{"id":304740,"date":"2025-11-24T03:25:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T03:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/304740\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T03:25:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T03:25:09","slug":"supercars-news-craig-lowndes-ready-to-hand-over-888-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/304740\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercars news: Craig Lowndes ready to hand over #888 plate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Craig
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCraig Lowndes bid farewell to #888 at Sandown. Image: Supplied<\/p>\n

Lowndes completed his final track duties with the squad during a ride day at Sandown last Monday, where 22-year-old son Levi jumped in as passenger for the last run.<\/a><\/p>\n

Triple Eight ran three Red Bull Ampol Racing cars on the day \u2013 its #1 Will Brown and #88 Broc Feeney race cars, as well as its wildcard chassis featuring the #888.<\/p>\n

Lowndes was allocated the team\u2019s flagship number when he joined the squad 21 years ago.<\/p>\n

Rather than hand it on when he retired from full-time driving at the end of 2018, the team has reserved it for Lowndes\u2019 co-driving and wildcard outings since.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The #888 Red Bull Camaro at Sandown wore Will Brown\u2019s name. Image: Speedcafe<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number has been great for me. It\u2019s always been allocated to me since I joined the team in \u201905,\u201d Lowndes told Speedcafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been lucky throughout my career to have some good numbers, like #00 and #888, but it\u2019s one of those things that\u2019s aligned with the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Broc or Will run #888 next year, I hope they do it credit. It\u2019s the team\u2019s decision, so we\u2019ll see what happens. But it\u2019s been an iconic number for me for two decades now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Triple Eight boss Mark Dutton told Speedcafe there\u2019s no current plan to use #888 next year, with a decision to come following the Adelaide Grand Final.<\/p>\n

The team still has both its drivers in the fight for the drivers\u2019 championship, hoping to win the right to run the #1 that Brown has campaigned in 2024.<\/p>\n

Feeney took over the #88 from Jamie Whincup in 2022 while Brown adopted #87 when he joined the team last year and is a logical heir apparent to #888.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Will Brown is a logical heir to #888. Image: Speedafe<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a plan, not at this stage,\u201d Dutton told Speedcafe of reallocating #888.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, but we\u2019ve got to see where we end up. We don\u2019t want to count any chickens, we don\u2019t know what numbers will be on the cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully we\u2019ll do a really good job in Adelaide and it\u2019s an even harder decision to make. We\u2019ll wait until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Triple Eight will expand to three Supercars Championship entries next year, as SCT Motorsport moves its entry from Brad Jones Racing to the Brisbane-based team.<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, BJR ran the #888 in the Supercars Championship prior to Triple Eight striking a deal for it ahead of the squad\u2019s first full season in 2004.<\/p>\n

Should Triple Eight not opt to run the number next year they\u2019d need to request it be put on hold by Supercars or risk losing it to another team.<\/p>\n

Special surprise for Lowndes\u2019 last Triple Eight laps<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

As for what number Lowndes will adopt for the Team 18 wildcard next year, Lowndes said discussions are yet to occur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t actually talked about that yet,\u201d said Lowndes. \u201cI\u2019ll talk to Charlie [Schwerkolt] and Team 18 and see what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The #15 with which Lowndes won his first two Supercars titles with the Holden Racing Team is notably among the numbers not currently in use.<\/p>\n

For the record, Lowndes completed his last Triple Eight laps in car #1, as the #888 Camaro was parked midway through the ride day with an engine issue.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n


\"\"
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