Team 18 makes Lowndes wildcard vow
Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt vows to throw "everything" at wildcard
Supercars legend Craig Lowndes to spearhead Team 18 wildcard next year
Team 18 has best Bathurst finish of sixth, in 2019 and 2020
Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt has vowed to throw "everything" at its Craig Lowndes wildcard program in what is set to be a defining 2026 for the team.
Team 18 becomes just the fifth team to run Lowndes in Supercars, after the Holden Racing Team (1994-2000), Gibson/00 Motorsport (2001-02), Ford Performance Racing (2003-04) and Triple Eight Race Engineering (2005-25).
Team 18 has had a taste of the big time in signing the likes of Bathurst champions Mark Winterbottom and David Reynolds, but Lowndes arrives with the biggest profile of all.
Having secured General Motors homologation honours, Schwerkolt is determined to make his team's chance with Lowndes count.
“We’ll be throwing everything at this program to ensure it’s competitive from day one," Schwerkolt said.
"The standard set by Triple Eight with this wildcard over the past few years has been exceptional, and we’re committed to carrying that legacy forward."
Lowndes delivered the best wildcard result in Bathurst history in Triple Eight's wildcard in 2022, with eighth alongside Declan Fraser. Last year, he finished fifth at Sandown with Cooper Murray.
Despite being out of the full-time game since 2018, the 51-year-old repeatedly proves he still has what it takes; notably, he was ranked sixth on average lap time among co-drivers in Bathurst last year.
Signing Lowndes and wildcard naming rights partner Supercheap Auto are both major commercial wins for Team 18, with Schwerkolt now keen to find a rising star co-driver to complete the puzzle.
It comes as Triple Eight appears set to park its enduro wildcard as Lowndes readies to set sail for Team 18, with Triple Eight busy preparing for its own future with Ford.
“What makes this program so special is not just having Craig behind the wheel, but the opportunity it creates to develop the next generation of Supercars stars," Schwerkolt said.
We’ve seen the wildcard pathway bring names like Broc Feeney and Cooper Murray into the spotlight, and we’re excited to play a part in unearthing the sport’s future talent.
“Our next step is to identify a rising star to pair with Craig, assemble the right crew, and build a program that can challenge at Bathurst and The Bend."
