Lowndes shares first impression of Team 18 Camaro after maiden laps

The latest chapter in the illustrious story of Craig Lowndes has officially begun.

The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner has turned his first laps for his new home at Team 18 at a post-event ride day at Sydney Motorsport Park today.

The 51-year-old was handed the reigns to Anton De Pasquale's #18 DEWALT Camaro at the ride day, the car that on Saturday claimed Team 18's first win in two and a half years.

It marked an important day for Lowndes, who has driven for Triple Eight for the last 21 seasons in both full-time and enduro roles, as he came up to speed in Team 18-built equipment.

In encouraging news for Team 18, Chevrolet, and Lowndes fans, the first impression was a very strong one.

"It's been great. Obviously coming into a brand new team, you don't know what to expect, but Team 18 obviously run a very slick, great operation," said Lowndes in the Sydney paddock.

"Driving the car was really nice, it was good to get a feel for it. Little sort of small differences between obviously where I've come from and Team 18, but in a good, positive way.

"I think the steering input and the weight of the steering is really nice. The car itself felt really solid, really nice in a lot of ways.

"The ergonomics of the car, I sat into Anton's car and it feels actually really like at home again. So that side of it's been great. I'm just happy to be part of the team and looking forward to the future."

Lowndes enters Team 18 at what is a moving period for the team, with De Pasquale's first win for Team 18 coming as expectations increase with increased Chevrolet backing.

The three-time champion is confident that the pace from Sydney isn't a fluke, and will be maintained throughout the season for both De Pasquale and David Reynolds, whose Saturday race performance was also strong.

"I think that the first round's always an important one just to set a standard and obviously set a bit of a momentum, and for Anton it's definitely done that," Lowndes said.

"For Davey it was a bit of a tough weekend, but it just shows promise in the team that the cars are fast, they're race winners, and bring on the next round."

It also marked the first time that rising star Bayley Hall sat in a Gen3 Camaro, ahead of his Supercars debut at the final sprint round of the year at Ipswich, before teaming up with Lowndes in the #15 Camaro for the Ryco Enduro Cup.

The 22-year-old had a quiet weekend in his DUNLOP Super2 Series debut in Sydney, on a weekend that started with practice sessions on the full Gardner Circuit but had both qualifying and race sessions shifted to the shorter Druitt Circuit.

"It's the first time he sat in a Gen3 car, so it was really nice that he actually got a opportunity to feel the car, to sit in the car, drive the car," Lowndes said of Hall.

"The first thing he said is the difference between in his Super2 Commodore to the Gen3 Chevy is these Gen3s have got a lot more mechanical grip, which I said to him they do because obviously less aero.

"But he was really excited and felt really comfortable."