Craig Lowndes, the decorated Supercars racer, will retire from full-time racing at the end of 2018. Lowndes confirmed his retirement in a press conference on Friday following his 106th career win at the Townsville 400, Australia’s ABC News reported.
Lowndes, age 44, began his career in 1994 with the Holden Racing Team (HRT) and moved to a full-time racer in 1996. He won his first three championships that year and the racer followed up those wins with championship wins in 1998 and 1999 for HRT. Lowndes switched to Ford in 2000 before heading to Triple Eight Racing in 2005. Lowndes is also a six-time Bathurst champion.
He will remain with Triple Eight as an endurance co-driver through the end of his contract, which spills into 2019. He will also join the Supercars broadcast team.
Lowndes said it’s “the right time” to hang up his racing helmet full time and hopes he can land a fourth career championship this season before walking away from the Supercars series, formerly V8 Supercars.
“Thank you to all that have stood by me during my career, personally and professionally. But ultimately, you the fans are the backbone of our great sport and the reason I’ve pulled my helmet on every race weekend, so to you THANK YOU,” the racer tweeted.
Comments
The finest person to ever drive.
It says here he won three championships in his first year. Even though this is strictly impossible, Lowndes could do it!
This man was for the fans. As he walked through the Oran Park spectators on his way to the stewards office in 2001, he smiled and said G’Day to each one of us. Legends don’t get better than Lowndes.
Thanks for all the memories Lowndesy, and there are heaps. Hope that you realise your Le Mans dream in ’19. The best of luck for the future.