Craig Lowndes Reflects on Bathurst 1000 and 1994 Milestone

The Bathurst 1000 is revered as the pinnacle of the Supercars racing calendar, and for veteran racer Craig Lowndes, it holds a special place. In his tenth exclusive column for the 2024 season on Supercars.com, Lowndes shares his insights ahead of this weekend’s Repco Bathurst 1000, a race he describes as akin to a “grand final” for drivers, owing to its prestige and the passionate fanbase that supports the event year after year.

Lowndes, a seven-time winner at Bathurst, will return once again to the challenging Mount Panorama circuit, sharing a Triple Eight wildcard entry with rookie Cooper Murray. Reflecting on his 31st appearance at the event, Lowndes recalls the advice of racing legend Peter Brock from his early days focused on the crucial goal of reaching lap 100 unscathed before making any aggressive moves.

The landscape of the race has evolved significantly since Lowndes’ debut in 1994. Cars today are pushed hard from the outset, and reliable engineering dictates much of the strategy. Still, other fundamentals such as fuel strategy and outsmarting competitors remain critical components of success. This year marks a return to the use of hard tires, promising a potentially more competitive race with drivers able to maximize tire performance across Bathurst’s fast and flowing circuit.

Lowndes expressed confidence in his team, notably praising Murray’s rapid adaptation to endurance racing following a strong result at Sandown. “There were questions about my co-driver Cooper Murray’s endurance,” Lowndes noted, “but he’s super quick in the car, and he’s really impressed me.” With Murray fully committed to Bathurst, rather than dividing his attention with the Super2 Series, their team’s outlook for the race remains optimistic.

Looking back, Lowndes reminisces about the 1994 Bathurst 1000, a significant year that marked the outset of his professional racing career. During that race, Lowndes and his co-driver at the time, John Bowe, engaged in fierce competition, only for Bowe to eventually secure victory. Iconic commentator Mark Oastler famously declared, “This kid is dynamite,” after Lowndes executed a daring overtaking maneuver.

As current racers gear up for this year’s contest, attention shifts to the ongoing title battle, where Will Brown holds a slight edge over competitors Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney. However, the championship remains open, with high stakes and immense pressure defining the Bathurst 1000 atmosphere.

Despite having competed in numerous races, Lowndes admits the excitement of driving into Bathurst never wanes, describing the thrill of seeing “Mount Panorama” written on the hill as a timeless adrenaline rush. “The day it doesn’t, that’s when I’ll hang up the helmet,” Lowndes shared, underlining his enduring passion for the iconic race.