Lowndes' race 1 victory marked the first win under V8 Supercar's new "Car of the Future" regulations, as well as the 90th of his career, equalling all-time rival Mark Skaife. 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. Lowndes and Triple Eight Racing decided not to appeal that decision and proclaim themselves the "Moral Champions" for the 2006 season. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Get your free 2-week Foxtel Now trial and start watching in minutes. Lowndes left Australia and went to Europe to further his open wheeler racing career, by competing with the RSM Marko Team in the 1997 International Formula 3000 Championship[4] as teammate to Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya. Among all his other achievements, Lowndes has claimed nine 500 kilometre V8 Supercar/ATCC endurance titles (six Sandown 500 victories, two Phillip Island 500 crowns and one Queensland 500 win). T hey were married for 14 years after meeting at a lakeside race circuit, before calling it quits in 2011. [10] At Tasmania, Lowndes took his first victory in nearly two years, recording the 106th win of his career in the second leg of the 2018 Tasmania SuperSprint. After complaining of having been "unfairly" held up for up to six seconds a lap by Rick Kelly's teammates over the first two races, Lowndes was level on championship points with Kelly after race 2 (of 3) in the final round. In 2018 Lowndes was also recognised in the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport Performance Awards, as the ABC Sports Personality of the Year. Is there anything he cant do? I have read so many books and wished I could chang…more The best thing for me about being a writer is the ability to send a story on any director I desire. He also scored his 5th Barry Sheene Medal and won the Most Popular Driver award for the third year in succession (since its inception in 2013). The seven-time Bathurst winner retired from full-time Supercars competition at the end of 2018, and rejoins Whincup for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup. 2012 saw Lowndes net 7 race victories in the championship, including his fifth Sandown 500 title with teammate Warren Luff.[5]. It’s one of the toughest since I’ve been involved with in the category,” Lowndes told Auto Action. 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. In the 2013 season opener in Adelaide, Lowndes won by a record margin of over 20.5 seconds in Race 1, while coming in third in Race 2. Ageing gracefully: At 41, Craig Lowndes, formerly known as "the kid", is now a "senior citizen" of V8 Supercars. Lowndes has often discussed his desire to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours in France, and says he hopes today’s announcement will pave the way towards ticking that box. Craig Andrew Lowndes OAM (born 21 June 1974) is an Australian racing driver in the Repco … They have one child. Craig Lowndes, Self: Formula 1: Ten Sport. Lowndes then capped the year off in style, winning the Sydney 500 and taking out the coveted Barry Sheene Medal for the third time at the end of season Gala awards. Overseas efforts have, however, been limited by his Supercars commitments, with a tilt at the 2014 Spa 24 Hours the highlight. Lowndes is a three-time V8 Supercar champion, a five-time Barry Sheene Medalist, and a seven-time winner of Australia's most prestigious motor race, the Bathurst 1000 and two-time winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour. "So yeah, there's definitely that opportunity. 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. On 5 February 2017, Lowndes again drove for Maranello Motorsport to win the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in a Ferrari 488 GT3 alongside Triple Eight teammate Jamie Whincup and another Finnish driver Toni Vilander. How much is Craig Lowndes worth? Co-driving in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, playing a part in Supercars’ television broadcasts and racing overseas are all on Craig Lowndes’ agenda for 2019. The 44-year-old outlined his plans for the future at this morning’s announcement in Townsville that he’ll step back from full-time driving at the end of the current season. Contributed Lara is pragmatic when it comes to the life-threatening nature of the crashes. WORDS: Mark Walker IMAGES: Mark Walker, Mark Horsburgh/Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Featuring on this week’s edition of the On the Grid podcast, the seven time Bathurst 1000 champ recounted the story of when the chequered flag dropped after his two wildcard starts in the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries, as well as an … His local drives in GT cars have included winning the 2014 and ’17 Bathurst 12 Hour races in Ferraris, before driving a McLaren in the event this year. In 2015, Lowndes became the first driver to reach 100 race wins in the V8 Supercar championship. “We are race drivers, we want to race cars. You can also find out who is Craig Lowndes dating now and celebrity dating histories at CelebsCouples. Craig Lowndes has been an RSPCA supporter for many years. The year was filled with highlights, including five pole positions, a clean sweep of the Queensland Raceway round, another Phillip Island 500 crown with Mark Skaife and a stellar drive to second at Bathurst. 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. His success in Formula Brabham driving an ageing Cheetah Mk9 against much more modern cars was rewarded with the Australian Silver Star. The two fought one of the closest non-staged finishes in Bathurst 1000 history on 8 October 2006, with Lowndes winning over Kelly by just half a second. Broadcasts already feature three of Lowndes’ former co-drivers, Mark Skaife, Neil Crompton and Greg Murphy. In January, Lowndes peeled back the covers of the Autobarn Lowndes Racing Holden ZB Commodore in which he would compete in 2018, and also confirmed he would once again be partnered by Steven Richards in the Pirtek Enduro Cup. “But the good thing about that is that we have recognised that we can be better and are working towards doing … His Bathurst 1000 victory made him the youngest winner of the race at the time and with Murphy, the youngest ever driver pairing to win the Bathurst 1000. [15], Lowndes' first competitive race at Bathurst was in the 1994 James Hardie 12 Hour for production cars. Former V8 Supercar team owner, Kees Weel was co-driver. Roland has thankfully been very open to allow Shane and Jamie and I to do that. By this time Lowndes had been added to the Holden Racing Teams testing crew. Lowndes’ presence at race tracks next year will also include a yet-to-be-defined role within Supercars’ television coverage. Craig Lowndes celebrates winning the Bathurst 1000 in 2015. SIGN UP NOW > GALLERY: Craig Lowndes’ new-look Autobarn ride revealed. He finished third place in the championship, while his teammate, Jamie Whincup, finished second. Regardless, it appears likely Lowndes will slot in either with Jamie Whincup or Shane van Gisbergen in the Red Bull Holden Racing Team garage. Lowndes eventually finished second in the 2006 V8 Supercar season. He finished 3rd at Ipswich SuperSprint and 4th at the Sydney SuperNight 300. Craig Lowndes was born on June 21, 1974 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Lowndes has dabbled in GT racing in recent years around his Supercars commitments, but will now have more time to explore interests overseas. Craig Lowndes’ ex-wife has accused the car racing champion of disappointing his children, in a public social media post that claims he neglected to tell them about his retirement plans. On 6 July 2018, Lowndes announced his intention to step down from full-time driving at the end of the 2018 season, continuing as a co-driver.[1]. In the last year of his current deal with Triple Eight, Lowndes will again be paired with Jamie Whincup. Lowndes is the second driver to win the cup more than once.[14]. And if that sounds like a cliché- so be it! On 11 June 2012, Lowndes received the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his success in motorsport and contribution to the broader Australian community, "particularly through road safety education programs and charitable organisations."[2]. WORDS: Mark Walker IMAGES: Mark Walker, Mark Horsburgh/Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Featuring on this week’s edition of the On the Grid podcast, the seven time Bathurst 1000 champ recounted the story of when the chequered flag dropped after his two wildcard starts in the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries, as well as an … Lowndes finished a lowly 20th in the championship, causing him to leave the team at the end of 2004. It’s no shock to see a network like Fox throw money at Lowndes – he’s the biggest name off the grid and will still be racing in the enduros. Rydell was forced to stay home for family reasons and after his impressive debut at Sandown, HRT team manager Jeff Grech had no hesitation in giving Rydell's seat to the young Lowndes. Now Lowndes is hungry to make up for lost time in the Gold Coast 600's finale on Sunday. He started off with his first racing practice when he hardly was 9 years of age. At his first attempt, Lowndes won the championship and also won both the Sandown and Bathurst races with teammate Greg Murphy. [citation needed], In 2011 Lowndes confirmed his amicable separation from his former marriage. Craig Lowndes driver of the #888 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Holden (Getty) Lowndes knows there will be a little adjustment being a co-driver behind Whincup too, … In a very short time, he became a successful race car driver. Lowndes will remain contracted to Triple Eight, which he has driven for in the Supercars Championship since 2005. On his return to Australia, Lowndes again won the 1997 Sandown 500 for HRT, partnered by New Zealander Greg Murphy. Gibson Motor Sport was renamed to 00 Motorsport (pronounced "double-o", being Lowndes' racing number) after a change of management. Since the Bathurst 12 Hour race was changed to allow FIA GT3 cars in 2011, Lowndes has been a regular competitor in the race. [citation needed]. [citation needed], 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. Craig Lowndes hailed from Melbourne, Australia and born to Frank Lowndes in the year 1974, 21st June. He capped off a brilliant campaign by placing second in the championship and winning his sixth Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Steven Richards. The win equals Steven's father Jim Richards' total of 7 wins. Supercars says it is going to “unleash” Craig Lowndes in a new role as part of its broadcast in 2021. "You'd have to ask [Roland about wildcard starts]," said Lowndes. Lowndes moved up to Australia's top rank of open wheel racing being Formula Brabham in 1994. The racing driver's ex-wife moves on with an unemployed tomboy. Craig is one of the true nice guys of Australian sport. “This championship, this year, is out of control. He was born on 21 June 1974. Below is her letter to me followed by a 13 minute … Craig Lowndes says this year’s Supercars series is the toughest of his career. ", Sign up to the Repco Supercars Championship Newsletter. I have read so many books and wished I could change the outcome, now I can. HRT had seen enough however, and for the 1996 season he replaced Tomas Mezera full-time in the team. Craig Lowndes’s net worth estimate is $100,000 - $1M. It was his first Bathurst win since 1996 and Ford's first since 1998. The 44-year-old outlined his plans for the future at this morning’s announcement in Townsville that he’ll step back from full-time driving at the end of the current season. He was comprehensively beaten by his teammate which resulted in him failing to find a budget to compete a second year. 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. Who Lowndes partners in 2019 is to be determined. He resumed his racing seat with the Holden Racing Team, alongside new teammate Mark Skaife, shuffling Greg Murphy into a test-driving role. 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. "There's no doubt being in a co-driver role, you have to be sharp, you have to stay race fit. In 2012 he failed to finish, again driving an Audi R8, this time for another German team Phoenix Racing, while he also failed to finish in 2013, again in an R8. Toughest since I ’ ve been involved with in the final race of the Safari following... 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