Craig Lowndes will continue as a co-driver at Triple Eight until at least 2021 after signing a two-year extension with the factory Holden team.
The fan favourite moved into a co-driver role with the Supercars powerhouse after retiring from full-time Supercars racing at the end of the last season with a year remaining on his deal.
As a result, the team has been able to bring back a previously successful enduro partnership between Lowndes and Jamie Whincup for this year’s Pirtek Enduro Cup in a Holden, using Lowndes’ familiar #888.
Lowndes has now confirmed that he has inked a new co-driver deal ahead of this year’s endurance campaign.
The announcement did not detail if the seven-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner will continue alongside Whincup for the next two years, with the latter contracted as a full-timer until 2020.
“I have actually put pen to paper with Triple Eight and I have signed on for another two more years as a co-driver,” said Lowndes on Fox Sports’ Supercars Trackside.
“For me, it’s a great stepping down phase, and it’s just nice to know where the future and the next couple of years is going to be, and whether I’m with Jamie or whoever’s in the garage next door, for me I’m just excited to be still part of the team.
“I’m honoured and thank Jamie, we’re going to run #888 on Bathurst and the endurance part of it, which is exciting.”
Triple team owner Roland Dane is glad to see Lowndes, who first joined his team in 2005, continue his association with the operation.
“I’m absolutely over the moon to have agreed with Craig that he will continue with us for at least another two years as an enduro driver,” said Dane.
“He’s been with Triple Eight since the beginning of 2005 and has been such a huge part of our success over the last 15 years that it would have felt very strange not to have him on board.
“Six of his seven Bathurst 1000 wins have come with Triple Eight and we’re all hoping that he can add to that in the coming years.
“Having Craig and Jamie in the #888 car is absolutely as it should be.”
Lowndes will jump in Whincup’s ZB Commodore for tomorrow’s Additional Driver practice at the OTR SuperSprint from 1045 local time/1115 AEST.