Lowndes laps up victory

To say Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup won is to be simplistic in the extreme.

In a dramatic last hour, always regarded as the money period in the race; no less than six teams looked to have genuine chances of success.

As usual, the gods of motor sport played their cards late.

Outrageous race strategies blended with changing weather conditions added to the high drama of desperate drivers; who were throwing V8 Supercars around at speeds of up to 300km/h.

The finishing laps offered up some extraordinary scenarios. The mountain erupted when Steve Johnson took the lead from Craig Lowndes. Then James Courtney, the former F1 hopeful, threw down his own challenge on behalf of his unemployed V8 mate, David Besnard.

Earlier the favourites had tended to dominate the race. But pole sitter Mark Winterbottom was brought undone late by weather conditions just when victory beckoned.

Mark Skaife, seemingly out of contention and then back in again was back out again in a similar scenario. So, too Russell Ingall. So, too Jason Bright.

Four-time winner Greg Murphy arrived late and threatened mayhem in the last laps in his own adventurous style.

On the last lap of 161, four were left in contention.

Just over 2km later Murphy missed a podium finish by three tenths of a second as Ford took the trifecta over arch-rival Holden.

But there is no better driver to bring it home in those circumstances than Lowndes who secured his third Bathurst win. He reckoned later he didn't have the speed to win in the dry conditions. The showers changed all that.

And in doing so changed the lead in the V8 Supercars championship as Jamie Whincup and Lowndes leapfrogged Holden drivers Rick Kelly and Garth Tander, who did not finish the race.

Only 16 of the 30 cars which started finished the race. And Ford won the trifecta for the first time since 1988.

Lowndes and Whincup have won Bathurst back to back and have completed a rare Bathurst-Sandown double.

“In those circumstances every lap was a new experience,” Lowndes said. "We didn't have the fastest car. And I don't think we could have won in the dry. But the rain changed all that.”

This time last year Lowndes was the emotional driver as he won for the memory of Peter Brock. This year it was Whincup who had tears in his eyes.

“Last year I didn't know what was going on,” the youngster said. “This is bigger. To win this year is something very special.”

Even more special because he thought he had lost his team the race when he almost crashed at the pit lane entry in the latter stages.

“I made an error. I wanted to hand over the car to Craig in first position and I went in too hot,” he said.

Lowndes rescued the situation but not before Steve Johnson's brave and hair-raising challenge, along with the constant threat from Courtney.

“It was a pretty crazy day,” Courtney said. “We did not have the pace to stay with the leaders all day but over the last 35 laps it was 100 per cent.”

He couldn't remember the manoeuvre which gave him second place in those last frantic laps.

“There were cars going everywhere and I just ended up second,” he said.

For Dick Johnson Racing, after some well-publicised financial problems, third was like a win.

Championship Round 10/14

The Bathurst 1000, Mt Panorama

1st Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup (Team Vodafone)

2nd James Courtney/David Besnard (Jeld-Wen Racing)

3rd Steve Johnson/Will Davison (Jim Beam Racing)

Championship standings

1 Jamie Whincup (461)

2 Craig Lowndes (445)

3 Rick Kelly (443)

4 Garth Tander (434)

5 Todd Kelly (324)

6 Mark Skaife (273)