CRAIG Lowndes ranks as one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Great Race at Mount Panorama with six Bathurst 1000 crowns to his credit, but next February when he returns to the track he will be chasing a different endurance prize.

Lowndes will be looking to snare the second Bathurst 12 Hour win of his career.

The V8 Supercars star has confirmed he will pair with the Audi Customer Sport/JAMEC-Pem Racing outfit for the February 5-7 event, driving a brand-new Audi R8 LMS. 

His return to Audi makes it something of a homecoming for this year’s Peter Brock Trophy winner given he has contested three prior Bathurst enduros with the German marque.

Lowndes’ teamed with John Bowe, Mika Salo and Peter Edwards in a Ferrari to win the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour, but missed this year’s race due to a clash with a V8 Supercars test day.

It means 2016 will mark his first opportunity to defend his incredible 12 hour win scored nearly two years ago.

He could also be just the third person in history to win the Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12-Hour races consecutively, with only Allan Grice (1990-91) and Greg Hansford (1993-94) having achieved the remarkable endurance feat.

“I’m really looking forward to re-joining the Audi Sport customer racing Australia team at Bathurst,” Lowndes said.

“For me there’s a little bit of unfinished business there after being on the cusp of victory a couple of times over the years [for Audi], but I feel next year we have one of the most competitive new generation GT3 cars in the world and an opportunity to really take the fight to Ferrari and Nissan.”

Lowndes contested the 12 hour with Audi between 2011 and 2013, finishing second the first year with Warren Luff and Mark Eddy after qualifying on pole. 

He failed to finish the race the following two years, but added to his impressive Bathurst podium tally 12 months later when he switched brands to win the race.

His victory in 2014 with the Maranello Motorsport Ferrari squad added him to an elite list of only six drivers to have won both the Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour.

In that thrilling encounter, the Bathurst legend held out impressive young German GT star Maxi Buhk in a sensational last-lap battle between Ferrari and Mercedes Benz. It was Lowndes’ Bathurst experience which was key in delivering that remarkable win.

Lowndes missed the race this year, but his Bathurst form continued unabated, popularly storming to victory with Steven Richards in the 1000 early last month. 

Jamec-Pem team owner Steven McLaughlan said he jumped at the opportunity to return Lowndes to the Audi fold at Mount Panorama.

“No question, when the opportunity came up to have Craig back in the fold, I knew we had to put it together,” he said.

“The new Audi has already proven to be a success, so we want to launch the new car here in Australia, at Bathurst, with the best chance of taking victory and in my mind that meant having Craig back in the team.”

Lowndes will share his Bathurst 12 Hour entry with McLaughlan and fellow V8 star Garth Tander.