Lowndes renews contract with Triple Eight
The team is thrilled to confirm that the TeamVortex driver will remain with the squad until at least the end of the 2019 Supercars Championship season.
“I’m really happy to be staying with Triple Eight for at least another two years," said Lowndes. “I’ve been here a long time now and we’ve enjoyed a great amount of success together over the years.
“I’ve always said that if I’m still motivated and I’m still competitive, then I’ll keep going. We finished fourth in the championship last year and I’m enjoying racing as much as I ever have, so it was a no-brainer for me to continue.
“Staying on with Triple Eight was always my first choice, so it’s a great feeling for the rest of this year knowing that I’m going to be continuing where I am for the foreseeable future."
The three-time series winner joined the Brisbane-based team at the start of 2005. In the 12 full seasons since the partnership began, Lowndes has finished either second or fourth in the championship every year. He has also won five Bathurst 1000 crowns in the renowned no. 888 supercar, taking his total to six wins and marking him as a legend of Mount Panorama.
Triple Eight Managing Director Roland Dane is delighted to extend the relationship with the driver who took a risk on an unproven team over a decade ago: “Craig really is part of the family here and it’s terrific that he wants to continue with us for another two years.
“We’ve achieved an awful lot during his time with Triple Eight and we aim to continue building on that into the future with more race wins and of course another Bathurst win.
“There was never a question mark for me over whether we wanted Craig to stay with the team and I’m pleased we’ve been able to confirm the extension relatively early in the season."
TeamVortex’s naming rights partner, Caltex, is thrilled that Lowndes will be continuing on in the sport.
“Caltex has been by Craig’s side for more than ten years, and this is our second year as the naming rights partner of TeamVortex," said Karen Bozic, Caltex’s Acting Executive General Manager – Retail & Convenience. “We are excited that Craig will keep on racing."
Lowndes currently sits eighth in the championship after a stunning drive in Perth just over a week ago that saw him come from the back of the grid to finish eighth. The series heads to the Winton SuperSprint this week for round five of the season.