Craig Lowndes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Craig Lowndes OAM
Lowndes in 2015
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1974-06-21) 21 June 1974 (age 51) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Supercars record
Car number	888
Current team	Triple Eight Race Engineering (Endurance race co-driver)
Series championships	3 (1996, 1998, 1999)
Races	674
Race wins	110
Podium finishes	266
Pole positions	42
2020 position	NC (0 pts)

Craig Andrew Lowndes (born on June 21, 1974) is a famous Australian racing car driver. He races in the Repco Supercars Championship for Triple Eight Race Engineering. Craig is also a TV commentator, sharing his knowledge of racing with fans.

Craig Lowndes is a true legend in Australian motorsport. He has won the V8 Supercar championship three times and has earned the prestigious Barry Sheene Medal five times. He's also a seven-time winner of Australia's biggest motor race, the Bathurst 1000, and has won the Bathurst 12 Hour twice.

On July 6, 2018, Craig announced he would stop full-time driving at the end of that year. However, he continues to race as a co-driver in endurance events. He holds the record for the most podium finishes (top three) at the Bathurst 1000, with 14. He was also the first driver in ATCC/V8SC history to win 100 races!

In 2012, Craig received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This award recognized his amazing success in motorsport and his work in the community, especially for road safety and charities. In 2018, he was named ABC Sports Personality of the Year. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. Craig even voiced a character named Conrod in the children's TV show Roary the Racing Car!

Craig Lowndes: A Racing Star

Craig Lowndes started his racing journey at a young age. When he was just nine years old, he was already driving go-karts and riding dirt bikes.

How Craig Started Racing

In 1991, Craig moved into car racing. He drove in the Motorcraft Formula Ford "Driver to Europe" Series. Even though his car was older and he didn't have much sponsorship, he quickly became very successful. In 1993, Craig won the Australian Formula Ford Championship. This win allowed him to compete in the Formula Ford Festival in England, where he finished an impressive third. The next year, in 1994, he moved up to open wheel racing in Australia, called Formula Brabham. He did so well in an older car that he won the Australian Silver Star award.

Joining the Holden Racing Team

By this time, Craig had joined the Holden Racing Team as a test driver. He showed so much promise that he was chosen to race with Brad Jones in the 1994 Sandown 500. This was supposed to be a one-time race. But when another driver couldn't make it to Bathurst, Craig got the chance to race there too.

At the 1994 Bathurst 1000, Craig was chasing the leading car. With only eleven laps left, he surprised everyone by passing the leader on the outside of a corner! He later admitted he just missed his braking point, but it was still an amazing move for a new driver. He finished second, which was a huge achievement.

Craig became the official test driver for Holden in 1995. He finally got back behind the wheel for the big endurance races at the end of the season. He immediately showed his speed by getting the fastest qualifying time (pole position) at the Sandown 500. A few weeks later, he also got pole position at the Bathurst 1000. For the 1996 season, Craig became a full-time driver for the team.

In his first full season, Craig won the championship by a large margin. He also won both the Sandown and Bathurst races with his teammate Greg Murphy. This was a rare "treble" victory! His Bathurst win made him the youngest winner at the time. His success was so big that the team owner signed him to a long-term deal to help him race overseas.

Racing in Europe: Formula 3000

At the end of 1996, Craig went to Europe to chase his dream of racing in Formula One. He decided to skip Formula 3 and go straight to Formula 3000, which was a faster series. He joined the RSM Marko Team for the 1997 International Formula 3000 Championship. His teammate was the highly-rated Juan Pablo Montoya.

Craig qualified well in his first race, but his season didn't go as planned. His best finish was fourth place. He found the team's approach very different from what he was used to. Even though he wanted to keep going, he couldn't find sponsors for another season. So, he returned to Australia and the Holden Racing Team.

Back in Australia and More Wins!

When Craig returned to Australia, he immediately won the 1997 Sandown 500 again with Greg Murphy. In 1998, he was back as a full-time driver for the Holden Racing Team, alongside Mark Skaife. He picked up right where he left off, winning his second championship in 1998.

Craig also considered racing in America's CART series in 1998. He even tested a car and set very fast times. However, he decided to stay in Australia.

He won his third championship in 1999. He was doing incredibly well, finishing on the podium in almost every race. During a race at Calder Park Raceway, his car rolled over in a spectacular crash. The car was completely destroyed, and Craig suffered a knee injury. Despite missing the next race, he still managed to win the championship at the Bathurst Classic by finishing second in the final round. In 2000, he finished third in the championship, winning three rounds, including the Queensland 500.

Switching to Ford

After some disagreements within the Holden Racing Team, Craig made a big move. He switched from Holden to their main rival, Ford! This caused a lot of excitement among racing fans. He joined a new team led by former driver Fred Gibson. This partnership lasted two years, but they had problems with the Ford Falcon race car. Despite these challenges, fans admired Craig for his positive attitude. His black and silver Falcon was even nicknamed the "green-eyed monster" because of its bright green headlight covers.

Racing for Ford Performance

In 2003, Craig joined the factory-backed Ford Performance Racing team. He improved his results from the previous two seasons, finishing fifth in the championship. He also won his first race with Ford, which was his first round win since 2000. However, the season was inconsistent, and reliability issues prevented him from challenging for the title. 2004 was Craig's toughest year in the championship, with many car problems. He finished 20th, which led him to leave the team at the end of the year.

Joining Triple Eight Race Engineering

In 2005, Craig joined Triple Eight Race Engineering. This move brought him great success with Ford. He won the most races and had the most pole positions of any driver that year. He finished second in the championship. At the 2005 Bathurst 1000, he started from pole position but had two crashes that damaged his car.

At the V8 Gala Awards, Craig received the Barry Sheene Medal. This award is like a "Most Valuable Player" award, voted on by media, magazines, TV commentators, and former drivers. It honors the late racing legend Barry Sheene.

Big Wins: 2006-2008

In 2006, Craig was fighting for the championship right up to the very last race. He was tied on points with Rick Kelly. At the 2006 Bathurst 1000, Craig won by just half a second over Kelly in a thrilling finish. It was his first Bathurst win since 1996 and Ford's first since 1998. This victory was very emotional for Craig because it was the first Bathurst 1000 since his mentor, Peter Brock, had passed away. Craig and his teammate, Jamie Whincup, were presented with the first-ever Peter Brock Trophy.

Craig finished second in the 2006 V8 Supercar season. In the final race, Rick Kelly crashed into Craig, causing a long pit stop for repairs. Kelly received a penalty and won the championship, while Craig finished 31st. Craig's team protested, but the decision stood. Craig and Triple Eight Racing called themselves the "Moral Champions" of 2006. Craig won the Barry Sheene Medal for the second year in a row.

In 2007, Craig won three races, including both endurance races: the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000. He finished third in the championship. In 2008, Craig and Jamie Whincup won the Bathurst 1000 for the third time in a row! They became only the third pair in history to achieve this.

2009 Season

In 2009, Craig started with a new Ford FG Falcon. He won races in Winton, the Gold Coast, and Barbagallo. However, he couldn't quite match his teammate and finished fourth in the standings. He teamed up with Jamie Whincup for the endurance races. They almost won the L&H Phillip Island 500 but lost the lead on the final lap due to a tire problem. At Bathurst, they tried for a fourth straight win but faced a penalty and a clutch issue, finishing fifth.

2010 Season

In 2010, Team Vodafone switched to Holden Commodores because Ford reduced their sponsorship. Craig finished fourth in the championship, with several podium finishes. Partnering with five-time champion Mark Skaife, Craig won the Bathurst 1000 for the fifth time. They also won the Phillip Island 500. His first solo race win of the season came at Symmons Plains.

2011-2012 Seasons

Lowndes placed 2nd in the 2011 V8 Supercars Championship, racing with Triple Eight Race Engineering

Lowndes racing at the 2012 Coates Hire Ipswich 300

2011 was one of Craig's best seasons in five years. He finished a close second in the championship to his teammate Jamie Whincup. He achieved five pole positions and won all three races at the Queensland Raceway round. He also won another Phillip Island 500 with Mark Skaife and finished second at Bathurst. Craig ended the year by winning the Sydney 500 and taking home his third Barry Sheene Medal. He continued his strong performance in 2012, again finishing second to Whincup. In 2012, Craig won seven races, including his fifth Sandown 500 title with teammate Warren Luff.

2013 Season

Lowndes during pre-season testing at the Sydney Motorsport Park in 2013

At the first race of the 2013 season in Adelaide, Craig won by a huge margin of over 20.5 seconds! This was his 90th career win, matching his rival Mark Skaife. Craig and his Triple Eight Racing teammate Jamie Whincup continued to dominate in 2013. Craig won races at Adelaide, Barbagallo Raceway, Hidden Valley Raceway, and also won a race at Gold Coast with co-driver Warren Luff. For the third year in a row, he finished second in the season, always behind Jamie Whincup.

Lowndes at the Sydney Motorsport Park in 2014 during pre-season testing.

2015 Season

The Holden Commodore (VF) of Lowndes (left) and Jamie Whincup (right) prior to the second race of the 2015 Sydney Motorsport Park Super Sprint

In 2015, Craig Lowndes made history by becoming the first driver to reach 100 race wins in the V8 Supercar championship. He had a fantastic season, finishing second in the championship. He also won his sixth Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with Steven Richards. This win put him alongside racing greats Mark Skaife and Larry Perkins for the most victories at Mount Panorama. He now holds the record for the most podium finishes at Bathurst, with 13. He also earned his fifth Barry Sheene Medal and was voted the Most Popular Driver for the third year in a row.

2016 Season

Lowndes in his 600th championship race at the 2016 Sydney SuperSprint

In 2016, Craig worked with his long-time technical director, Ludo Lacroix, again. He won his first race of the year at the Perth SuperSprint. At the Sydney SuperSprint, Craig became the first driver to compete in 600 championship races! He led the first half of the race and finished second to Jamie Whincup, who then became the second driver to reach 100 wins after Craig.

2017 Season

The 2017 season saw Craig continue with Team Vortex. Even though his teammates won races, Craig had a tough year. For the first time in his career, he didn't win a race or even get a podium finish. He finished 10th in the championship, his lowest result since 2004. Despite this, Craig said he would keep racing in 2018.

2018 Season

In January 2018, Craig revealed his new Autobarn Lowndes Racing Holden ZB Commodore car. He also confirmed that Steven Richards would be his co-driver for the endurance races. At Tasmania, Craig won his first race in almost two years, marking his 106th career win. On July 5, Craig announced that he would retire from full-time racing at the end of the 2018 championship. He would continue to be an endurance driver for Triple Eight Race Engineering.

On October 7, 2018, Craig won his seventh Bathurst 1000 with co-driver Steven Richards. They set a new record time of 6 hours and 1 minute. This win equaled Steven's father, Jim Richards', total of seven wins. Craig and Richards also won the Pirtek Enduro Cup award, thanks to their strong performances, including podiums at Sandown and the Gold Coast, along with their Bathurst victory. Craig is only the second driver to win this cup more than once.

2022 Onwards

Craig Lowndes continues to race in the Supercars Championship endurance rounds. He co-drives for the Supercheap Auto 'wildcard' team. This program helps young, promising drivers get a chance to compete in big races like the iconic Bathurst 1000. Since joining the program in 2022, Craig has helped launch the careers of drivers like Declan Fraser, Zane Goddard, Cooper Murray, and Zach Bates, who will join in 2025.

Off-Road Racing

In 2010, Craig Lowndes tried off-road racing in the Australasian Safari with a Holden Colorado. He won the Rally Raid on his first try, finishing over an hour ahead of second place! His co-driver was former V8 Supercar team owner, Kees Weel. Craig crashed out of the lead in the Safari the following year.

In 2024, Craig and General Motors entered the Finke Desert Race with navigator Dale Moscatt in a Chevrolet ZR2 Silverado. Craig and his team won the Prologue. The team also set a new record for the first part of the race (Alice Springs to Finke) in a production vehicle, with a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 692 seconds.

Bathurst 12 Hour

Lowndes at the 2014 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

Craig's first competitive race at Bathurst was in the 1994 James Hardie 12 Hour for production cars. Sharing a Nissan Pulsar SSS with John and Phil Morriss, Craig finished 14th overall and first in his class.

Since the Bathurst 12 Hour race started allowing FIA GT3 cars in 2011, Craig has been a regular competitor. In 2011, he finished second overall in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 for the famous German endurance racing team, Joest Racing. He didn't finish the race in 2012 or 2013, both times driving an Audi R8.

The race-winning Ferrari 488 GT3 of Toni Vilander, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup at the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

Craig finally won the race in 2014. He drove a Ferrari 458 GT3 for Maranello Motorsport with fellow Australians John Bowe and Peter Edwards, and former Formula One driver, Mika Salo from Finland.

On February 5, 2017, Craig won the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour again for Maranello Motorsport. He drove a Ferrari 488 GT3 with his Triple Eight teammate Jamie Whincup and another Finnish driver, Toni Vilander.

More recently, Craig has been a key driver for the Scott Taylor Motorsport team, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Racing Record

Career Summary

Images for kids

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  1996 HRT Commodore

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  Lowndes in 2006

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  The Ford Falcon BA with which Lowndes and Jamie Whincup won the 2006 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. The car is pictured in 2018.

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  The Ford Falcon of Craig Lowndes at Queensland Raceway, August 23, 2009.

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  Lowndes at the 2014 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

See also

In Spanish: Craig Lowndes para niños