SUPERCARS icon Craig Lowndes believes that the co-driving contingent’s collective effort to navigate horrendous conditions in the first half of the AirTouch 500 at The Bend settled a particular debate once and for all.
That is, whether or not full-timers should be forced to take the race start in enduros.
The answer is an emphatic no, according to Lowndes, who technically was the primary driver of the #15 Supercheap Auto Camaro.
Supercars controversially banned teams from having co-drivers start enduros in 2024, a move that was almost universally unpopular and lasted just one year.
On a wet Sunday at The Bend, 24 of the 26 designated co-drivers took the start, with Lowndes and Declan Fraser the only exceptions.
Craig Lowndes runs ahead of David Russell and Jordan Boys. Pic: Mark Walker
“I’ve got to say, most of the co-drivers did a damn good job. I know there were incidents and accidents, but there were no big pile-ups or no big incidents,” Lowndes wrote in his column for the official Supercars website.
“We were quite fortunate that the thunderstorm actually went through prior to the start of the race. Otherwise, there was a high potential of obviously being delayed, but that wasn’t the case.
“For me, it was about trying to stay out of trouble. They were some of the worst conditions I’ve encountered for a long time.
“I’m reminded of the argument of starting or not starting co-drivers at Bathurst. After Sunday, seeing how much high-quality driving there was, I think that’s been put to bed.”
That follows V8 Sleuth posing the question pre-race as to whether the 2026 co-driver field was the best of all time.
Lowndes and Bayley Hall ended up 12th in a very solid debut for Team 18’s wildcard program.
“The car was really good in the wet and when the circuit was fully wet, it really hooked up,” Lowndes noted in his Team 18 post-race comments.
“I completed around 80 laps, which wasn’t the original plan, but the timing worked well to put Bayley into the car as the circuit transitioned from wet to dry.
“He did a great job to bring us from 22nd on the grid to 14th on the road on such a crazy day.
“I’m proud of the team. We gelled well and our pit stops were good. We have plenty to learn from this weekend, but we’re heading in the right direction as we prepare for Bathurst.”
Anton De Pasquale and Lee Holdsworth were Team 18’s lead combination in seventh, while David Reynolds and James Courtney finished 22nd after being taken out of contention on the opening lap.