Lowndes relieved by Supercars success

Sunday, 8 April 2018:

Race winner CRAIG LOWNDES driver of the #888 Autobarn Lowndes Racing Holden Commodore ZB celebrates after race 2 for the Supercars Tasmania SuperSprint in Hobart, Australia.
Race winner CRAIG LOWNDES driver of the #888 Autobarn Lowndes Racing Holden Commodore ZB celebrates after race 2 for the Supercars Tasmania SuperSprint in Hobart, Australia.


Craig Lowndes says his two-year wait for a Supercars race win is easy to explain.

It's because it's gotten harder and harder to win a race.

Lowndes would know - his drought-ending success was his 106th in the sport.

The popular 43-year-old defied his age and relative form to win from pole position at Symmons Plains on Sunday.

He said it was a "great relief" to claim the result in Tasmania.

"As race drivers you always want to drive with confidence and belief but until you win races and do things ... it's always disappointing," he said.

"The competition in Supercars right now is probably the toughest I've ever seen.

"25 other cars our there that have got great resources, sponsorship, drivers, equipment, teams, everything else. It's really hard.

"You make a mistake in qualifying for a tenth (of a second) and it's not one spot any more. It's five or six.

"I think I qualified 17th at the grand prix. I was 0.5 (seconds) off pole.

"It really is quite a tough category at the moment but that's the beauty of it."

Until the win, Lowndes' last success came at Ipswich in 2016.

He also ended a three-year wait for a pole position on Sunday, with his last qualifying victory coming at Ipswich in 2015.

He said he wasn't driven by a desire to stop the rot.

"We don't go out there and remember the last time we won or pole position. We just go out there and try our best," he said.

"It's great for the team.

"Last year we were up and down like a yoyo. Hopefully this time rolls on for a more consistent year."






AAP