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As Craig Lowndes gears up for his 20th attempt at the Bathurst 1000 this weekend, SPEED is running through his most memorable moments on the Mountain.
We sat down with the V8 Supercars legend to find out his 10 biggest memories from two decades of racing at Bathurst.
After spending the week counting down from 10, here are Lowndesy's top five!
What are your favourite Craig Lowndes moments at Bathurst? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or head to the SPEED TV Australia Facebook page!
No.5: A star is born, Bathurst 1994
The 1994 Tooheys 1000 had everything you could possibly want in a race. Record qualifying speeds, a long list of contenders, and an evenly-matched duel between Ford and Holden.
The changeable conditions of the start and the long grind of 1000 kilometres narrowed the contenders for victory down to two: established veteran John Bowe aboard Dick Johnson's Falcon, and the then-20-year-old rookie Craig Lowndes in the Holden Racing Team's second-string Commodore, Peter Brock spinning the team's lead car into the wall for his first racing crash on the mountain.
The maestro's spill set up a 17-lap flat-out sprint to the end between the old buck and the young turk.
As they charged up Mountain Straight on lap 148 Bowe covered to the inside. As millions of eyes watch TV screens around the country, Lowndes did the unimaginable: he outbraked and passed Bowe around the outside into Griffins Bend.
His lead lasted just two laps, a clumsy backmarker giving Bowe the chance to snatch the lead back before setting a string of fast laps to put the win beyond doubt.
But that day, a star was born.
CRAIG SAYS...
"Going to Bathurst in 1994, my first attempt in a V8 Supercar, was quite a daunting prospect. I wasn't meant to be in the car at the end of the race, but to be able to have that incredible battle with John Bowe and finish second in my first attempt was an incredible feeling."
No.4: Beating the Lap of the Gods, Bathurst 2010
Records are meant to be broken, they say. Well this was one record that continually seemed to be out of reach of the V8 Supercars field.
Greg Murphy's stunning Top Ten Shootout lap of 2m06.8594s set in 2003 hung as the carrot all drivers chased whenever they were strapped into their machines, given low fuel and a fresh set of tyres, and told to give it a red-hot go.
For nine-straight years though, despite the constant evolution and improvements made by teams in the pursuit of speed, Murphy's mythical 'Lap of the Gods' stayed etched in the books.
Until 2010.
Lowndes reset the mark with a 2:06.8012s lap in Saturday practice. His record for the fastest ever lap of Mount Panorama in a V8 Supercar still stands today.
CRAIG SAYS...
We'd all been going up there for multiple years trying to beat Greg Murphy's record. That one magical lap we got right. We managed to get the car perfect. To be able to do that lap was one of those magical moments. The car just flowed across the top of the mountain.
To the winners ... Source: Supplied
No.3: Triple-stint to glory, Bathurst 2010
Earlier this year, Lowndes rated Bathurst 2010 as his toughest race win, and it's no wonder.
With co-driver Mark Skaife aggravating an old back injury mid-race, Lowndes had no option but to stay behind the wheel for the rest of the race.
That meant a marathon triple-stint. 79 laps. Almost half the race distance in one hit.
What it drew from him in effort was more than repaid by the reward, Lowndes leading home a team one-two.
CRAIG SAYS...
Driving with Mark Skaife, one of my all-time rivals and a good mate. He suffered a back problem which meant that I had to do multiple stints. For me it was one of my most challenging tests, especially at a place like Mount Panorama.
Lowndes and dad Frank after the race. Source: News Limited
No.2: The perfect end to a perfect year, Bathurst 1996
The racing fraternity had no idea of the whirlwind of change that was set to sweep through the Australian Touring Car Championship when they arrived at Eastern Creek for the first round of 1996.
It took the newly-promoted Craig Lowndes all of two races to take his first win, his maiden round win coming the same night. His first championship would take just a handful more months, before avenging his Sandown 500 defeat of the year before.
Come October Lowndes went to Bathurst as not a contender, but the hands-down favourite to take out a rare triple crown.
Much like his Mountain debut, the race started in dismally wet conditions before drying, and came down to a late-race shootout with the No.17 Falcon.
This time, it was youth that triumphed over experience, Lowndes and Murphy running home comfortable winners to set a new record for the youngest-ever pairing to win the race.
CRAIG SAYS...
I went to Bathurst as the lead driver for the first time with HRT, pairing up with Greg Murphy. It was one of the all-time memorables. You have your first victory at any place, to be done at Bathurst, which is what we classify as the holy grail. One of the best moments of my racing career.
Lowndes was in tears post-race. Source: News Limited
No.1: The King is dead; long live the King, Bathurst 2006
The memory of the King of the Mountain weighed heavily on all at Bathurst in 2006. That year's Great Race came just a fortnight on from Peter Brock's tragic death in a tarmac rally in Western Australia.
Crowds flocked to Mount Panorama to mourn the loss of its King, with many hoping Lowndes could pay his late mentor the ultimate tribute by winning the race.
However, since his 1996 victory, Lowndes had been all but cursed at Bathurst. Misfortune seemed to lurk at every turn, leaving Lowndes with just a sole win to his name.
Ending his run of outs in the Bathurst 1000 that held more personal meaning and significance than any other? That's the stuff of fairytales.
Except this fairytale came true.
As Lowndes exited Murray's Corner for the last time to be greeted by the chequered flag tears streamed down his face, overcome by the emotion of the moment.
It's a victory he holds as not just his greatest Bathurst moment, but the greatest win of his storied career.
CRAIG SAYS...
It was one of the most emotional races I've ever done in my whole life. We all knew going to Bathurst that year that it was going to be such a huge event.
To be able to drive his 1972 Bathurst-winning Torana around on the parade lap - behind James Brock - was a huge honour for me. Bev Brock came up and give me a hug before the race, and basically said 'Peter's with you today'.
To go through the race knowing that Peter was somewhere in the car beside me ... and to be on the top step at the end of the day, being presented with the Brock Trophy by his brother Phil ... it was one of those unbelieveable feelings.
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