YOUTH may have won the day in the opening leg of this year’s Enduro Cup, but when it comes to the Bathurst 1000, Craig Lowndes is glad experience is on his side.
For the fourth consecutive year Lowndes is sharing his seat with Steve Richards through the three races of the Supercars’ Enduro Cup, the pair the most experienced on the grid.
Between them they boast 47 starts in the Great Race – something that gives Lowndes confidence ahead of the Bathurst 1000.
At Mount Panorama it would be hard to bet against the pair improving on their 11th placing at Sandown behind Cam Waters and Richie Stanaway.
It was a race which saw them come from 23rd following a power steering failure.
The duo won the 2015 Peter Brock Trophy and after a gear lever problem hampered their defence last year, they want to be at the pointy end of the field again.
“Experience does count and Steve and I, by the way we drive, we are both very similar in our outlook and behaviour,” Lowndes said.
“It’s great to have Steve on board again this year and we are really looking forward to rectifying things.
“We are both very motivated to have a strong result there again this year.
“The new generation drivers go there with a lot of enthusiasm, but I think experience definitely counts for Bathurst.
“You’ve always been told you can never win the race on lap one, but you can definitely lose it making a silly mistake or doing something like putting the car at risk trying to pass someone early in the race.”
