Lowndes explains General Motors commitment

Craig Lowndes says his storied history and ongoing alliance with General Motors is why he opted to remain with the brand.

Confirmed Tuesday, Lowndes will remain with GM after deciding not to renew his contract with Ford-bound Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Lowndes and GM have enjoyed great success together, headlined by three drivers’ championships and four Bathurst wins.

After finishing second on debut in the 1994 Bathurst 1000 with the Holden Racing Team, Lowndes went full-time and won titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

He crossed the divide to Ford in 2001, but had to wait until 2006 — with Triple Eight — to win the Bathurst 1000 again, adding victories in 2007 and 2008.

After Triple Eight jumped to Holden in 2010, Lowndes won Bathurst three more times and finished runner-up in the championship four times.

Once Triple Eight announced its Ford future, there were questions over Lowndes’ future, and whether or not he would jump ship to the Blue Oval again.

However, the 50-year-old — also a brand ambassador for GM-owned brands — has committed to the General the foreseeable future, which could see him line up for another Camaro team in 2026.

“To be honest, I have been in both camps over my career but really my alliance has been with GM,” Lowndes said in a social media video published by GM.

“So when we heard the news that Triple Eight were moving across to Ford next year, it was sort of one of those processes.

“We had to understand what that looked like. It’s been now almost six weeks since that announcement.

“So really for us it was looking to see what’s on the table from everyone. But for me now looking back on it, the GM brand is where I want to be.”

Lowndes will make his 32nd consecutive Bathurst start in October, sharing Triple Eight’s wildcard entry with Super2 champion Zach Bates.