HE HAS done it 26 times previously, but race day at Bathurst still brings on a touch of pre-race nerves for Craig Lowndes.

WORDS & IMAGES: Mark Walker

From those many campaigns in the Great Race, routines have formed, patterns have emerged that make for a successful day on track.

Lowndes has won the Bathurst 1000 seven times, so why change what’s not broken?

It’s the one race on the calendar that he wants to win, it’s Bathurst ahead of all else – so does he get in a good night of sleep prior to the main event?

“Yeah I do, to be honest, for me I’ve always been lucky enough to be able to sleep at Bathurst or anywhere,” said Lowndes.

“The plan is to have the caravan like we traditionally do, which is also like a home away from home.

“I sleep better when you know you have your own pillow, your own blankets and your creature comforts, so that’s the first thing that is really important for me, to make sure that we do do that.

“You normally have the street sweeper going around the back of the pits picking up all of the rubber at about 5 o’clock, so by the time you get that, 5:30 you’re awake, you hear the team roll in, they obviously come in and open up the garages and the trucks, and the day begins.”

In a move in line with most things 2020, there will be a distinct lack of other campers filling the paddock, one which will have a significant impact on the vibe of the event.

“That’s a big part of the atmosphere, hearing the fireworks going off at night, people enjoying themselves, you know, that’s what Bathurst is all about,” said Lowndes.

“You have families that for three, four generations have been to the same camp sites, had the same routine, that’s their sort of yearly holiday.

“That for me is sort of disappointing that we can’t cater for that, but it’s the way it is at this stage, and I’m looking forward to getting back to some normality next year.”

The all-important avocado on toast (complete with homemade chili sauce) and a coffee is first up on the agenda, which is followed by a quick catch up with the car’s engineer to discuss any overnight changes to plans, such as set up or the scheduled rotation of drivers.

The warm up follows, which at times can be a nervous 20 minutes for crews, who have fingers crossed that there aren’t any last minute dramas.

But for Lowndes, it’s all about the formalities.

“I don’t really take a lot out of the warm up to be honest, some teams and drivers like to be the fastest at that point as a bit of an ego boost or for their confidence, but for me it’s just about the fundamentals, making sure the car is where it is supposed to be, electronically, mechanically, it’s all working right,” said Lowndes.

It’s then the nerves kick in, and the tweaked format for 2020 will make those butterflies last longer, with the scheduled race start pushed back to 11:30am.

“The later start is going to be more frustrating, sitting around waiting, it’s like that old saying, you hurry up and then wait!” Said Lowndes.

“For me, I just love to get on with it, and I think the longer that I think about things, the more nervous I get.

“That time when you are strapped into the car, driving it out of the pits, that’s for me when I become calmer, relaxed, and start to go through my routine.

“If I am starting the race, I make sure that the bars are set right, the biases are where they should be, make sure all of the fuel settings are all ready to go, brake temperature is up, just waiting to get on the line to get started.”

With seven compulsory pit stops required to be ticked off in the 161, and minimum driver times in play, typically co-drivers attempt to complete their allotment of laps as early as possible.

“For me it’s generally double stints, I have to focus on making every lap perfect, when I’m out of the car I’m lucky that (my wife) Lara is around, hydration is really important obviously, we saw what happened a couple of years ago with Davey Reynolds and cramping,” said Lowndes.

“I do eat, generally something like a chicken pasta, tomato based, or if I don’t feel like that, the other option is a chicken wrap, something simple if I’m not overly hungry.

“We have a physio at the track, they will just generally give you a good stretch out, have a change of clothes, change your race suit, boots, gloves, and they’re all generally sweaty by that stage.”

Typically within 30 to 40 minutes before jumping back into the car, Lowndes will re-emerge into the garage, kitted and ready to roll.

Tuning into the team radio, Lowndes can ascertain how the car is travelling.

“You can very clearly note by Jamie’s voice where the car’s at; he may not give you a lot of information, but you can definitely tell by his tone,” said Lowndes.

“If he is either stressed or he’s calm and relaxed, you know how the car is… every driver has got their own ways of communicating to the engineers, I know that some drivers and engineers have codes and other things that they use so that other people can’t listen in.

“But generally for me it’s just the tone of the voice, which for me I’ve always said “OK”, it’s just a matter of how good that “OK” is or how bad that “OK” is the determining factor of where the car’s at.

“By that stage you also know from the engineers how you’re tracking, whether you’re on target for your plan, or whether we are going to have to make up some time, whether we have fuel in reserve or if we need to conserve more.

“For me really at that stage, the important part is understanding where you’re at, with the car and the circuit and the conditions, whether its 40 degree day or it’s about to thunderstorm, you’re constantly just scanning and checking what’s going on around you.”

Over the past 15 years for Lowndes at Triple Eight, things have panned out well – six times in those attempts he has been victorious, and a total of nine times he has visited the podium.

So have the after parties become more in check over the years?

“To be honest yes, I think in 1996 when I first won the race with Greg Murphy, I think we probably had about two hours sleep, and the PR department at the time decided that we should have a photoshoot back at the track at about 8 o’clock in the morning… Greg and I were literally asleep on the pit lane,” reminisced Lowndes.

“But today’s life, being a bit older, wiser, you go out and have a team dinner, which we’ve probably done the past six to seven years, maybe longer.

“We go to a restaurant that has been good enough to reopen for us as a collective team, before we pack up, get the transporter sorted, everyone has a shower and gets out, we generally then sit down for dinner at around 10 o’clock, and then by about midnight, the young ones now decide to go to the nightclubs, but for me, I just enjoy going home, having a glass of red and then a good night’s sleep!”

A quiet glass of wine…