INTOUCH MAGAZINE | Coates Hire Newcastle 500 Supercars Pullout November 2018

SUPERCARS FEATURE PULLOUT Craig Lowndes Newcastle 2017. Mark Horsburgh, Edge Photographics.

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 21

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Craig Lowndes in action 2018

23 - 25 NOV

COATES HIRE NEWCASTLE 500

More to See (and Do) in 2018!

Last year we witnessed the incredible success of the biggest sporting event in our city's history, the Supercars Australia – Newcastle 500, which generated more than $30 million in economic benefits for the city.

Now the anticipation is building as we head into a race weekend with even more to see and do this year.

We're stretching the high-octane atmosphere well beyond the race precinct, adding seven activities across six locations over the race weekend.

Entertain Newcastle is for all residents and visitors to the city, not just race-goers, and will appeal to foodies, families and people of all ages.

A Supercars drivers' signing session with a cruise down Beaumont Street, an early Christmas on Darby Street and Disney the Pixar Cars Truck Tour, are just a few of the events planned for Hamilton, Cooks Hill, Civic Park and Hunter Street Mall.

The festival starts Thursday 22 November with all 26 Supercars drivers visiting Hamilton and runs to Sunday 25 November with a three-day family fun zone featuring Disney the Pixar Cars Truck Tour including Mack the Transporter in Civic Park from Friday.

The weekend is packed full of entertainment for the whole family, with legendary Scottish rock band Simple Minds headlining the Saturday night concert celebration, supported by Aussie favourites, Birds of Tokyo.

I invite everyone to come into the city to be part of these great events and enjoy the atmosphere as we proudly host tens of thousands of visitors to our region.

We want everyone to share in the fun of the event and for businesses across the city to benefit from the Newcastle 500, which brought an unprecedented $30 million windfall into the Newcastle's local economy last year.

In 2017 the Supercars Finale served as a spectacular advertisement for the city and this year's will showcase a newly revitalised city centre.

Hosting the Newcastle 500 maiden race clearly demonstrated and strengthened the city's capacity to host major events, showcased our beautiful city to the world, and celebrated Novocastrian pride.

In addition to the many local businesses and workers who helped make the Newcastle 500 such a success, I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who spent time helping visitors, promoting the city and offering a taste of Novocastrian hospitality.

We could not have done it without you.

We are so proud to bring the race back to Newcastle this year with even more fun and exciting activities. I look forward to joining everyone at Entertain Newcastle.

Have a great weekend in Newcastle.

Nuatali Nelmes Lord Mayor of Newcastle

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COMMUNITY NOTICE If you’re an avid fan of Newcastle City Farmers Market, you’ll need to head down to Speers Point Park over the Supercars weekend (Sunday 25 November, 7am–1pm), where we’ll be sharing our favourite farmer's markets with our Lake Macquarie friends. www.newcastlecityfarmersmarket.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 23

3 TIPS FOR BETTER FUEL EFFICIENCY No one wants to spend more money on fuel than they have to. Here are some tips on how you can save money on fuel simply by driving smarter.

1.

CHECK YOUR TYRE PRESSURE

The air in your tyres can have a major impact on the car’s performance, ensuring your tyres are filled with the correct pressures is vital.

Underinflated tyres will increase resistance and friction against the road, making the car work harder and therefore increasing its fuel consumption.

2.

REGULAR MAINTENANCE

You’d be surprised how much of a difference regular servicing can make to your car’s fuel economy. If you keep running costs low, you’ll also keep fuel costs down.

Only one in three Australian drivers realised the impact regular maintenance and tyre inflation can have on fuel costs.

Source: Whichcar.com.au

3.

ACCELERATE SPARINGLY

When you accelerate, you increase the car’s revs, and the more the car revs, the more petrol it uses. Avoid unnecessary acceleration and repetitive braking.

33 per cent of Australians “do not know that harsh acceleration and braking can have a dramatic effect on their car’s fuel consumption.”

Source: Whichcar.com.au

For all of your tyre and servicing needs, find us at our 2 convenient locations: 355 Charlestown Road Charlestown 02 4943 0833

24 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

66 Donald Street Hamilton 02 4943 0833

Image courtesy of City of Newcastle

SHOWCASING NEWCASTLE Family Fun, Festival Vibes and Fan-Fueled Racing!

WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN - Features Writer

Excitement levels are shifting up a gear in Newcastle’s city centre, with motorsports fans counting down to one of the biggest weekends on their race calendars – the finale of the Supercars Championship.

But with four days of high-octane activities planned across a range of precincts, it’s not just race-goers set to be entertained this month when Newcastle hosts its largest event of the year.

The Coates Hire Newcastle 500 will roll into the city on November 23-25, bringing with it millions of dollars’ worth of finely-tuned race cars, the best V8 drivers in the country and tens of thousands of motorsports fans eager to see who will cross the line first when the chequered flag falls.

This will be the second consecutive year Newcastle has played host to the final round of the Supercars series, with races to be contested on a challenging 2.6km street circuit that runs through the eastern end of the Newcastle CBD,

taking in scenic views along Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle and Nobby’s beaches and Newcastle Harbour.

With four support categories adding to the racing schedule throughout the weekend, including the SuperUtes Series that features Warners Bay driver Charlotte Poynting, there will be plenty of on-track thrills to keep fans occupied.

But the action won’t just be contained to the main racing precinct, with a concerted effort this year to activate a number of areas in Newcastle and Hamilton with events designed for both race-goers and residents.

City of Newcastle has been working with Newcastle Now and the Hamilton Business Chamber on a range of activities that will bring locals back into the city during the Newcastle 500, while also encouraging Supercars patrons to explore the region.

Offering a festival atmosphere, the Entertain Newcastle program promises to create vibrant spaces that will help local businesses make the most of the major event weekend.

Newcastle Now Executive Manager Richard Christian said research amongst local businesses identified a desire to create a campaign that would primarily encourage locals to continue to engage with the city centre throughout the Newcastle 500, even if they weren’t attending the event itself.

“We’ve put together, in consultation with the business community, a whole series of activations that will primarily attract local residents into the city, but will also serve as an attraction for the people that are going to the event,” he said.

“We wanted to make sure we have some things happening that are going to welcome local residents and invite them into the city even if they're not going to Supercars, just to engage with the city and be a part of the festival atmosphere that’s happening on that weekend.

“From a Business Improvement Association’s perspective, we’re very much focused on trying to derive benefit for the businesses in the city from the event. It’s very important that our local residents and local communities engage with those businesses and support those businesses throughout the year, including that weekend.”

Planning for the Entertain Newcastle program was focused on a number of different precincts in Newcastle and Hamilton including Beaumont Street, Gregson Park, Darby Street, Civic Park, the Hunter Street Mall and Market Street, as well as the city’s East.

Richard said the events targeted a wide demographic of people, with something for all ages to enjoy.

The program will kick off with the Hamilton Super Start-Up from 4.30pm on Thursday, November 22, where motorsports fans will be given a chance to get up close and personal with their favourite race car drivers. All 26 Supercars drivers will take part in a signing session at Gregson Park, with a live broadcast of the trackside program, children’s activities and car displays adding to the V8 vibes and party atmosphere.

A driver cruise from the park down Beaumont Street will follow to draw people into the business precinct, with businesses offering late night trading as well as a range of entertainment and deals throughout the evening.

The action moves to the city centre the following day, with the Newy Super Breakfast helping race fans fuel up for a big day trackside.

Enjoy tasty breakfast offers by local cafés in Market and Hunter Streets from 7am–10am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Super Breakfast is designed to capture the crowd en route to the race precinct, giving event-goers an opportunity to sample delicious offerings from local businesses, or stock up on handy trackside supplies including sunscreen.

Racegoers wanting a break from the on-track action and residents with a keen interest in technology will also be encouraged into the Hunter Street Mall from Friday to ► www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 25

Sunday to see the Newcastle Innovation Showcase, presented by the University of Newcastle, TAFE, Climate Council and City of Newcastle Smart City Team.

Running from 8am to 3pm each day, it will highlight the latest environmentally-friendly electric vehicles including a variety of Tesla models, as well as prototype race cars, a race simulator and robots playing soccer from the University of Newcastle’s cutting-edge robotics department.

An augmented reality art exhibition will fuse art and technology in a whole new way, while the City of Newcastle will showcase its efforts to help create a smarter and more innovative Newcastle with a presentation from the Smart City team. A range of roving entertainers will also help activate the mall, with local businesses trading throughout Hunter Street.

The youngest members of the family will also be well catered for, with the Newcastle Now Family Fun Zone taking over Civic Park from 8am to 4pm Friday through Sunday.

The Disney Pixar Cars Truck Tour will roll into Newcastle for three days, offering children the chance to strike a victory pose on the Champion’s Podium with Mack the Transporter, check out the Crazy Eight’s Track, get creative in the Cars Play Zone and wear themselves out on the Cars inflatable slide and obstacle course.

There will be an ice cream truck in the park each day, face painting available from 9am – 12pm on both Saturday and Sunday and a special two-hour hoola-hoop workshop with Ruby the Clown on Sunday, November 25 from 11am – 1pm.

There will be plenty of things to do once the sun goes down as well, with Darby Street Turns It On lighting up the Cooks Hill precinct from 5pm on Friday, November 23.

An ideal night for locals to get some friends together and celebrate Friday night at the city’s popular dining destination, with live music kicking off from 5pm in a range of venues, as well as great food and late-night trading.

A festive spirit will also arrive in time for the Supercars, with businesses simultaneously turning on their Christmas lights to illuminate the street from 8pm.

26 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

With nothing on the official program this year on the Friday “There are just a huge suite of activities throughout the city area over those three days, not just in the race precinct. We night, the Darby Street event offers a great opportunity for want everyone to share in the fun of the event through these racegoers to see more of the city. activations and for businesses across the city to benefit from Saturday night, however, will take live music to the next the Newcastle 500.” level, with the official Newcastle 500 concert set to rock the Cr Nelmes said securing the Newcastle 500 for a five-year grandstands at Newcastle’s No.1 Sportsground. period (from 2017-2021) offered an unprecedented Firing up from 6pm, the concert is exclusively for those opportunity to showcase the city internationally, with the with a valid Saturday race ticket and will be headlined by Supercars Championship broadcast to 97 countries, with a international megastars Simple Minds, ably supported by potential reach of 232 million households around the world.

Australian rock legends Birds of Tokyo.

A new report, commissioned by the City of Newcastle Walking routes through the city will highlight locations to and compiled by the Hunter Research Foundation Centre, eat, drink, and enjoy everything Newcastle has to offer before also revealed the huge economic boost the Newcastle 500 the amazing live entertainment kicks off. provides for the region, with the 2017 event estimated to Capping off a full-throttle weekend of activities, the have injected more than $30 million into the local economy in Sunday Super Session will be held in various venues Newcastle alone. throughout the city’s East from 12pm on November 25, with The independent report was based on an analysis pubs and restaurants offering a range of Sunday Session Super deals to encourage both residents and motorsport fans of mobile phone data, banking records and business transactions, specifically within the Newcastle local to check out the local live entertainment once the chequered government area, with economic benefits including $8.94 flag drops. million in direct expenditure by visitors, $9.71 million in Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said lessons learned from flow-on effects, $4.97 million in direct local expenditure by the inaugural Newcastle 500 last year allowed the City of Supercars and $6.5 million in flow-on effect from Supercars Newcastle and other organisations to really hone in on how Australia’s local spending. to make the most out of the event for locals, businesses and The analysis does not include the direct economic benefit visitors alike. or flow-on effects in neighbouring areas including Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Cessnock.

“We haven't had to focus on all of the “This report confirms what many Novocastrians already asset renewal works that we did last knew - the inaugural Newcastle 500 was an outright economic year, and we’ve got the lessons learnt success for the city, with $30 million in direct and indirect economic benefits,” Cr Nelmes said. and the knowledge of last year’s event, “Almost 83,000 visitors to the City enjoyed themselves in so we’re actively encouraging people, Newcastle East and Cooks Hill over the three days, accounting even if you aren't going into the race together with local attendees for the 192,000 figures previously reported. precinct in Newcastle East, to come in “What’s new in this report is the banking data that shows over the three days and enjoy festivities Supercars fans spent up big, with the research demonstrating across the city,” Nuatali said. how the money flowed through the city.

"While this research means we can now quantify the economic boost for the city, the advertising benefits from the phenomenal media coverage with regard to long-term tourism are harder to quantify, even though the value of coverage is estimated at $1 million.

“Mainstream media, the report notes, recorded an audience of 8,641,042 people and social media posts reached 630,000 users, so the race also brings with it enormous potential for tourism growth at a time when the city has never looked so good.

“I also think it’s really good for people to see the city that they love reflected back through national images. It gives everybody a sense of pride in their city.”

Cr Nelmes said the experience of hosting an event like the Newcastle 500 would open up more opportunities for the city well into the future.

“It’s helped us even in the past 12 months in that we’ve had a lot of event operators approach us as a serious option to host large events, so it has been a game changer in terms of repositioning Newcastle,” she said.

“It also familiarised local businesses in working with large events, and we’re seeing a change in how we’re activating a larger amount of precincts this year, so that’s an up-skilling, really, of local staff and businesses and employees.

“I see events as the real opportunity, in terms of repositioning Newcastle as a host city, so our strategy is to keep leveraging off the success of Supercars, to attract other (L-R) Craig Lowndes, Simona De Silvestro and Mark large events, not just sporting events but also cultural events Winterbottom at the 2017 Newcastle Community Day. to the city.” ■ Photo by Mark Horsburgh, Edge Photographics

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THURS 22 NOV

FRI 23 NOV

HAMILTON SUPER START-UP

DARBY ST TURNS IT ON

From 4.30pm: Head to Gregson Park for a signing session with all 26 Newcastle 500 Supercars drivers & see them cruise down Beaumont's eat street

From 5pm: Enjoy live music, great food and late-night trading as the Christmas lights come on early

SAT 24 NOV

SUN 25 NOV

NEWCASTLE 500 CONCERT

SUNDAY SUPER SESSION

From 6pm: Simple Minds headline alongside Birds of Tokyo. Eat, drink and enjoy the easy 2km walk from Newcastle East to No. 1 Sportsground

From midday: Finish off a big weekend in Newcastle’s City East pubs and restaurants with live music and great deals

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SUPER-CHARLOTTE CLAIMS HOME-TRACK ADVANTAGE

WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN - Features Writer

She may not have finished as high on the overall standings as she would have liked, but 2018 has certainly been a standout year of opportunities for Warners Bay race car driver Charlotte Poynting.

The 20-year-old capped off her third Aussie Racing Cars season with a solid string of finishes on the Gold Coast last month. The results saw her finish 9th for the round, which is the highest round result for a female in the history of the class, although it wasn’t good enough to overcome her earlier season form, leaving her outside the top 10 on the overall drivers point score for the season.

Despite admitting disappointment over her “unlucky” season, Poynting said there had been plenty of other highlights this year including the chance to switch disciplines to secure a start on her home track later this month.

Usually found behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro in the Aussie Racing Cars, Poynting will slide into the driver’s seat of a much larger and more powerful newly-built Toyota Hilux to contest the last round of the SuperUtes Series, which will be held in Newcastle on November 23-25.

The race is one the supporting rounds of the final event of the Supercars Championship, the Newcastle 500, which is returning to the specially constructed coastal street circuit for the second consecutive year.

Poynting was lucky enough to be the first person to officially drive the Newcastle track in 2017 as part of the Aussie Racing Cars practice. However, with Newcastle not falling on their race calendar in 2018, the home-grown driver knew she would have to broaden her racing horizons if she wanted to hear the cheer of a local crowd again this year.

“The team I race with, Western Sydney Motorsport, had two guys already racing in the SuperUtes series who raced Aussie Cars with us last year,” she said.

“My team boss was looking for something for me to get in for Newcastle, as Aussie Racing Cars aren't at Newcastle

this year. As a result we found ourselves tossing up between the SuperUte or a Toyota '86, and it just seemed fitting to get in the SuperUtes as the team already had a lot of prior knowledge and a third ute on the way, too.

"I’m so excited. The Newcastle event last year was by far my favourite race weekend. It was a completely different feeling doing it at home and having such a big support team and being able to have my family and all my friends there, and the crowd support was just so amazing.

So I'm very excited to get back there."

year that we’ve been going, we’re like ‘We’ll be here one day, I’ll be racing one day’, so when I did that first couple of laps on the track, my mind was just blown.

“I thought I was prepared for it, you’d walk it, or you’d do it in a road car and think ‘Wow, this is pretty cool’ but it was just completely different in a race car, it was insane.”

The weekend in Bathurst proved full of highlights for Poynting, who actually missed watching the final day of the “[Driving the practice lap] was probably one of my favourite V8 racing in order to fly to New Zealand and compete in yet memories. I remember Dad said to me before I went out, ‘Just another class of ute.

Poynting’s efforts saw her claim a female-driver take it all in, don't worry about going out and setting a fast lap or whatever, just take in what you’re doing.’ And I went out and scholarship in the 2018–19 SsangYong Racing Series, which covers most of the costs to compete in the five-round kind of just dawdled around I guess, and just looked around championship. the whole time.

The first round, contested just a week later, saw her place “It was 8 o’clock in the morning, and there were already so many people out there, and just so many people clapping and 12th overall after a weekend of four races, with Poynting due to cross the Tasman once more in December for the second cheering. It was very humbling, I guess, it was really nice. round, followed up by two races in February and the final event “The track itself was awesome. There are really no street in March. circuits at all like it, with all the big hills and everything, it's While it was not initially something on her radar for the completely different to any other street circuit in the country. year, Poynting said she couldn’t pass up the chance to add “It’s going to be quite challenging [in the SuperUtes] another experience to her racing resume. because I thought it was tight in the Aussie car last year, so “Four days before Bathurst it popped up on Facebook and it's going to be probably three times as harder in the ute.” my Mum sent me the link,” she said.

Luckily for Poynting, she has already had some time “I emailed the organisers just to get some more information, behind the wheel of the ute, after making her SuperUtes and they wrote back saying that they would waive my entry fee debut in October at the famed Mount Panorama track before if I went over – they really wanted me to try out. the Bathurst 1000.

“So I booked some flights and headed straight over there The race was a dream come true for Poynting, who after my last race at Bathurst, and it went even better than had grown up idolising the V8 drivers tearing along Mount what we were expecting. I found out on the Sunday afternoon Panorama’s famed Conrod Straight. that I was lucky enough to be the winner of the scholarship.

“It was amazing. It was something I've wanted to do for so “It was great, any experience you can get you’ve just got to long,” she said. take it - it was really good to have something else under my “My dad and my brother and I have been going (to the belt.”

Bathurst 1000) every year for the past nine years. And every www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 31

SUPER...

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The Hunter Valley is Australia’s premier wine region, and it’s a short 40-minute drive from the racetrack to the vineyards (shorter if you’re in a Supercar!) Take a day trip, or book-in and stay here for a long weekend to make the most of your time in the Hunter.

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ll find everything from Helicopters to Hot Air Balloons, Rally Cars to

Go-Karts, Sky-Diving to Drive-Ins (yes the old fashion kind!), Trikes to Electric Bikes, Mini-Golf to Meerkats – and everything in between!

Visit the Hunter Valley Visitor Information Centre on Wine Country Drive at Pokolbin and let our expert staff point you in the direction of your next super-adventure.

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FROM RACING TO ROCK

MAYFIELD OSTEO Andrew Farthing & Kylie Read Osteopaths

At No.1 Sportsground Once the racing finishes the rock starts, and the blockbuster entertainment schedule for the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 is set to rival the racing action with charttopping bands taking the stage as KOFM presents the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 concert on Saturday 24 November at No 1 Sportsground, Newcastle.

Legendary Scottish rock band, Simple Minds, will headline the Supercars finale celebrations, with the famous Glasgow rockers set to belt out smash hits including Don’t You (Forget About Me), Alive and Kicking and Belfast Child. Their Newcastle concert is an exclusive Australian performance.

“We’ll be playing songs from throughout our extensive catalogue, going right back to the start and bringing it all up to date. We give 100 per cent of ourselves every night, so Simple Minds are delighted to be coming back to Australia to perform at this event,” said Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr.

Simple Minds will be supported by Aussie favourites, Birds of Tokyo, who's insistent, bittersweet, rock sounds have

Birds of Tokyo, photo by Cybele Malinowski

resonated deeply with critics and fans. The Aria and APRA Award winners are wellknown for rock anthems like Plans, Lanterns, Wild at Heart, I’d Go with You Anywhere, Brace and their new single Unbreakable.

The mix of a signature international act and an Australian great is expected to draw a big crowd of locals and the thousands of visitors flocking to the Hunter for the Supercars grand final.

“To have such an iconic international act along with such a huge Australian band in Birds of Tokyo is the perfect combination,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said.

“These bands are playing to sold out shows, so to have them in Newcastle is going to make for a very special weekend.”

Visit www.supercars.com/newcastle/ tickets – entry to the concert is free with your Saturday race ticket.

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Craig Lowndes (L) & Steve Richards (R) - 2018 Bathurst Champions

Still Plenty of Fuel in the Tank for Craig Lowndes WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN - Features Writer

He’s the most popular V8 driver in Australian motorsport, with an unrivalled record on the track and a support base that breaks through traditional race fan rivalries.

Now, after more than two decades behind the wheel, Craig Lowndes is taking his foot off the accelerator, and announcing his retirement from full-time driving.

The Triple Eight Race Engineering driver will offer a final farewell to fans the only way he knows how, with a fullthrottle performance in the last race of the 2018 Supercars Championship – the Newcastle 500.

Returning to the specially-built street circuit for the second consecutive year, the Newcastle 500 will be held from November 23–25, offering Hunter fans an up-close and 34 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

personal chance to show their support for one of the true icons of the sport.

After a controversial crash forced Lowndes out of the race with just two laps to go in 2017, the 44-year-old will be hoping for a far more satisfying finale in Newcastle this month.

“Newcastle was a spectacular track... I love the circuit, love the layout, the infrastructure is great. I've not spoken to any driver that doesn't like it,” he told intouch Magazine late last month.

“Last year's results didn't, unfortunately, go our way with the last lap; it’s something that we’re certainly not wanting to repeat.

“For me, I've already done two of the three things that hopefully we can achieve (to finish this season), and the last one is to try and maintain fourth position in the championship.

We’ve got a reasonably healthy gap over Dave Reynolds, but with 600 points up for grabs (in the final two rounds of the season) it's still obviously a position we need to keep defending and make sure we score points.”

Regardless of how he performs in Newcastle, Lowndes has already achieved somewhat of a fairy-tale finish for his final full-time season.

Since announcing his retirement plans in July, the driver has claimed the coveted Bathurst 1000 title – for the seventh time in his career – which in turn helped Lowndes and teammate Steven Richards clinch the 2018 Enduro Cup. It was the second time Lowndes has held the Cup aloft, the first win coming alongside former co-driver Warren Luff in 2013. As far as a single season goes, outside of the overall Championship win, it doesn’t get much bigger than these two achievements.

“It’s probably like a movie script, to be honest (to win Bathurst), I think that you couldn't script it any better,” he said.

“In my last full-time drive at Bathurst, to get into the top 10 shootout was really one of our major aims because going back next year as a co-driver I won't be qualifying the car - that's the main driver's role – so for me to have the opportunity was really special.

“Then to have that eight-second lead at the end of the race, to be able to really enjoy that last lap, which I really haven't had a chance to do in all the other wins that I’ve had because I've always had someone behind me biting at my heels trying to pass me. So to have that, to be able to hear and see the crowd on that last lap, it was really special.”

Bathurst’s famed Mount Panorama circuit has held a special place in Lowndes’ heart throughout his career, beginning with a gutsy move to overtake stalwart John Bowe for the lead late in the race, before eventually finishing second in his debut at the track in 1994. ►

Lowndes at Newcastle Drivers Parade 2017.

Photo by Mark Horsburgh, Edge Photographics

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Two years later Lowndes claimed the chequered flag at Bathurst, followed by triumphs in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2018. He sits tied with Jim Richards, father of his co-driver Steven, on seven wins at the Mount Panorama track, with only Lowndes’ mentor and the undoubted “King of the Mountain”, Peter Brock, left in front with nine victories.

“You grow up watching (Bathurst), sitting at home on the couch as a boy hoping one day you get an opportunity to drive and race there, and yeah ’94 was definitely my career turning point,” he said.

“It was a bit of a fairy-tale sort of start, and I’ll always enjoy going back, regardless if I'm a driver or not, it definitely holds a special place in my heart for me.”

While his Bathurst victories are among his most treasured achievements, there’s certainly no shortage to choose from as the most successful driver in Australian motorsport history.

Lowndes was the first Australian driver to reach 100 Championship wins at the sport’s most elite level (achieved in 2015) and holds the record for the most race wins in the history of the Touring Car and V8 Supercar competitions.

He is a three-time Australian Champion (1996, 1998, 1999) and the recipient of a record five Barry Sheene Medals, the sport’s best and fairest award.

Off the track, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012 for services to his sport and the community, including his charitable work with the RSPCA, Violence Against Women and his continual work on road safety.

Despite having driven for both Holden and Ford during his career, the controversial move hasn’t dampened his overwhelming popularity amongst parochial race car fans, who will no doubt be out in force to farewell him during his final race of the season in Newcastle.

“When you have lean years and don't have performances the fans are always the ones that keep you going, I've always said the fans are the backbone of motor racing and it's true,” Lowndes said.

“They come to races, especially yesterday (at the Gold Coast 600) when the storm came through we’re sitting in the cars wanting to race and they’re still there with the

umbrellas, wet and soaking and still supporting.

“I remember years ago when we were swapping from Holden to Ford I went and spoke to Brock, and he said that you're never really going to lose anything – you'll lose 50 per cent of the Holden fans because they’re not going to like you defecting, but then you’re going to gain 50 per cent of Ford fans because they’re going to love you coming across. So, in the end, you're not going to lose anything. I think for me that sort of stood true, I've got great Ford and Holden fans all around the place. For me, it's been fantastic to have that element.”

While the Newcastle 500 represents Lowndes’ last race as a full-time driver, there’s still plenty of fuel left in his tank.

With plans to be back in the co-driver’s seat again next year for a number of the endurance races, as well as taking up some opportunities in other styles of cars, Lowndes has assured his fans the chequered flag isn’t about to fall on his career on the track.

“I still get a buzz from driving, and I don't think that will ever change,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be in the sport for over two decades, and when I first started I probably halved the average age of a driver, now I’m doubling it so I've gone full circle and I'm still enjoying it.

“But while I'm still enjoying it the time is right to step down out of the full-time of Supercars, and go and explore other things if we can and drive other race cars. No doubt I won't be disappearing too much, that’s for sure.” ■

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