Comparisons with Peter Brock don’t sit easily with Craig Lowndes but the Holden great admits he has dared to dream of at least equalling his idol’s Bathurst 1000 win record.
That is, if he can reel in his Holden teammate Jamie Whincup.
All eyes will be on Lowndes when he makes his Supercars return for Sunday’s Great Race as a co-driver for the first time after retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2018 season.
No one doubts Lowndes’ prowess after he claimed his seventh Bathurst win last year, placing him equal second on the all-time list with Jim Richards behind only the great Brock who famously emerged victorious nine times at Mount Panorama.
And plenty are backing the 45-year-old Lowndes to at least match Brock’s mark after re-signing as a co-driver until the end of the 2021 season.
Lowndes is relishing the chance to reunite with Whincup after they won three straight Bathurst crowns together from 2006-08.
However, Lowndes admits he will have to be a calming influence to his co-driver, seven-time Supercars champion Whincup, if they are to emerge victorious in 2019.
“We know he is a bulldog at the end and he will be quite fast,” Lowndes said.
“But we complement each other.
“For me I am more like Brock, you come into the place, enjoy the fans and the energy around town, absorb it and draw off it.
“I remember in my first drive here in 1994 at the end of the race, I couldn’t let go of the steering wheel because of the adrenaline still pumping.
“(I have to remind Jamie) that you have to relax and embrace it, there are drivers who burn out before even getting in the car – with my laid-back approach I hope it helps.”
Critics will argue Lowndes will have to be at his soothing best to ensure four-time Bathurst winner Whincup reels in his competitive nature and claims a fifth crown.
Especially after he took matters into his own hands at the last round in New Zealand.
Officials incorrectly judged Whincup as the race leader at last round’s Auckland SuperSprint and plonked a safety car in front of him.
A frustrated Whincup sensationally overtook the safety car as a result, receiving in a drive-through penalty that ensured the race front-runner finished a distant 16th in New Zealand.
But Lowndes was confident that he would click with Whincup and have a crack at eclipsing what he once considered an untouchable Bathurst record by Brock.
“I said early on that I never thought anyone would go anywhere near nine wins,” Lowndes said.
“So for me to be standing here with seven and potentially hopefully one or two more is amazing.
“But I am just focusing on doing my job. If we can notch up another win here I would be delighted.”