Last lap looms for Lowndes
CRAIG Lowndes’ teammates have jokingly referred to it as the “funeral tour’’.
Such has been the outpouring of grief among devoted fans following the Holden hero’s announcement that this year would be his final full-time season in Supercars, Lowndes admitted it had at times been overwhelming.
“It’s been quite funny in a sense, Shane [van Gisbergen] is calling it the funeral tour, instead of the farewell tour, because people think I’m going to be dead tomorrow,’’ Lowndes said.
“Everyone keeps saying ‘you’re not going to be around next year, we need everything signed’. So people are now turning up at signing sessions with like 20 or 30 things, not just one or two anymore.
“You keep explaining to them that I am going to be around, I’m just going to be in a different position.
“It’s just humbling that they look at it that way, it has been quite funny.
The perennial fan favourite will continue his farewell tour at the Sandown 500 this weekend, though he will be back for the endurance races alongside either van Gisbergen or Jamie Whincup as a co-driver next season.
And the three-time Supercars champion will be striving to take another slice of history with him in the seasonopening endurance race.
Lowndes, who has five victories in the Sandown endurance race, can equal Allan Moffat on six victories at the historic circuit to take him to second for the most wins in the event behind the late Peter Brock (nine).
“Another one here, another one at Bathurst would be awesome,’’ Lowndes, 44, said.
“It’s a great track, I love it.”