New title sponsor confirmed for Craig Lowndes in 2018

Craig Lowndes

Craig Lowndes’ no. 888 Holden will bear a fresh look for the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship season as long-time sponsor Autobarn confirms its position as naming-rights partner.

Autobarn came on board as a team partner with Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2013 and the increased sponsorship of the no. 888 Commodore is a natural development of a positive and fruitful relationship over the last five years.

The Team will be known as Autobarn Lowndes Racing as part of the two-year agreement, which carries an option to extend for further seasons.

“It’s fantastic to extend the team’s very successful partnership with Autobarn, as well as my own personal relationship with them, which began over 15 years ago," Craig Lowndes said.

“I am grateful of Autobarn’s support over these many years and that they’ve now chosen to take an even stronger position going forward. It has always been a relationship that I have valued highly.

“I’m pretty excited to roll out a totally new look and I’m looking forward to sharing it with fans early next year."

With three championship titles and six Bathurst 1000 wins to his name, Lowndes is one of the undisputed greats of Australian motorsport. Together, Lowndes, Triple Eight and Autobarn have clocked up 16 race victories since joining forces in 2013.

Executive General Manager – Retail of Bapcor Peter Tilley is greatly looking forward to Autobarn Lowndes Racing hitting the track for at least the next two years.

“We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership with Triple Eight and Craig Lowndes. Autobarn and Triple Eight have enjoyed an excellent relationship since its inception almost five years ago and we’re extremely proud to see it go from strength to strength," he said.

“Craig is a fantastic ambassador of both the sport and Autobarn, so for us this is a natural progression of an already highly successful combination."

Current naming-rights partner, Caltex Australia, will continue their 12-year partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering through until at least the end of 2019, retaining branding on Craig Lowndes’ Commodore.

Lowndes, currently sitting seventh in the 2017 championship, will take on the 2018 Supercars season in the Next-Generation Holden Commodore supercar, currently being designed and built by Triple Eight Race Engineering.