Lowndes: Adelaide's Turn 8 will be bigger challenge with Gen3

Craig Lowndes thinks Adelaide's Turn 8 will be harder with Gen3 cars
This weekend sees the return of the infamous right-hand Turn 8
Several drivers have been caught out by the 210km/h sweeper

Craig Lowndes believes Adelaide’s notorious Turn 8 sweeper will be a more physical and action-packed corner with the new-for-2023 Gen3 Supercars.

This weekend’s VAILO Adelaide 500 sees the return of the infamous right-hand Turn 8, a simple name that sends shivers down the spines of drivers.

In the Adelaide 500’s 24-year history, several drivers have been caught out by the 210km/h corner, which has been the scene of several accidents.

Notably, Thomas Randle, Bryce Fullwood, Jake Kostecki and Macauley Jones also crashed at Turn 8 when Supercars returned to Adelaide last December.

Last year’s event, however, was the last of the previous-generation Gen2 cars, which had more downforce.

Come 2023, and the new Gen3 cars have already proven a handful with reduced aero — but Lowndes suggested the greatest challenge is still to come.

The Supercars Hall of Famer, who won the inaugural Sensational Adelaide 500 in 1999, drove the Gen3 prototype Chevrolet Camaro around Adelaide last year.

For Lowndes, Turn 8 — which already has a big reputation — could be an enhanced challenge.

"I drove the Gen3 prototype in Adelaide last year, and Turn 8 was noticeably tougher,” Lowndes told Supercars.com.

“Although the cars may have evolved from then, Turn 8 is not going to be as an easy corner with Gen3 versus the older cars.

"It’s going to be a very physical corner. Drivers are really going to have to muscle these cars through there.”

The Turn 8 section is, for 51 weekends a year, a suburban intersection at the corner of Bartels Road and Dequetteville Terrace.

There is no room for error, given the speeds and that the corner has a narrow entry and zero run-off on exit.

Lowndes’ fellow Hall of Famer and two-time Adelaide 500 winner Mark Skaife last year cited Turn 8 as "probably the wildest corner in Australian motorsport”.

Tickford Racing driver Randle, who crashed at Turn 8 in Practice 3 last year, recently told Supercars.com that the corner will be a greater test for the aero capabilities of the car than the Gold Coast.

"Adelaide's got the infamous Turn 8, which will be the last high speed corner we’ll do for the year,” Randle said.

“The Gold Coast beach chicane's crazy in itself, but it's not super fast like Turn 8. Turn 8 is sixth gear, which will be a test for the aero.”

The Gen3 cars will be put to the test around Adelaide for the first time on Thursday. Tickets for the VAILO Adelaide 500 are on sale now.