Lowndes/Richards lead the charge for Pirtek Enduro Cup glory

Craig Lowndes and Steve Richards head into the final race of the 2018 Pirtek Enduro Cup with with one hand on the iconic trophy.

Set to be decided in Sunday’s race around the streets of the Gold Coast, the 2018 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 victors hold an 87 point advantage.

However, with 150 points on offer the top five in the competition remain in with a chance of victory.

Second place in Saturday’s race saw Lowndes and Richards extend their points advantage over the Shell V-Power Racing pairing of Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat.

While the former claimed the lead in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship points standings, they lost ground in the Pirtek Enduro Cup.

Third in the competition behind the Autobarn Lowndes Racing and Shell V-Power Racing squads sit Shane van Gisbergen and Earl Bamber.

A tough day saw van Gisbergen cede the championship points advantage to McLaughlin, and all but lost contact in the Pirtek Enduro Cup.

He and co-driver Bamber sat just 60 points in arrears of Lowndes and Richards on Saturday morning, but now trail #888 by 120.

The only others in the frame are the Supercheap Auto Falcon duo of Chaz Mostert and James Moffat, and the Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing combination of Scott Pye and Warren Luff.

Tied on points for fourth in the standings, they’re 150 points away from the lead of the competition.

Both combinations would need to win Sunday’s race and hope Lowndes and Richards failed to score a point, along with a number of other results falling their way, to simply tie things at the top of the competition.

It would force a countback to determine the will, a process which would likely see Lowndes and Richards crowned courtesy of victory at Bathurst, a second place in Saturday’s Gold Coast race, and a third at Sandown.

Supercars action continues on the streets of Surfers Paradise at 1020 with Armor All Qualifying for Sunday’s race, ahead of another Top 10 Shootout at 1140 and the 102 lap race at 1425.

Pirtek Enduro Cup: After Vodafone Gold Coast 600, Race 26