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Lowndes: No need for Bathurst tyre change

04 May 2017
Six-time Bathurst winner cool on tyre debate despite Phillip Island crash
2 mins by James Pavey
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Despite being the hardest bitten by the tyre dramas at Phillip Island, Craig Lowndes has poured cold water on claims that Dunlop needs to alter its tyres before Bathurst.

Following the spate of failures at the high-speed Victorian venue, attention has turned to how the category will avoid a repeat of such issues at Bathurst in October.

Dunlop sent nine tyres to its Japanese headquarters for analysis last week and has vowed to work with Supercars to find a solution.

Debate has raged on whether the tyre or the teams are to blame, with some squads taking umbrage at the suggestion their camber and pressure settings were responsible.

Amid ongoing analysis of the issues, the Daily Telegraph has reported the possibility of Supercars organising a tyre test at Bathurst prior to the October race meeting.

Phillip Island has also been touted as a test venue due to the difficulty of booking time at Mount Panorama, which is a public road for the bulk of the year. 

Lowndes was the only driver to have a crash as the result of a failure at Phillip Island, but says he’d have no reservations racing on the same rubber at Bathurst.

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“At the end of the day it’s a tyre that we’ve seen on both days at Phillip Island teams made it work,” Lowndes told Supercars.com.

“I don’t know that Dunlop needs to do anything to redesign the tyre, it’s about understanding it better when you set the car up.

“The blame for the tyre issues I think is on the teams, rather than on Dunlop. 

“There’s definite evidence that the teams induced the problems we caused.”

Tyres are also expected to be a talking point this weekend at Barbagallo, where degradation is always a major factor on the abrasive surface.

Lowndes holds an impressive 16 career wins at the Western Australian venue, including a Saturday triumph last year following a surprise two-stop tyre strategy.

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