Pit lane personalities congratulate Lowndes
20 Jun 2015
There was plenty of praise for V8 Supercars legend Craig Lowndes after the Red Bull racer earned his 100th race win yesterdayat the SKYCITY Triple Crown Darwin.
Lowndes pinched the race lead from lap one after front-row starters Rick Kelly and Fabian Coulthard speared off, and did not falter on his way to the milestone.
He is the first driver to achieve the feat, and adds it to his list of achievements including three Championships and five Bathurst 1000 wins.
Team boss Roland Dane - who signed Lowndes to Triple Eight Racing for the 2005 season - was emotional when he crossed the line yesterday, and pleased to see his driver earn such an important milestone.
"Awesome, actually," he told v8supercars.com.au when asked about the feeling watching the #888 drive to victory, in what happened to be the 888th Championship race. "I was [emotional] when he crossed the line, it was a special moment. A very special moment for all of us."
The win was an early birthday present, as Lowndes turns 41 today. Hehas been perched on 100 wins since Tasmania.
"I was hoping we'd do it in Perth but glad to have done it here," Dane said.
"A great day... the race was tremendous, he was in first place, controlled it and did a great job.
"We've been a big part of Craig's 100 wins - not all of them, but a big part of them - and it's special for all of us."
And it wasn't just any race - Lowndes kept his cool on soft tyres around the quick resurfaced Hidden Valley circuit, as chaos unfolded behind him throughout the 21-lap race.
"That's what I said to him on the podium - I'm really proud of you after you didn't excel in the first race, to go and do such a good job in the second," Dane said.
"He deserved it - great day for not only us but the Championship, the fans and the broadcaster."
Six-time champion Jamie Whincup, who has raced alongside Lowndes since 2006, was thrilled for his teammate.
"It's a massive milestone and I couldn't be happier for him," he said.
"What a fairytale doing it on race 888 of the Championship. I'm not superstitious at all, but it's almost like someone upstairs wrote the script and we're all just puppets.
"It's crazy how the right person wins at the right time every now and again."
Lowndes debuted in the category in 1996, winning his first event at Eastern Creek, and has inspired many of the young racers who now battle him on-track.
"It's crazy, he's like the wizard of V8 Supercars," Repair Racing Management Australia's Nick Percat told v8supercars.com.au.
"I've followed him since I can remember, I've got a lot of signed HRT Mobil merchandise with his signature on it.
"He was my childhood hero - I raced number 15 because of Lowndesy back in the HRT days, so it's awesome to see him get it done.
"He dominated the race - obviously there was a bit of action - but they had great car pace and no one was going to touch him."
Volvo young gun Scott McLaughlin, who has often been compared to Lowndes as he has grown more popular in V8 Supercars, was pleased Lowndes reached the milestone before Whincup, who sits on 91 wins in the category.
"Awesome," he said of the achievement.
"I think it was always going to come.
"In some ways - no disrespect to Jamie - I kind of wanted Lowndesy to do it first because he's done it so long.
"He's a legend in his own right, legend in regards to the fans and an all-round nice guy, so it's a pleasure to be in the era where he's still racing and I'm able to race against him for his 100th win ... big congrats to him and the team."
Of all those in pit lane who respect and admire Lowndes, it may have been GM Holden Motorsport and Sponsorship Manager Simon McNamara who put it best: "It's unbelievable for Craig, who's like a modern day Peter Brock".
The V8 Supercars hit the track again today for the strategy-fuelled 200km race at the SKYCITY Triple Crown - coverage begins from 10am EST on FOX SPORTS 506.
Lowndes remains second in the Championship, with Mark Winterbottom now holding a 29 point lead.
