so much at home he has never left since.

Lowndes drove car #888 all the way until his full-time retirement in 2018 and has continued co-driving with the team, initially alongside Jamie Whincup and more recently in the Supercheap Auto wildcard.

Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards scored a famous Bathurst win in 2018.

This will also be the case in 2023 when he shares the #888 Camaro with Zane Goddard at Sandown and Bathurst.

Lowndes could not hide his delight behind the news that he will continue racing, with his new deal set to bring him to a total of 31 Great Race starts, closing in on the record of 35 set by Jim Richards.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing my racing career with Triple Eight for the next two years and I’m excited to reach a 20-year milestone with the team in 2024,” he said.

“I’ve shared some amazing moments with Triple Eight over the past 18-and-a-half years, and I want to thank Jamie (Whincup), Jess (Dane) and the team for wanting to extend this successful partnership. It’s crazy to think we’ll be celebrating two decades together next year!

“When I retired from full-time racing at the end of 2018, I always said that I wanted to continue to stay involved by fostering the next generation of Supercars racers, which I’ve been fortunate enough to do through the team’s wildcard program. 

Craig Lowndes in front of Sandown’s historic grandstand at the 2005 Sandown 500

“For now, I’m really looking forward to the upcoming enduro season alongside Zane Goddard and can’t wait to hit the track for our upcoming test days in preparation for the Sandown 500 in September.”

Since 2005 and scoring Triple Eight’s first win in their fourth round together, Lowndes has scored 58 of his 110 race victories.

Across 18 Bathurst 1000 starts he has claimed six victories in Triple Eight colours, plus stood on the podium in half of them.

Lowndes has also scored four Sandown 500 and two Phillip Island 500 wins during the Triple Eight spell.

The man who helped Lowndes score his famous hat-trick of Great Race wins from 2006 to 2008, Jamie Whincup, is now the team principal at Triple Eight.

Craig Lowndes holds off Rick Kelly to win an emotional 2006 Bathurst 1000. Photo by: Motorsport Images

With Lowndes’ smile still one of the most recognisable in pit lane, he is thrilled to keep him as a co-driver.

“Lowndesy is obviously a huge part of Triple Eight’s DNA, and for him to continue his legacy with the team into a 20th year and beyond is truly remarkable,” Whincup said.

“I’ve personally shared so many memories with Craig, highlighted by our Bathurst 1000 three-peat which I’ll cherish forever. We wouldn’t be where we are now without his contribution to the team and the sport as a whole.

“Lowndesy’s worth is just as valuable off the track as it is on it. His mentorship of the youth in our sport, as we’ve seen from the success of our Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard program over the past two years, has been unbelievable.”

Craig Lowndes will keep on coming back to The Mountain. Image:Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography

Lowndes will feature in a Triple Eight test day on September 4 at Queensland Raceway before having another crack at the Sandown 500 two weeks later.

Main image by Mark Horsburgh

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