Lowndes will retire a winner: Richards
STEVEN Richards has predicted a fairytale finish for Craig Lowndes with the allconquering co-driver forecasting a fitting finale for the Holden great.
Fresh from claiming the Endurance Cup title alongside Lowndes, Richards declared his Triple Eight Race Engineering teammate would finish his stellar full-time career with a win at the Newcastle 500.
“I absolutely think he can win,’’ Richards said.
“He has the car to do it. Over the duration of the Endurance Cup campaign the team has been continually seeking a new direction and it is getting better and better.’’
Richards, who conquered Mount Panorama to help Lowndes to his seventh Bathurst crown, said his fellow veteran was still at the peak of his powers.
“He is driving as well as he ever has,’’ Richards said.
“His error rate is so low compared to other drivers. He has a lot of confidence with the car.
“He also has a lot of trust with the guys in his garage and he has been working with them a long time to build that. It is all two years in the making and it is a shame in a lot of ways that he is retiring.
“He has a great group of guys around him and they are going from strength to strength and gaining confidence with every race.’’
Richards said Lowndes could continue as a full-time driver – but added that his decision to retire at the end of the year would see him go out on top.