CRAIG Lowndes has enjoyed more Bathurst 1000 success than any other driver in the current Supercars’ field, but this year he will be motivated by one of his failures.
The six-times Bathurst 1000 winner had his hopes of victory shattered last year when encountering a gear linkage problem on lap 34.
At that stage the Commodore he shared with Steve Richards was running 11th, up 10 spots from their starting position.
It was a hard blow to take for a pair who were the defending champions of the Peter Brock Trophy.
“Obviously we had a fantastic win in ’15, but last year it all turned to dust,” Lowndes said.
“When Steve radioed in and said he had a gear select problem, you’re disappointed, your heart sinks because you are so disappointed because you worked so hard to get to the race.
“We were in a strong position at that point, so to have something like that happen is really gut-wrenching because you know how much effort that goes in behind the scenes to get there.”
While they went on to finish the race in 16th, it was not the result the TeamVortex duo were looking for.
But what was disappointment at the time is now a motivator for Lowndes as he readies himself for another tilt at Mount Panorama.
“There’s no doubt that when you go to Bathurst and you have a mechanical drama or a crash, the next year you really want to rectify that,” he said.
“It definitely makes you more motivated the following year. Steve and I, our main focus is having a much better Bathurst.”
