Craig Lowndes 2026: Bathurst Legend’s New Team 18 Chapter

Few drivers in Australian motorsport have parked their cars in the Bathurst 1000 winner’s circle as often as Craig Lowndes, and by the time 2026 rolls around, he’ll be doing it in a completely different garage. The man with seven Bathurst crowns and three Supercars championships is trading the familiar Triple Eight surroundings for a fresh chapter with Team 18 — a move that’s as much about the racing as it is about the man behind the helmet. Along the way, there’s the lesser-known but equally human side to Lowndes: the family man, the rural Victorian who calls Seymour home, and the quiet operator who has never chased headlines off the track.

With 2026 fast approaching and a new endurance program locked in, Lowndes is entering what could be the final act of an extraordinary career — one that’s already stretched across four decades of top-level competition. It’s the kind of longevity that separates the greats from the legends, and Lowndes has been both.

Age: 50 · Bathurst 1000 wins: 7 (tied record) · Supercars championships: 3 · Current home: Seymour, Victoria

Why the Team 18 move matters

It’s a far cry from the mid-90s rivalries, and it’s led to a different Lowndes: one who turns down appearances to make school pickups, and who’s developed a reputation as a mentor for younger drivers.

The 2026 season will mark the first time in his career that Lowndes enters a Bathurst 1000 without Triple Eight Engineering preparation — and the specific sequence of the deal reveals how locked-in the plans have been all along.

Timeline of the transition

According to AAP News, the deal ended Lowndes’ lengthy association with Triple Eight and was described by Lowndes as “a fresh start” in a familiar role.

The Bathurst record that defines a career

Lowndes has a Bathurst 1000 record that borders on mythical. Seven wins across three different decades — 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015 — and 28 consecutive starts make him the most experienced driver in the event’s history.

• His total of seven Bathurst 1000 wins ties the all-time record.
• He’s one of two drivers to win both the Bathurst 1000 and Sandown 500 in the same year twice.

What’s often overlooked is the nature of his wins. They’ve come in different cars, different eras, and different team environments — a measure of his adaptability as much as his raw speed.

Lowndes’ stats sheet reads like a greatest-hits album: 3 Supercars titles (1996, 1998, 1999), 7 Bathurst 1000 wins, and more than 100 race wins across the series. While Triple Eight fans still hold him up as one of the greats, the 2026 move adds another layer — as AAP News noted, Lowndes is “relishing a fresh start” in a role he knows well, and the transition to Team 18 marks a break from the structure that supported his recent endurance wins.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have the career I’ve had, but you get to a point where you want to do things differently, on your own terms.” — Craig Lowndes

A less-public fact: Lowndes is the only driver to take Bathurst 1000 wins in three different decades — and he’s one of two men to win both the Bathurst 1000 and the Sandown 500 in the same year twice.

What the Team 18 switch actually looks like

When the lights go green at the 2026 Bathurst 1000, Lowndes will be lining up alongside Bayley Hall in a Supercheap Auto-liveried Chevrolet Camaro owned by Team 18. The car is expected to be run to full Enduro Cup regulations, with support from GM’s homologation team.

Team 18’s technical alliance with General Motors has shifted the pecking order, and by 2026, Lowndes may be driving a full-works-spec Chevrolet rather than a customer entry. That’s a significant upgrade in machinery — and it signals that Charlie Schwerkolt’s organisation is serious about contending.

Life off the track: family, farm, and a quieter pace

Craig Lowndes has been married to Lara Lowndes since 2013, and together they’ve built a life in Seymour, Victoria — a rural town about 100 kilometres north of Melbourne. It’s a deliberately grounded existence for a man who could have cashed in on his profile long ago.

The couple share a young family, and Lowndes is known to be fiercely protective of their privacy. Public appearances are rare and carefully selected — not because he’s aloof, but because he’s been racing long enough to know what actually matters.

There is, however, one thing the record books don’t fully capture: the quieter side of a driver who has never sought the limelight.

What you might not know about Craig Lowndes

• He’s a mentor to younger drivers like Bayley Hall, who will share the car with him in 2026.
• He’s famously private about his family — but has spoken openly about how fatherhood changed his priorities.
• He’s one of the most popular figures in Australian motorsport, with a genuine following that spans generations.

Frequently asked questions

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