Inside Lowndes' first Gen3 outing
Friday proved a memorable day for Craig Lowndes as he sampled Gen3 machinery for the first time.
Lowndes, who retired from full-time competition in 2018, has been instrumental in the Gen3 programme.
Late last year, Lowndes completed laps aboard a mule car fitted with General Motors’ Gen3-spec engine.
Supercars has since conducted testing of the prototypes at Queensland Raceway.
Friday’s test marked the fourth day of running of the prototypes in 2022, all coming at the Ipswich venue.
Both cars reached the 1000km mileage milestone on Friday. The focus will soon shift to testing the cars elsewhere, starting with Winton.
On Friday, Lowndes got behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prototype for the very first time.
The seven-time Bathurst winner joined Shane van Gisbergen, Broc Feeney and Brodie Kostecki in running the Camaro.
Lowndes is no stranger to Queensland Raceway; no driver came close to matching his record 12 race wins at the circuit.
However, his running on Friday was unlike anything he had ever achieved in his long and decorated career.
"I'm very impressed," Lowndes told Supercars.com.
"The power to weight ratio is very exciting.
'The power to weight ratio is very exciting'
"Braking wise, these brakes have done a lot of mileage now so they aren't as reactive as I would like them to be.
"But they have done nearly two times a Bathurst 1000, so the reliability is there, which is good.
"The car balance wasn't bad, it was a little bit on the nose for me, but we are still chasing that in the testing process.
"But overall it was nice to drive.
"The beauty of this is that when I drove this engine in the TA2 mule last year, it's different to how it is now.
"It's interesting over time how it has all evolved."
The low-downforce Gen3 cars are a throwback to the machinery Lowndes raced when he first burst onto the scene.
Cars of years gone by were noted by how difficult they were to drive, let alone race.
In 2023, racing will be overhauled like never before, with the new cars to provide an enhanced entertaining racing spectacle.
The veterans of Supercars believe the low-downforce cars will be tailored to their styles.
Notably, 2010 champion James Courtney believes the old hands will have an advantage of sorts.
Tim Slade’s first assessment of the new car was centred on how much more "aggressive" it was to handle.
For Lowndes, who famously steered some of the most famous cars to great success, Gen3 provides an opportunity for Supercars to lay down a template for entertainment never before seen in the championship.
The Gen3 Camaro ticked over its first 1000 kilometres on Tuesday
"The beauty about the testing is every driver has got a different way of driving style, and what they want from the cars," Lowndes continued.
"It's great having so many drivers drive these cars as it gives Supercars a lot more information and feedback.
"Supercars will have a proper analysis of the durability and reliability of the car so when they hit the road in 2023, they can put on the best show possible.
"For the fans, I think they are going to see a lot more going on in the cockpit, seeing drivers trying to tackle the differences in the cars.
"It's going to be really interesting to watch."
The Gen3 cars will debut in the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.
The cars will make a number of public on-track appearances in 2022, starting in Sydney.
The 13-event 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Sydney in March. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.
