Craig’s Corner: Perth secrets, Payne potential, Waters rollercoaster

This is the fifth exclusive Supercars.com column by Supercars Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes for the 2025 season. Seven-time Bathurst winner Lowndes will preview each round of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective, continuing with this weekend’s Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440.

What a season it has been so far! Perth is the next stop, and the margins will be as tight, if not tighter, than the last round in Tasmania.

The new tyre has turned out to be a challenge for teams to get their head around. However, teams now know how to approach the Super 440 format, so the goal will be to utilise the tyre to its maximum.

Being in the top 10 is what drivers are aiming for, obviously before we hit the enduros.

At the next couple of rounds, drivers are going to be aware of being knocked out in this elimination format. They will be scrambling to get into the top 10.

The pressure will be on everyone to perform, especially drivers from seventh to 10th, and then from 11th to 15th. They’ll be trying to hustle and become a little bit more desperate. As we know, that often leads to chaos!

At the front of the field, I wouldn’t be surprised if Matt Payne left Perth as the championship leader. Looking at what Matt has done over the last couple of rounds, he has been very impressive, and one strait stands out.

His tyre life in New Zealand and Tasmania was superb, and that is going to be of huge importance come Perth, which chews up the tyres.

Perth is all about finessing the car and driving it straight and precise. Matt Payne has shown that in the last couple of meetings, controlling races in New Zealand, and holding out Broc Feeney in Tasmania.

Wanneroo has always been an interesting place, and one that I've always enjoyed. You need to be precise, yet allow the car to slide, in equal proportion. On that alone, I think it will also benefit Chaz Mostert's style of racing.

Cam Waters is one of those drivers where I start thinking about securing a top 10 place in the championship for the Finals. He started the season off incredibly strong — he dominated Sydney Motorsport Park. But ever since then, he's been on a bit of a rollercoaster when it comes to performance.

No doubt, Cam can deliver the goods. It's just a matter of getting the combination of driver and the set-up right for the conditions. Thomas Randle is a formidable teammate, and between the two of them, they are very similar in the way that they want the car. It's just a matter of getting it right on the day.

For Dick Johnson Racing, well, it's a Catch-22. Tasmania was a tough weekend, and racing again is mentally difficult as a driver. But on the same hand, it gives a driver genuine drive and determination to bounce back, because you never want two consecutive bad weekends.

I know that, given the depth and the strength at DJR, they'll want to bounce back. Brodie Kostecki's very, very competitive as a driver, as is Will Davison. On the scoreboard, DJR must bounce back this weekend, because it would make a statement that they've got the capacity and the ability to be able to do that, like a Triple Eight.

Triple Eight have done it multiple times, even from Taupō to Tasmania — we always talk about the strength of that team because of their ability to bounce back. DJR needs to do that.

I think a standout this weekend will be Ryan Wood. He has got the capacity and the ability to be a very strong contender this weekend. It’s just his second season, but the way he can nail a lap and look after the tyres has been very impressive. Ryan dominated the 2023 Super2 event, and he got a front row last year as well. Watch out for the young Kiwi.

As far as circuits come, Perth is a circuit of patience. You've just got to hit your marks. You've got to maximise that one lap that you get out of the tyre for qualifying. Track positioning and getting a clear lap is imperative in qualifying, and in the race, you need to look after your tyres.

Given the abrasive surface, Perth offers challenges that Tasmania did not, and you can pull off some bold strategies if you can make it work. Looking back to 2016, we did an alternative strategy with an extra pit stop. At that time, everyone thought we were mad, but it ultimately turned out to be a stroke of genius as we won.

The Sunday race will be the longest race we've had in Perth for years. If your car isn’t good, it’s a long way home. The longer race opens the door for strategy, but you’ll obviously need time to recover from an extra pit stop. It's an option for teams to think about, and if the driver and car are on the same page, you can be rewarded for the smoothness of your inputs.

Enjoy the weekend, and may the best drivers win!