Triple Eight Race Engineering has announced the return of a Wildcard entry for the 2022 Repco Bathurst 1000.
Launched at a media event in Brisbane this morning, seven-times Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes, will team up with Triple Eight’s Super2 young gun Declan Fraser for the Great Race, to be held in its traditional early October date.
The Wildcard entry for the champion squad will compete under the iconic #888, raced by Lowndes during his days as a full-time driver for the team.
It will be Lowndes’ 29th start in the Great Race, a race which he has won a seven times, equal second-most with Jim Richards and only trailing Australia’s touring car king, Peter Brock.
This will mark the second-straight year that Triple Eight has run a wildcard in the Repco Bathurst 1000, following Russell Ingall and Broc Feeney’s attempt at the iconic mountain race last year.
The wildcard news also confirms Triple Eight/Red Bull Ampol Racing’s driver pairings for The Great Race. Repco Supercars Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen will team with Garth Tander, while seven-time champion Jamie Whincup will line-up alongside Feeney in the #88 entry.
It will be Lowndes’ first time tackling the mountain in something other than a Red Bull-backed car since his last win in 2018, but the legend of the mountain is taking the opportunity with both hands.
“I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Declan for the Great Race, and I’m so excited to guide him on his journey into the Supercars.
“It will feel a little strange not being in a Red Bull Ampol car for the first time in a long time, but we’re all one team here at Triple Eight.
“It’s no secret the affinity I have with Bathurst and Mt Panorama, it’s the racetrack that means more to me than any other place.
“I also think we’re going to be a competitive pairing. Declan has shown some great speed and
composure in his Super2 career – two traits you need to win Bathurst. We have every intention of
being right in the mix and giving the fans something to cheer about.”
Fraser, only in his second year of Super2 competition, is thrilled with the opportunity.
“I grew up watching Lowndesy at Bathurst like every other kid did, so to see my name on the side of this car alongside his heading to Bathurst is super special, surreal even. I’m excited to get everything underway and see how it all pans out,” he said.
“My aim is to hone my skills over the next few months to make sure I’m fully prepared by the time I get to Bathurst. We get a couple of extra test days being a wildcard entry which will be good for myself to get familiar with the ZB Commodore, but at the moment there’s still a few Super2 rounds that I need to focus on.”
For the third-consecutive year, the Repco Bathurst 1000 will be the only two-driver endurance event in the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship season on October 6-9.