MOTOR SPORT
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THE Bathurst 12 Hour suffered a huge blow on Tuesday with news that Craig Lowndes would miss the event after breaking his collarbone.
Lowndes, arguably the biggest drawcard in the sport domestically, would have been among the favourites for the event, having been slated to drive the brand new Audi R8 KMS for the Audi Customer Sport/JAMEX-Pem Racing team next month.
Alongside another V8 Supercar star in Garth Tander, as well as Steve McLaughlin, it was a golden opportunity for Lowndes to add to his 2014 12 Hour win and his six Bathurst 1000 victories.
The injury was picked up after the veteran driver had a recreational motorbike accident.
He fell from his bike during a ride with family and friends on Sunday, and though surgery is expected to speed up his recovery and ensure he will be ready to drive for the start of the Supercar season on March 3, it won’t happen in time for next month’s Bathurst 12 Hour race.
“Obviously I’m very disappointed to be missing the 12 Hour, but my focus is on being fully recovered and ready to go for the V8 Supercar season, which I am on course to do,” Lowndes said.
The injury will cause some disruption for Lowndes, as he tries to get ready for a new year in a new car.
The reigning Bathurst 1000 winner will be racing a Team Vortex-branded Holden Commodore in 2016 as Triple Eight Race Engineering expand to a three-team outfit with Shane Van Gisbergen joining Jamie Whincup in the Red Bull Racing stable.
Triple Eight declined to comment on the predicament of their big-name driver and stressed that Lowndes would also be unavailable for further comment during his recovery period.
The race to find a replacement driver to team up with Tander and McLaughlin didn’t last long, and they didn’t exactly have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find one.
Lowndes’ spot will be filled by German superstar Rene Rast.
Rast finished fifth driving for Audi in 2014, and boasts superb credentials having finished in the top 10 at Le Mans in the last two editions of the 24 Hour, as well as winning three straight Porsche Supercup titles from 2010-12.
Bathurst 12 Hour media manager Richard Craill was naturally disappointed in the Lowndes situation, but said he doesn’t expect it to detract from the race too much.
“Any event is better with him there than without him, but at the moment his recovery is the main priority ... so that he’s ready in time for the Supercar season,” Craill said.
“For the fans who might lean more towards the Supercars, there are still a heap of good drivers at the 12 Hour like Tander, Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin that can fill that void. It is disappointing, but it’s all about Craig’s health at the moment.
“As far as Rene goes, this shows the esteem that he’s held in, that he would be called in automatically like that. He is a factory driver and to have him driving for Audi at Le Mans and then bringing him over here is a big vote of confidence.
“In terms of driving ability, the race doesn’t really lose anything by having him come in.”