Lowndes guides new Triple Eight recruit

Triple Eight’s newly signed Dunlop Super2 Series young gun Angelo Mouzouris has cut his first laps with the team during a test at Queensland Raceway.

The 18-year-old reigning Australian Formula Ford Series winner moves into Supercars’ second-tier series this year with the powerhouse squad.

Mouzouris’ maiden taste of a Supercar came at a Brad Jones Racing evaluation day late last year, before being snapped up by Triple Eight.

Today’s test was run under the guidance of seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes and team owner Roland Dane.

Mouzouris completed approximately 60 laps in a mix of dry and damp conditions at the Ipswich venue.

“I learnt a lot throughout the day, because it’s obviously a lot different from what I used to drive,” Mouzouris told Supercars.com.

“Craig came down for the first three quarters of the day and did his [maximum permitted] 10 laps in the car so I had a bit of a baseline to gauge off, which was really good.

“Obviously he’s one of the best baselines you can get, so it was good having him come down and teach me a few tricks.”

Mouzouris will return to Queensland Raceway for a second test on Monday, ahead of the season opener at the Superloop Adelaide 500 on February 20-23.

“The first year is obviously going to be a learning year for me, but I’ve got a bit of confidence going into Adelaide which is good,” he added.

“They’re one of the best teams on the grid. They’ve got all of the experience and all of the knowledge on how to make a car fast, so everything is there for me.

“It’s just pretty much all up to me to make the car work and obviously improve my driving.”

Mouzouris is working with engineer Chris Stuckey who has over a decade experience in Supercars’ main game, spending the last two years at Kelly Racing.

The driver moved from Melbourne to Brisbane last month, combining his racing program with a role in Triple Eight’s sales department.