Fan favourite Craig Lowndes has capped off his last Bathurst 1000 as a full-time driver, comfortably winning the Great Race for the seventh time in his career.
The win for Lowndes, alongside co-driver Steven Richards, now brings him equal second with Jim Richards and two victories off Bathurst 1000 legend Peter Brock.
Both Lowndes and Richards have now won a combined 12 races between them.
“I’m delighted and really relieved. It’s been a hell of a weekend,” he said.
Lowndes rated Sunday’s win as the second best win of his Bathurst 1000 career.
“2006 is still probably the special one, with the emotions that went behind it,” he said.
“This one is still right up there, knowing that I’m not going to be a full-time driver next year.
“But I’ll be back here next year as a co-driver to have some fun.”
The race now brings an end to Lowndes’ 22-year career as a full-time Supercars driver.
“I’m very thankful and the fans are fantastic,” he said.
“When I took the lead passing [David] Reynolds in turn two, I could see them standing up the top of the mountain.
“I think if the car broke down, I think the fans would’ve got out there and pushed it.
“That last lap I raced was something I’ll cherish for a long time.”
The win for Lowndes and Richards was the second time the duo won the race, last winning as a team back in 2015.
It was also a fantastic Race Week in terms of attendance, with no less than 206,755 people flocking to Mount Panorama from Thursday to Sunday.
That number surpasses that of last year’s, however it fell just under 500 spectators short of the record set in 2012, when 207,205 showed up to the 50th anniversary of the Great Race.
