28 and counting: Lowndes set for more Bathurst history

Next weekend's Repco Bathurst 1000 will mark another unique occasion for Craig Lowndes.

The seven-time Great Race winner will make his 28th consecutive Bathurst start when he rolls out next weekend.

Lowndes, at 47 will be the second oldest driver on next weekend's grid after Russell Ingall.

He made his debut as a 20-year-old alongside Brad Jones at the Holden Racing Team, and famously raced to second.

Two years later, Lowndes ended a remarkable championship year with HRT with a maiden Bathurst win alongside Greg Murphy.

The 110-time race winner is responsible for all six of the #888's Great Race wins, and features in three of the top six closest winning margins.

Lowndes will move to equal third on the all-time Bathurst starts list on 28, drawing level with Colin Bond and Bob Holden.

He will, however, be third outright on the list of those who have made the most starts in succession.

Jim Richards made a record 35 Bathurst starts between 1974 and 2006, and all were in succession. The seven-time winner competed in 33 straight years, and completed both races in 1997 and 1998.

Nine-time winner Peter Brock made 30 straight starts between 1969 and 1997. He returned with his own team in 2002, before he made a 32nd and final appearance for HRT in 2004.

Lowndes hasn't missed a Bathurst 1000 since he made his debut in 1994. Ingall will make his 26th start, moving up to equal seventh, and his first since 2016.

When Lowndes and Ingall made their first Bathurst starts in 1994, 10 drivers on the current grid hadn't been born.

Lowndes and Richards won on their 27th and 26th starts respectively in 2018

They are Anton De Pasquale, Todd Hazelwood, Andre Heimgartner (1995), Brodie Kostecki (1997) Will Brown and Bryce Fullwood (1998), Zane Goddard and Jack Smith (1999) and Jake Kostecki (2000).

Macauley Jones, son of Lowndes' co-driver Brad, was born six days after the 1994 race.

Co-drivers Matt Campbell (1995), Thomas Randle and James Golding (1996), Kurt Kostecki (1998), Jayden Ojeda (1999), Zak Best (2000) and Broc Feeney (2002) also hadn't been born.

The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship and Dunlop Series seasons will conclude at the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 503) and streamed on Kayo.

The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event. Tickets for the event and camping are on sale now.

Most Bathurst starts in succession*

35: Jim Richards (1974-2006)30: Peter Brock (1969-1997)27: Craig Lowndes (1994-2020)**, Steven Richards (1995-2019)26: Colin Bond (1969-1994)25: Larry Perkins (1979-2003), Mark Skaife (1987-2011)24: Dick Johnson (1976-1999), Tony Longhurst (1983-2006), Russell Ingall (1994-2016)**

*Includes years the race was held twice (1997 and 1998)

**Will compete in the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000