Lowndes master of Bathurst
Craig Lowndes bid farewell to Bathurst as a fulltime Supercars driver in classic style by winning for a seventh time at the famous venue.
He and expat Kiwi co-driver Steven Richards powered to victory after Erebus Holden driver David Reynolds relinquished the lead he had held for the majority of the race with severe cramps late in his final stint.
Reynolds, who won the race last year, had to make an extra pit stop to hand over to co-driver Luke Youlden because it became unsafe for him to continue behind the wheel.
Lowndes announced earlier in the year that he will step away from fulltime racing at the season’s end and celebrated by joining Jim Richards as a seven-time winner – second only to the late great Peter Brock. Brock mentored Lowndes as a youngster.
Lowndes won in 2006 just after Brock’s passing in what was an emotional event and Lowndes said this year was similar.
“A lot – it is almost like 06 again,” he said. “We have had troubles all weekend with steering and to pull it altogether – I didn’t have any air or anything in my helmet the last three stints so I am a little tired but it is a credit to these guys.
“Richo and I came into this weekend with a lot of confidence after Sandown. We didn’t have a lot of speed early in the race but we were hoping it would develop and the car would come to us and it did.
“It is a pity to Reynolds and his guys because they were the benchmark all weekend.”
Scott Pye and Warren Luff finished second while the Shell V-Power Ford of Kiwi Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat completed the podium.
Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen was fifth alongside fellow Kiwi Earl Bamber. They lost time in the pits with a brake issue and didn’t quite have a race car that could match the leaders.
McLaughlin has reduced the title deficit to 19 points.