Craig Lowndes
Encyclopedia
Craig Lowndes is a multi-championship winning Australian racing driver. He is a three-time V8 Supercar
champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000
. Lowndes currently drives for Brisbane-based Triple Eight Race Engineering team driving Holden Commodore
s.
s at a track in the nearby town of Whittlesea
.
in the Motorcraft Formula Ford "Driver to Europe" Series
. Despite the car being several years old and receiving minimal sponsorship, Lowndes shot to almost immediate success. Lowndes won the Australian Formula Ford Championship
in 1993 which qualified him for the Formula Ford Festival
in England that same year, where he finished third. Lowndes moved up to Australia's top rank of open wheel racing being Formula Brabham in 1994. His success in Formula Brabham driving an ageing Cheetah Mk9 against much more modern cars was rewarded with the Australian Silver Star. Craig Lowndes was clearly the best in this era.
By this time Lowndes had been added to the Holden Racing Team
s testing crew. He looked sufficiently promising in testing that Lowndes was drafted into the #015 Commodore with Brad Jones for the 1994 Sandown 500
. It was expected to be a one-off performance as Rickard Rydell
from the BTCC
Volvo
sister team within TWR
was to join the team for Bathurst. His performance at Sandown was enough to cancel Rydell's appointment and Lowndes went to Bathurst.
After a gruelling double-stint by Jones, Lowndes began the final stint of the race as the premier challenger to the DJR
Falcon
of John Bowe
which had dominated the race. With eleven laps to go Lowndes stunned the touring car establishment overtaking Bowe on the outside of Griffins Bend in a move that made him a household name. Bowe retook a lap later and Lowndes was forced to back off in the closing laps but second was an impressive achievement for a rookie driver.
A year later Lowndes qualified on pole for the Bathurst 1000, only for his Holden Racing Team Commodore to DNF early on in the race when both HRT cars experienced oil pressure problems and engine failure during the race. HRT had seen enough however and for the 1996 season
replaced Tomas Mezera
full time in the team. At his first attempt, he won the championship and also won both the Sandown and Bathurst
races with team-mate Greg Murphy
.
His Bathurst 1000 victory in 1996 making Craig Lowndes the youngest winner of the Bathurst 1000, at the time. With Lowndes and Greg Murphy, the youngest ever driver pairing to win the Bathust 1000.
Team in the International Formula 3000 Championship as team-mate to Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya
. He enjoyed limited success but failed to find the budget to compete a second year.
, shuffling Greg Murphy
into a test-driving role. Lowndes again proved difficult to catch and went on to win the 1998 Championship
, although the premature debut of the VT series Commodore would cruel his Bathurst campaign.
In the first full year of campaigning the VT Commodore, Lowndes had already amassed a large lead by the time the series arrived for Round 8 at Calder Park Raceway
. Following a win in the first sprint race, a poor start by Lowndes saw him bogged down in the field and subsequently tapped by another car which resulted in a spectacular roll over, momentarily sending the car airborne, into an embankment. The car (which was only 4 races old) was declared a write-off and Lowndes was fortunate to only suffer a knee injury. Despite missing the following round at Symmons Plains Raceway
due to the injury, Lowndes still went on to clinch the Championship at the Bathurst Classic
finishing second in the final round of the season.
. This partnership lasted for two years which ultimately proved unsuccessful due to reliability issues with the Ford Falcon
race car. Despite the setbacks, Lowndes garnered an admiration from fans for his positive attitude and demeanour. Gibson Motor Sport
was renamed to 00 Motorsport after a change of management. Lowndes's black and silver Falcon was affectionately referred to as the "green-eyed monster" for the bright green covers over the headlights.
team for the 2003 season
. Lowndes won a round of the V8 Supercar championship at Philip Island and, with team-mate Glenn Seton
, placed second at Bathurst. But the season was a relative disappointment for Lowndes as he was relatively inconsistent, mainly due to mechanical failures. Technical problems continued into 2004, especially constant engine failures, plagued the team for the whole of the year. Lowndes and Seton teamed up again to repeat their second placing at the Bathurst 1000.
and enjoyed his most successful season since switching to Ford. He had the most round victories and the most pole positions of any driver in the championship, and finished second in the final standings behind champion Russell Ingall
. He suffered a luckless run at the Bathurst 1000 that year, where, despite qualifying on the pole, he spent much time in the pits after two separate incidents which severely damaged his Falcon including a wheel that smashed into his windscreen.
At the V8 Gala Awards, Lowndes was awarded the Barry Sheene Medal
, an award akin to Most Valuable Player
which is voted on by a team of panellists from the Australian media, motorsport magazines, television commentators and former drivers. This award was first introduced in 2003, in honour of the late Barry Sheene
. Marcos Ambrose
won it in 2003 and 2004, winning the championship in both years. Hence this made Lowndes the first non championship winner to take out the award.
Lowndes was a contender for the championship right up until the last race, being level on points with Rick Kelly
. The two fought one of the closest non-staged finishes in Bathurst 1000 history on 8 October, with Lowndes winning over Kelly by just half a second. It was his first Bathurst win since 1996 and Ford's first since 1998. The win was a very emotional one for Lowndes, being the first Bathurst 1000 held since the death of his long-time mentor Peter Brock
at a road rally the month before. As winners of the Bathurst 1000, the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy was presented to Lowndes and his team-mate, Jamie Whincup
.
Lowndes eventually finished second in the 2006 V8 Supercar season. After complaining of having been "unfairly" held up for up to six seconds a lap by Rick Kelly's team mates over the first two races, Lowndes was level on championship points with Kelly after race 2 (of 3) in the final round. In the deciding race Kelly crashed into Lowndes heading into the hairpin resulting in a lengthy pitstop to repair Lowndes' vehicle. Kelly received only a drive-through penalty and went on to finish the race in 18th position and seal the championship victory, while Lowndes finished the race 31st. Kelly was booed by Ford fans when he was on the podium to receive his trophy.
Lowndes and Triple Eight Racing lodged a protest and a hearing was set up. The protest was dismissed after a long hearing and Rick Kelly
was confirmed as the 2006 champion. Lowndes and Triple Eight Racing decided not to appeal that decision and proclaim themselves the "Moral Champions" for the 2006 season. Lowndes won the Barry Sheene Medal for the second year in a row.
Lowndes had three victories in 2007, the sixth round at Hidden Valley Raceway
, and both the endurance classics, the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000
. He finished third place in the championship. His team mate, Jamie Whincup
, came second in the V8 Supercar Championship. In 2008 Lowndes and Whincup won the Bathurst 1000 for a third time in a row becoming only the third pairing in the history of the Bathurst 1000 to achieve it after Peter Brock and Jim Richards (1978–80) and Peter Brock and Larry Perkins (1982–84).
In 2009, Lowndes started the year with a brand new Ford FG Falcon. Despite winning races in Winton, the Gold Coast and Barbagallo, he was unable to match his teammate and finished the year 4th in the standings. Being once again paired up with Whincup in the enduros but suffered the heartbreak of losing the race lead on the final lap of the L&H Phillip Island 500 due to a delaminating tyre. Heading to Bathurst on the verge of making history, they failed in their bid to win a fourth consecutive Bathurst title, due to a drive-thru penalty, a clutch problem and bad luck.
In 2010, Team Vodafone switched to Holden Commodores as Ford cut sponsorship. Lowndes placed fourth in the championship with podiums in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Queensland Raceway and Winton following a very solid season. Partnering five-time champion Mark Skaife
, Lowndes won the Bathurst 1000 for the fifth time, as well as the Phillip Island 500. His first solo victory for the season came during the Falken Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains.
with a Holden Colorado at his disposal. He won the Rally Raid
at his first attempt. Lowndes won with a margin of over one hour with former V8 Supercar team owner, Kees Weel as co-driver. Lowndes crashed out of the lead of the Safari the following year.
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
. Lowndes currently drives for Brisbane-based Triple Eight Race Engineering team driving Holden Commodore
Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
s.
Racing career
Born in Melbourne, Lowndes began his racing career at age nine, driving go-kartGo-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
s at a track in the nearby town of Whittlesea
Whittlesea, Victoria
Whittlesea is a town in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea. At the 2006 Census, Whittlesea had a population of 4,563.-History:...
.
Early career
He moved up to race cars in 1991, driving a Van DiemenVan Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of...
in the Motorcraft Formula Ford "Driver to Europe" Series
Australian Formula Ford Championship
The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series...
. Despite the car being several years old and receiving minimal sponsorship, Lowndes shot to almost immediate success. Lowndes won the Australian Formula Ford Championship
Australian Formula Ford Championship
The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series...
in 1993 which qualified him for the Formula Ford Festival
Formula Ford Festival
The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford powered single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England...
in England that same year, where he finished third. Lowndes moved up to Australia's top rank of open wheel racing being Formula Brabham in 1994. His success in Formula Brabham driving an ageing Cheetah Mk9 against much more modern cars was rewarded with the Australian Silver Star. Craig Lowndes was clearly the best in this era.
Holden Racing Team
Holden Racing Team
The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
s testing crew. He looked sufficiently promising in testing that Lowndes was drafted into the #015 Commodore with Brad Jones for the 1994 Sandown 500
1994 Sandown 500
The 1994 Sandown 500 was endurance race for Group 3A Touring Cars and selected production cars held at the Sandown circuit in Victoria, Australia on 4 September 1994....
. It was expected to be a one-off performance as Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell is a Swedish racing driver. He won the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, the 2011 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, and has also been a frontrunner in the European/World Touring Car Championship.-Early career:In the early 1990s, Rydell raced in various Formula Three series...
from the BTCC
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
Volvo
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
sister team within TWR
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...
was to join the team for Bathurst. His performance at Sandown was enough to cancel Rydell's appointment and Lowndes went to Bathurst.
After a gruelling double-stint by Jones, Lowndes began the final stint of the race as the premier challenger to the DJR
Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000...
Falcon
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
of John Bowe
John Bowe (racing driver)
John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a 1969 Ford Mustang in the historic series, Touring Car Masters....
which had dominated the race. With eleven laps to go Lowndes stunned the touring car establishment overtaking Bowe on the outside of Griffins Bend in a move that made him a household name. Bowe retook a lap later and Lowndes was forced to back off in the closing laps but second was an impressive achievement for a rookie driver.
A year later Lowndes qualified on pole for the Bathurst 1000, only for his Holden Racing Team Commodore to DNF early on in the race when both HRT cars experienced oil pressure problems and engine failure during the race. HRT had seen enough however and for the 1996 season
1996 Australian Touring Car season
The 1996 Australian Touring Car season was the 37th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
replaced Tomas Mezera
Tomas Mezera
Tomas Mezera, born November 5, 1958, in Czechoslovakia and now resides in Queensland, Australia. Mezera is best known as an Australian racing driver. Mezera's sporting career began as a downhill skier in his native Czechoslovakia, before he emigrated to Australia to be a ski instructor.-Formula...
full time in the team. At his first attempt, he won the championship and also won both the Sandown and Bathurst
1996 AMP Bathurst 1000
The 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 was the 37th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on October 6, 1996 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
races with team-mate Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
.
His Bathurst 1000 victory in 1996 making Craig Lowndes the youngest winner of the Bathurst 1000, at the time. With Lowndes and Greg Murphy, the youngest ever driver pairing to win the Bathust 1000.
Formula 3000
Lowndes left Australia and went to Europe to further his open wheeler racing career, by competing with the RSM MarkoHelmut Marko
Dr. Helmut Marko is a former racing driver from Austria.A friend of Jochen Rindt, he entered racing, and eventually participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 15 August 1971...
Team in the International Formula 3000 Championship as team-mate to Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
. He enjoyed limited success but failed to find the budget to compete a second year.
Australian return
On his return to Australia, Lowndes again won the Sandown 500 for HRT, partnered by New Zealander Greg Murphy. Together with back to back race wins at Sandown in the enduros. He resumed his racing seat with the Holden Racing Team, alongside new team-mate Mark SkaifeMark Skaife
Mark Stephen Skaife OAM is an Australian motor racing driver. Skaife is a five time winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor the Australian Touring Car Championship. He is also a six-time winner of Australia's most prestigious domestic motor race, the Bathurst 1000...
, shuffling Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
into a test-driving role. Lowndes again proved difficult to catch and went on to win the 1998 Championship
1998 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1998 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship was the 39th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and was run for cars eligible to V8 Supercar specifications. It began on 1 February 1998 at Sandown Raceway and ended on 2 August at Oran Park Raceway after 10 rounds.-Teams and...
, although the premature debut of the VT series Commodore would cruel his Bathurst campaign.
In the first full year of campaigning the VT Commodore, Lowndes had already amassed a large lead by the time the series arrived for Round 8 at Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway
Calder Park Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes a drag strip, a road circuit with several possible configurations, and the "Thunderdome", a high-speed banked oval equipped to race either clockwise or counter-clockwise .-History:Calder Park...
. Following a win in the first sprint race, a poor start by Lowndes saw him bogged down in the field and subsequently tapped by another car which resulted in a spectacular roll over, momentarily sending the car airborne, into an embankment. The car (which was only 4 races old) was declared a write-off and Lowndes was fortunate to only suffer a knee injury. Despite missing the following round at Symmons Plains Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Australia, located about 30 kilometres south of Launceston, Tasmania. Since the closure of the Longford circuit in the 1960s it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility...
due to the injury, Lowndes still went on to clinch the Championship at the Bathurst Classic
1998 FAI 1000
The 1998 FAI 1000 Classic was the second running of the Australia 1000 race, first held after the organisational split over the Bathurst 1000 the previous year. It was the 41st race that traces its lineage back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 held at Phillip Island...
finishing second in the final round of the season.
Ford
Dissatisfaction within HRT triggered Lowndes move to a new team, causing a stir among race fans when he jumped ship from Holden to arch-rival manufacturer Ford, signing with a team headed up by former driver Fred GibsonFred Gibson (motor racing)
Fred Gibson is a former Australian racing driver and race team owner.-Competitor:After a career that began in small production sports cars, first an MGA, and later the first Lotus Elan to run in Australian competition , Gibson quickly moved up into the touring car ranks...
. This partnership lasted for two years which ultimately proved unsuccessful due to reliability issues with the Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
race car. Despite the setbacks, Lowndes garnered an admiration from fans for his positive attitude and demeanour. Gibson Motor Sport
Gibson Motor Sport
Gibson Motor Sport was an Australian motor racing team. Originally established by Howard Marsden as the in-house factory Nissan motorsport operation, the team later passed into the ownership of Fred Gibson., who had won the 1967 Bathurst 500 as a driver, sharing with Harry Firth. In 1993 the team...
was renamed to 00 Motorsport after a change of management. Lowndes's black and silver Falcon was affectionately referred to as the "green-eyed monster" for the bright green covers over the headlights.
Ford Performance Racing
Lowndes signed with the factory-sponsored Ford Performance RacingFord Performance Racing
Ford Performance Racing is a British-owned Australian-based motor racing team that contests the Australian International V8 Supercars Championship...
team for the 2003 season
2003 V8 Supercar season
The 2003 V8 Supercar season was the 44th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
. Lowndes won a round of the V8 Supercar championship at Philip Island and, with team-mate Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton
Glenn Seton is an Australian racing driver.Seton, father of Courtney and Aaron Seton and husband to Jayne Seton, retired from full time racing after the 2005 V8 Supercar season, and is only one of five drivers to have competed in over 200 rounds in the series. The other drivers are Dick Johnson ,...
, placed second at Bathurst. But the season was a relative disappointment for Lowndes as he was relatively inconsistent, mainly due to mechanical failures. Technical problems continued into 2004, especially constant engine failures, plagued the team for the whole of the year. Lowndes and Seton teamed up again to repeat their second placing at the Bathurst 1000.
Triple 8 Race Engineering
Lowndes joined Team Betta Electrical in 20052005 V8 Supercar season
The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the 46th year of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500....
and enjoyed his most successful season since switching to Ford. He had the most round victories and the most pole positions of any driver in the championship, and finished second in the final standings behind champion Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall
Russell Ingall is an Australian V8 Supercar driver. Ingall won the V8 Supercar Championship for the first time in 2005, he was also the Championship runner up in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Ingall has also won the Bathurst 1000 motor race twice, in 1995 and 1997...
. He suffered a luckless run at the Bathurst 1000 that year, where, despite qualifying on the pole, he spent much time in the pits after two separate incidents which severely damaged his Falcon including a wheel that smashed into his windscreen.
At the V8 Gala Awards, Lowndes was awarded the Barry Sheene Medal
Barry Sheene Medal
The Barry Sheene Medal is an award dedicated to the memory of British motorcycle rider and Australian V8 Supercar commentator Barry Sheene. The medal is awarded to the driver who shows outstanding leadership, personality, fan appeal and sportsmanship throughout the season...
, an award akin to Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
which is voted on by a team of panellists from the Australian media, motorsport magazines, television commentators and former drivers. This award was first introduced in 2003, in honour of the late Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene
Barry Stephen Frank Sheene MBE was a British World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.-Early life:...
. Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose is a championship winning Australian racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...
won it in 2003 and 2004, winning the championship in both years. Hence this made Lowndes the first non championship winner to take out the award.
Lowndes was a contender for the championship right up until the last race, being level on points with Rick Kelly
Rick Kelly
Rick Kelly is a current V8 Supercar racing driver, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. He is the younger brother of former Bathurst 1000 champion, Todd Kelly...
. The two fought one of the closest non-staged finishes in Bathurst 1000 history on 8 October, with Lowndes winning over Kelly by just half a second. It was his first Bathurst win since 1996 and Ford's first since 1998. The win was a very emotional one for Lowndes, being the first Bathurst 1000 held since the death of his long-time mentor Peter Brock
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
at a road rally the month before. As winners of the Bathurst 1000, the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy was presented to Lowndes and his team-mate, Jamie Whincup
Jamie Whincup
Jamie Whincup is Australian auto racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar, driving for TeamVodafone. He is a two-time V8 Supercars champion and three-time Bathurst 1000 winner.-Early career:...
.
Lowndes eventually finished second in the 2006 V8 Supercar season. After complaining of having been "unfairly" held up for up to six seconds a lap by Rick Kelly's team mates over the first two races, Lowndes was level on championship points with Kelly after race 2 (of 3) in the final round. In the deciding race Kelly crashed into Lowndes heading into the hairpin resulting in a lengthy pitstop to repair Lowndes' vehicle. Kelly received only a drive-through penalty and went on to finish the race in 18th position and seal the championship victory, while Lowndes finished the race 31st. Kelly was booed by Ford fans when he was on the podium to receive his trophy.
Lowndes and Triple Eight Racing lodged a protest and a hearing was set up. The protest was dismissed after a long hearing and Rick Kelly
Rick Kelly
Rick Kelly is a current V8 Supercar racing driver, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. He is the younger brother of former Bathurst 1000 champion, Todd Kelly...
was confirmed as the 2006 champion. Lowndes and Triple Eight Racing decided not to appeal that decision and proclaim themselves the "Moral Champions" for the 2006 season. Lowndes won the Barry Sheene Medal for the second year in a row.
Lowndes had three victories in 2007, the sixth round at Hidden Valley Raceway
Hidden Valley Raceway
Hidden Valley Raceway is part of the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The race track is used as a round of the V8 Supercar series...
, and both the endurance classics, the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000
2007 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
The 2007 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was an endurance race for V8 Supercars, held on 7 October 2007 at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
. He finished third place in the championship. His team mate, Jamie Whincup
Jamie Whincup
Jamie Whincup is Australian auto racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar, driving for TeamVodafone. He is a two-time V8 Supercars champion and three-time Bathurst 1000 winner.-Early career:...
, came second in the V8 Supercar Championship. In 2008 Lowndes and Whincup won the Bathurst 1000 for a third time in a row becoming only the third pairing in the history of the Bathurst 1000 to achieve it after Peter Brock and Jim Richards (1978–80) and Peter Brock and Larry Perkins (1982–84).
In 2009, Lowndes started the year with a brand new Ford FG Falcon. Despite winning races in Winton, the Gold Coast and Barbagallo, he was unable to match his teammate and finished the year 4th in the standings. Being once again paired up with Whincup in the enduros but suffered the heartbreak of losing the race lead on the final lap of the L&H Phillip Island 500 due to a delaminating tyre. Heading to Bathurst on the verge of making history, they failed in their bid to win a fourth consecutive Bathurst title, due to a drive-thru penalty, a clutch problem and bad luck.
In 2010, Team Vodafone switched to Holden Commodores as Ford cut sponsorship. Lowndes placed fourth in the championship with podiums in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Queensland Raceway and Winton following a very solid season. Partnering five-time champion Mark Skaife
Mark Skaife
Mark Stephen Skaife OAM is an Australian motor racing driver. Skaife is a five time winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, including its predecessor the Australian Touring Car Championship. He is also a six-time winner of Australia's most prestigious domestic motor race, the Bathurst 1000...
, Lowndes won the Bathurst 1000 for the fifth time, as well as the Phillip Island 500. His first solo victory for the season came during the Falken Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains.
Rallying
Lowndes also ventured off-road to compete in the Australasian SafariAustralasian Safari
The Australasian Safari is an off-road motor sport racing event held in Australia. Like the Dakar Rally, the vehicle classes involved are motorcycles and cars, however there is no truck class. From 2008, a quad class was introduced...
with a Holden Colorado at his disposal. He won the Rally Raid
Rally raid
Rally raid, also known as cross country rallying is a form of long distance off-road racing that takes place over several days. Each day may require traveling up to . The length of the event can be 3–15 days...
at his first attempt. Lowndes won with a margin of over one hour with former V8 Supercar team owner, Kees Weel as co-driver. Lowndes crashed out of the lead of the Safari the following year.
Career results
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Champion of Winton" Formula Ford Series | 1st | Van Diemen RF85 Ford | |
| 1992 | Motorcraft Fomula Ford Driver to Europe Series Australian Formula Ford Championship The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series... |
6th | Van Diemen Van Diemen Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of... RF85 Ford Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... FF88 Ford |
|
| 1993 | Australian Formula Ford Championship Australian Formula Ford Championship The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series... |
1st | Van Diemen Van Diemen Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of... RF93 Ford |
|
| 1994 1994 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1994 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing competition open to drivers of racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Brabham regulations. The championship winner was awarded the 1994 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Champion Driver... |
Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula... |
4th | Cheetah Mk9 Holden | Brian Sampson Brian Sampson (racing driver) Brian Sampson is a retired Australian racing driver.Sampson had a long career throughout the 60s and 70s, which he still continues as a hobby... |
| 1994 | Australian Silver Star Formula Holden Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category.-History:Known during its development as Formula Australia, it was initially for chassis constructed from aluminium only, running a 3.8 litre Buick V6 engine as it was then utilised in the new versions of the Holden Commodore... |
1st | Cheetah Mk9 Holden | Brian Sampson Brian Sampson (racing driver) Brian Sampson is a retired Australian racing driver.Sampson had a long career throughout the 60s and 70s, which he still continues as a hobby... |
| 1996 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of 5.0 Litre Touring Cars complying with Australian Group 3A regulations. The championship, which was the 37th Australian Touring Car Championship, was promoted as the Shell Australian Touring Car... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Holden VR Commodore Holden VR Commodore The Holden VR Commodore of July 1993 came with an updated, sleeker and more modern design, as well as safety enhancements such as anti-lock brakes . From the side, the biggest change was the use of a round rear wheelarch, instead of a squared-off shape used on the previous VN and VP model Commodores... |
Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times... |
| 1997 | International Formula 3000 Championship | 17th | Lola T96/50 Zytek | RSM Marko Helmut Marko Dr. Helmut Marko is a former racing driver from Austria.A friend of Jochen Rindt, he entered racing, and eventually participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 15 August 1971... |
| 1998 1998 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1998 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship was the 39th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and was run for cars eligible to V8 Supercar specifications. It began on 1 February 1998 at Sandown Raceway and ended on 2 August at Oran Park Raceway after 10 rounds.-Teams and... |
Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The... |
1st | Holden VS Commodore Holden VS Commodore The Holden VS Commodore, released in 1995, was the ninth model of the Holden Commodore, a large car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. The VS Commodore served as a mechanical update of the second generation architecture, destined to assist sales before the all-new VT model... Holden VT Commodore Holden VT Commodore The Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, and Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors... |
Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times... |
| 1999 | Shell Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
1st | Holden VT Commodore Holden VT Commodore The Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, and Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors... |
Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times... |
| 2000 | Shell Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
3rd | Holden VT Commodore Holden VT Commodore The Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, and Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors... |
Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times... |
| 2001 | Shell Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
11th | Ford AU Falcon Ford AU Falcon The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia... |
Gibson Motor Sport Gibson Motor Sport Gibson Motor Sport was an Australian motor racing team. Originally established by Howard Marsden as the in-house factory Nissan motorsport operation, the team later passed into the ownership of Fred Gibson., who had won the 1967 Bathurst 500 as a driver, sharing with Harry Firth. In 1993 the team... |
| 2002 | V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
7th | Ford AU Falcon Ford AU Falcon The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia... |
Gibson Motor Sport Gibson Motor Sport Gibson Motor Sport was an Australian motor racing team. Originally established by Howard Marsden as the in-house factory Nissan motorsport operation, the team later passed into the ownership of Fred Gibson., who had won the 1967 Bathurst 500 as a driver, sharing with Harry Firth. In 1993 the team... |
| 2003 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series was a motor racing series for V8 Supercars. The series, which was the eighth V8 Supercar Championship Series, began on 22 March 2003 in Adelaide and ended on 30 November at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
5th | Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing is a British-owned Australian-based motor racing team that contests the Australian International V8 Supercars Championship... |
| 2004 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series featured the sixth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 21 March 2004 in Adelaide and ended on 5 December at Eastern Creek Raceway after 13 rounds... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
20th | Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing is a British-owned Australian-based motor racing team that contests the Australian International V8 Supercars Championship... |
| 2005 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the seventh running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 18 March 2005 in Adelaide and ended on 27 November at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit after 13 rounds.-Teams and drivers:... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
2nd | Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
Team Betta Electrical |
| 2006 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2006 V8 Supercar season was the 8th running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 25 March 2006 in Adelaide and ended on 10 December at Phillip Island after 13 rounds.-Race Calendar:... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
2nd | Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
Team Betta Electrical |
| 2007 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2007 V8 Supercar season featured the ninth V8 Supercar Championship Series which began on 1 March and finished on 2 December. This championship consisted of 14 rounds covering all states and the Northern Territory of Australia as well as rounds in New Zealand and Bahrain... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
3rd | Ford BF Falcon Ford BF Falcon The Ford BF Falcon was a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in Victoria, Australia. The BF Falcon started production in October 2005 and a MkII update was released in October 2006... |
TeamVodafone |
| 2008 | V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
4th | Ford BF Falcon Ford BF Falcon The Ford BF Falcon was a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in Victoria, Australia. The BF Falcon started production in October 2005 and a MkII update was released in October 2006... |
TeamVodafone |
| 2009 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series was the eleventh V8 Supercar Championship Series and the thirteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
4th | Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon The Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car... |
TeamVodafone |
| 2010 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series was an FIA sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the twelfth V8 Supercar Championship Series and the fourteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
4th | Holden VE Commodore | TeamVodafone |
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | RSM Marko | SIL Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side... 14 |
PAU Ret |
HEL Ret |
NÜR Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... Ret |
PER Autodromo di Pergusa The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna.... 4 |
HOC Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix... Ret |
A1R Österreichring The Red Bull Ring is an Austrian race circuit in Spielberg, Styria.The race circuit was founded as Österreichring and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later shortened, rebuilt and renamed the A1-Ring, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix again from... Ret |
SPA Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its... Ret |
MUG Mugello Circuit Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which... 21 |
JER 9 |
17th | 3 |