BATHURST 1000
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WITH this Sunday’s Bathurst 1000 being the last exclusive Ford versus Holden battle before new manufacturers are added to the championship in 2013, it is somewhat fitting that a blue oval turned red lion team rates among the favourites.
Triple Eight Racing – which run the Team Vodafone cars of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup – have been a force since first joining the V8 Supercars’ competition in 2003.
Three drivers’ championship wins via Whincup – in 2008, 2009 and 2010 – as well as 50 round victories from 124 race starts gives Triple Eight a record others envy.
To highlight just how impressive that is, the next best is the Holden Racing Team with 19 round wins and a drivers’ championship thanks to Garth Tander in 2007.
This season they have again been dominant with Whincup currently leading the drivers’ championship and Lowndes sitting in third.
Their record in endurance races has also been impressive.
It began when Triple Eight raced Ford Falcons, with Whincup and Lowndes becoming just the third driver combination in the 49-year history of the Great Race to claim three Bathurst crowns in a row. They did it from 2006 to 2008.
In 2009 Triple Eight controversially switched manufacturers – they now sported the lion badges of Holden. That year Lowndes and Whincup narrowly missed the Bathurst 1000 podium, placing fourth.
In 2010 new rules were introduced for endurance racing which saw full-time drivers unable to share the same car.
That seemed to matter little to Triple Eight.
Lowndes and Mark Skaife won the Phillip Island L&H 500 and went on to claim the Bathurst 1000. They held off the second Triple Eight car of Jamie Whincup and Steve Owen to claim that Great Race.
Then last year in one of the closest Great Race finishes, the HRT of Garth Tander and Nick Percat was the only entry to beat home Lowndes and Skaife’s Holden.
This year Lowndes and Warren Luff won the Sandown 500 with Whincup placing third with Paul Dumbrell.
That success was the 50th round win for Triple Eight.
“Every member of the team is to be congratulated for reaching this milestone,” Triple Eight managing director Roland Dane said.
“It’s a testament to the commitment and work ethic of all that we have been able to create and grow a culture of success.
“Over the seasons we have met with many challenges which we have taken on head-first – new rules and regulations and the change of manufacturer have all been approached with the same work ethic and attitude.
“Consistency has also played an integral part – our driver combination of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup is one of the sport’s longest running and internally we have maintained a structure of staff and departments that run like a well-oiled machine.
“We never rest on our laurels and will be striving to add many more wins to this record.”
With experienced drivers and crew plus reliable cars, Triple Eight are focussed on making it five Bathurst 1000 wins from their last seven attempts this Sunday.
The only team to have won the Great Race with both a Falcon and a Commodore, over the past four years the Triple Eight cars have led 215 of a possible 644 laps at Mount Panorama.