BATHURST 1000
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SINCE Triple Eight Race Engineering team-mates Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes joined forces to win the 2006 edition of the Bathurst 1000 the pair have been constant threats at Mount Panorama. But even with five wins between them over the last decade, this year they will be motivated by disappointment.
Last year the pair were noticeable absentees from the Bathurst podium, a situation made even harder to swallow given both men had their chances to win.
Whincup led the race on the final lap only to run out of fuel. His shattered co-driver Paul Dumbrell watched on from the pits as he nursed their car home in fifth position.
Lowndes, who shared the seat of his #888 Red Bull Racing Holden with Steven Richards, ended up in 10th.
Lowndes had been sitting in third with seven laps remaining, but after making contact with Mark Winterbottom when attempting a passing move up Mountain Straight, was black flagged.
“Last year we didn’t finish the race off the way we would have liked, so we are looking forward to getting back there and giving it a red hot go to get on that top step,” Lowndes said.
“Bathurst is one of the biggest races in my eyes. Being such a big race, of 161 laps and pairing up with Richo, it’s the race I want to win.
“It is a globally recognised race and a hell of a challenge, not only for the drivers, but the team. Making the car fast is one element but getting strategy is the other part, it is very critical.”
Last year was the only the second time since the 2006 victory that neither Lowndes or Whincup stood on the Bathurst podium after the epic 161-lap endurance race.
The pair were in the same car from 2006-2008 that claimed the chequered flag at Mount Panorama while in 2009 they were less than two seconds off a podium, crossing the line in fifth place.
The following year V8 Supercars introduced a new regulation which forbid full-time series drivers from pairing up for the endurance rounds.
That ruling did little to halt the Great Race strike rate of the talented duo.
The 2010 Bathurst 1000 belonged to Lowndes and Skaife and 12 months later only the Garth Tander/Nick Percat Holden Racing Team Commodore saw the chequered flag before them at Mount Panorama.
Whincup picked up his fourth Bathurst 1000 victory in 2012 alongside Paul Dumbrell while in 2013, the team occupied positions two and three on the podium.
That day saw Ford Performance Racing duo Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards claim the Peter Brock Trophy ahead of Whincup and Dumbrell, while Lowndes and Warren Luff placed third.
Whincup knows he could have added another podium to his resume last year, but that missed opportunity will only spur him on this Sunday.
So too will be the fact he and Dumbrell led for much of last month’s Sandown 500 before a pit stop mishap led to a punctured tyre which saw them drop off the pace.
“Combining Sandown’s and Bathurst 2014 results, we are pretty hungry going into this weekend,” Whincup said.
“It’s the biggest race of the year, the one everyone wants to win. We feel like we have prepared well, we have improved the car speed over the last two-three months. If we all get on board and have great team work, we have a great shot.”
Despite his impressive record at Mount Panorama, Whincup is still claiming underdog status.
“It is a massively long day, weather always plays a big part and we are going in as the underdogs,” he said.
“But we will go in and cause an upset!”