http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/mo...d933613723c4a3
Supercars great Craig Lowndes to retire as full-time driver at end of next year
JAMES PHELPS, The Sunday Telegraph
May 12, 2018 5:34pm
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THE chequered flag will drop on one of Australia’s greatest motor racing careers at the end of next year with Craig Lowndes revealing he will retire as a full-time driver
The most popular driver since Peter Brock and an undisputed legend of the sport, Lowndes, 43, declared he would become solely an endurance round driver in 2020 in a move that will mark the end of a V8 era.
The Holden immortal revealed his retirement plan when asked about the prospect of extending his race start record to 700.
“I didn’t think I would have had a career as long as this,’’ said Lowndes, whose contract with Triple Eight Race Engineering expires in 2019.
“And I didn’t ever think I would achieve a number like that. But hopefully I get this year and next year (as a full-time driver) and then we might get to 700.’’
The three-time champion will next week become the first driver to reach 650 race starts when he races at the Winton SuperSprint in Victoria, beginning on Friday.
Holden driver Craig Lowndes celebrates winning race 2 in Tasmania last month.
Debuting with the Holden Racing Team as a full-time driver in 1996 when he was 22, Lowndes will end his championship career on 698 races should he retire next year.
Set to continue as an endurance only driver, Lowndes is likely to rack up his 700th race start at Bathurst in 2020.
“There will be another 31 starts next year,’’ Lowndes said
“So we will go close to achieving that milestone. Hopefully it becomes a reality because once I finish the main game side of it. I will go into the enduros and that will still give me a chance to accumulate.
“It would be nice to be in the 700 bracket by the end of my career.’’
But right now Lowndes is not thinking about milestones.
Sitting fourth in the championship standings, the Autobarn racer is out to continue his solid season start as he vies to becomes a four times Supercars champion.
“It is a big number and I think it will become more apparent as to what it represents as I get closer to hanging up my helmet,’’ Lowndes said.
“It is really just a number right now but it is great that I have had a career in Supercars that looks like it will be long enough to do that.’’
Lowndes kept himself in contention to break his 19-year championship drought last round when he went from 25th to third to pull off one of his greatest rescue missions.
Lowndes stormed through the Perth field to claim the stunning podium after starting on the last row of the grid.
Craig Lowndes pictured at Bathurst in 1995, the year before he became a full-time driver.
The six-time Bathurst 1000 winner is out to continue his charge at Winton this week.
“Winton is a great track for me,’’ Lowndes said.
“It was my home track while I was growing up so it has always been a special place. It was my club track in Formula Ford and I was lucky enough to win that championship there.
“I have also done go-kart races there and production class races there so I have so many found memories of the place.’’