Lowndes’ greatest victories

In a career that’s included 300-plus rounds, Craig Lowndes became the face of Supercars.

Following the news he will drive on in Triple Eight Race Engineering’s endurance wildcard entry for a further two years, we look back at his most memorable wins in SupercarXtra Magazine issue #129, a special edition celebrating the great drivers in the history of Australian touring cars.

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Lowndes had already stunned the establishment with his starring debut at Mount Panorama in 1994. Then he took the championship by storm in 1996. In the first round of the season at the short Eastern Creek layout, Lowndes harried John Bowe in the first race before getting the jump and scoring his first win in the second race.

He backed that up with his second win under lights in the final race for a sensational round victory. He would go on to sweep the year with the championship plus Sandown and Bathurst victories. 

Ten years later, the death of Peter Brock a month before set the tone for a sombre 2006 Bathurst 1000. Lowndes – as Brock’s protégé – was thrust into the spotlight and even took part in a pre-race parade of Brock’s cars. Without a win at Mount Panorama since 1996, Lowndes and new co-driver Jamie Whincup fought back from an early strategic error that sent them to the back of the pack.

The duo worked their way into the lead, with Lowndes holding off Rick Kelly in an edge-of-your-seat finish. Fittingly, Lowndes and Whincup held aloft the first Peter Brock Trophy, with Lowndes unable to hold back the tears.