Race for title starts now
CRAIG Lowndes believes the championship mind games will begin from the very first Newcastle practice session today.
Jamie Whincup leads Scott McLaughlin by a meagre 30 points in the title tussle, with Lowndes claiming either could gain the upper hand by bursting from the blocks in the opening sessions at the new circuit.
“It is all going to start with practice, there is no doubt about that,” he told the Bulletin. “Who takes the (ascendancy early on) will put a bit of pressure on the other.
“I think it is going to be that mental strength especially through practice and qualifying to make sure you are mentally strong and you are confident and happy with the car, which I know is something that Jamie will be working very hard at.
“If you can put a bit of pressure on early, who knows what is going to happen.”
Though he is not in the championship picture, Lowndes said there was an intense atmosphere around the Triple Eight squad that runs him and Whincup as well as Shane van Gisbergen.
The Queensland team are vying for both the drivers and teams titles with their archrivals down the road at DJR Team Penske, who are spearheaded by young star McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard.
While Whincup enters the decider in the lead, Triple Eight trail DJR Team Penske by 105 points in the teams pointscore – a combined total of the sparring squad’s top two drivers’ points tallies.
Triple Eight has clinched the past seven straight teams titles.
While Lowndes is disappointed at dropping outside the championship’s top four for the first time since 2004 – a result of his struggles in qualifying this year – he is determined to cement his hold on sixth place.
Lowndes, Cameron Waters, Mark Winterbottom, Garth Tander and David Reynolds have squabbled over positions in the back half of the top 10 for much of the season.
“For us, our main mission this weekend is to secure sixth in the championship,” the 43year-old said.
“We can’t elevate any further but we can lose sixth. That is our main aim, to finish the year as strongly as we can.”