Craig’s Corner: Hopes of No. 8, title tension and Bathurst fans

This is the 10th exclusive Supercars.com column by Supercars Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes for the 2024 season. Seven-time Bathurst winner Lowndes will preview each round of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective, continuing with this weekend’s Repco Bathurst 1000, where he is sharing a Triple Eight wildcard with rookie Cooper Murray.

Bathurst is so special. As a driver, you must embrace it, and enjoy it. It’s like our grand final. It's the biggest race of Supercars, and one of the biggest in the world.

Bathurst is made by the fans. It's pretty special to go there and see big lines at signing sessions, and see so many generations of families continue to go there.

Often you see up to three or four generations that have been at the same campsite. I love seeing familiar faces getting amongst it. Even the track walk takes a long time just because the fans are spread out across the top of the Mountain, and they know you’re coming. It’s an awesome atmosphere.

It’s my 31st Bathurst, which is very special. Growing up, it was always an event that I wanted to be part of. I've always said that Bathurst, for me, is more important than a championship. I think back to 1994, it feels like yesterday. Back then, I remember Brock telling me that it was all about getting to lap 100, and then attack.

Of course, you had to make sure you had a good car underneath you that had no issues, no dramas, no damage. What’s changed to today is that you can run the cars hard from lap 1. However, the fundamentals are still the same. You need to have good fuel strategy, and you have to try and outsmart other teams. There's plenty of gamesmanship — it's just a matter of the cars becoming more reliable.

This year, we're back on the Hard tyre, which should make for a much better race. There’s no doubt that you'll be able to really use the tyre. Bathurst is a fast flowing track — it's not like Sandown, you're not going to burn the tyre up anywhere near as much. However, trying to plan the day, you need to make sure that still put yourself in a good position. It you're at lap 130 onwards and you're towards the front, you truly have a chance of winning it.

The vibe in our Triple Eight wildcard crew is really positive. We came out of Sandown with a great result. Before the race, there were some questions about my co-driver Cooper Murray's endurance. But he ticked that box, and he's super quick in the car. It was always going to be a matter of getting his head around what it takes to perform in enduros, and he's really adapted well.

I've got to say that he's really impressed me. Naturally, we're really confident, and looking forward to getting to Bathurst. Crucially for us, he isn’t doing Super2 — he’s fully set on getting a result in the Great Race. That's going to be great for us. We had plans to manage his double duties, but now that he's just focusing on the one race, it just makes life a little easier.

We've got great hopes. Two years ago, we finished eighth, which was a then record for a wildcard. We wanted to try and better that, and we did that at Sandown. Now, we've got to beat that too. I think it's doable, it's just a matter of making sure that Cooper and I are happy with the car, and we get the car in the right position.

What I enjoy most about racing at Bathurst is the team element. It's just not the drivers, it's just not having a fast car, it's everything. It’s strategy, it’s teamwork, it’s both drivers working together. If everyone in the team steps up, you should be there at the end of the day.

Importantly, there’s a pretty serious title fight going on. Sandown was a great race, but everything goes to another level at Bathurst. There’s so much focus and pressure on those top three.

Will Brown won Sandown, and he's got a bit of breathing space to Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney. However, he's probably still not safe in the championship. For Will, it’s the same as last year with Brodie Kostecki. Despite the lead over your rivals, you've really got to go out there and make sure that you've got a fast car, that you're up the front, and you stay out of trouble.

Will has been methodical about this season — the way that he's approached every round, even when he hasn't been fastest, has been impressive. He’s managed to salvage some good points. So, there's no doubt that he'll go into Bathurst with some great confidence after Sandown. Why shouldn't he? He's got a great car, he's got a good team and a good co-driver behind him.

I just love this time of year. It’s been a big build-up, with two weeks of AFL and NRL Grand Finals. Now, it’s our turn.

Even after all these years, I still get goosebumps when we drive into Bathurst, and you see the white rock of 'Mount Panorama’ on the hill. The day it doesn't, that’s when I’ll hang up the helmet. For now, it’s time to attack the Mountain!