Lowndes on turning 40: "It's just a number"

Just weeks from his 40th birthday, Craig Lowndes says he'd like to be driving competitively at the top level for at least another 10 years.

And considering the Red Bull Racing Australia ace's current form, who'd bet against that happening!

Lowndes, who has finished second in the V8 Supercars Championship to teammate Jamie Whincup for the last three seasons, has emerged as RBRA's lead contender in 2014 in his Holden Commodore VF, currently 101 points behind leader Mark Winterbottom in his Ford Performance Racing Falcon.

Lowndes has already won three races in 2014 and claimed three ARMOR ALL Pole Positions.

He turns 40 on June 21.

"It really for me is not a big factor," Lowndes said of his impending significant milestone. "It's just a number.

"I think we are lucky enough with the category and motor racing that it's all about being fit and being healthy and being competitive and as long as you have those elements you can go on."

As he dabbles in the occasional feature races overseas - he races in the Spa 24-hour this July in a Ferrari - Lowndes has realised just how lengthy a racing career can be. Closer to home, the age-defying antics of 51-year old Russell Ingall in the Repair Management Australia have also attracted his attention.

"I have actually been watching some GT races overseas to get my head around the Spa 24 hour race and seeing there is still life in people in their late 40s and even in their early 50s.

"I don't now exactly how long you can go for, but if you go by Russell Ingall's age then into your 50s."

The next significant step in Lowndes' driving future will be re-signing with Triple Eight Race Engineering, for whom he has driven since 2005. While contracted to the end of 2015, his renewals are usually completed a year ahead of time.

Lowndes admits Holden's decision to extend its deal with Triple Eight by two years to the end of 2016 has helped quell any doubts he had about sticking with the team.

"Knowing Holden has re-signed for two more years - which is a 12 month extension on where I am - I think it definitely gives you great confidence to be able to go and sit around the negotiating table, knowing the team is at least going to have the backing and the resources to continue where they are at into the future.

"All drivers want to make sure they are in the best team with the best resources and with a great focus on where they want to head to.

"The signing of Holden has definitely given me encouragement to stay there and at the team there is a bit of relief there as well, because everyone has asked the question about the future of Holden and Ford. But knowing we as a team have this year and two more years without a change gives everyone in the team some relief knowing there is security there."

If he does go on for another decade and stays in V8 Supercars racing there is no doubt Lowndes will reset almost every worthwhile record in the book.

He has already won more ATCC/V8 Supercar races and rounds than anyone else, the most races in succession and in a season, the most podiums and at the Perth 400 scored his 15th win at Barbagallo, equalling Mark Skaife's record for wins at an individual venue.

If his form holds he could feasibly get close to Peter Brock's nine Bathurst 1000 and nine Sandown 500 victories. Lowndes currently has five of each. He will almost certainly establish a new podium record for Mount Panorama, where he is currently tied with Brock, Larry Perkins and Jim Richards on 12.

Lowndes would also no doubt love to add to his three ATCC/V8 Supercars Drivers' Championships, the last won for the Holden Racing Team way back in 1999. The current record is five, jointly held by Dick Johnson, Ian Geoghegan, Mark Skaife and Whincup.

Lowndes should also re-set the ATCC/V8 Supercars event-start record - if Ingall ever retires!

"It's nice to look back on when I first started knowing that I am now I am about to turn 40, that I have been around that long and been in this game long enough to still be driving quite competitively in the highest level of motor racing in Australia," Lowndes said.

Dubbed 'the Kid' in the early years of his career, Lowndes made his touring car debut at the 1994 Sandown 500, co-driving with Brad Jones in an HRT Commodore VP to fifth place. But he made his name only a few weeks later at Bathurst, finishing second after an epic dice for the win with John Bowe in the DJR Falcon.