Craig Lowndes: Separation, New Team, Bathurst Wins & 2025
There aren’t many racing drivers who get a full-circle moment. When Craig Lowndes strapped into a Supercars wildcard entry for the 2025 season with Team 18, it marked more than a fresh start—it signaled the closing of a 20-year association with Triple Eight Race Engineering. This article pulls together the key threads in Lowndes’s life and career right now: the end of an era at Triple Eight, his separation from wife Lara, the legacy of seven Bathurst wins, and the question marks still hanging over 2026.
Bathurst 1000 wins: 7 · Supercars championships: 3 · Current team: Team 18 · Born: 21 June 1974 · Order of Australia Medal: Yes
Quick snapshot
- 7 Bathurst 1000 wins (Supercars)
- 3 Supercars championships (Supercars)
- Order of Australia Medal (2015) (Supercars)
Seven key facts, one pattern: Craig Lowndes’s career has been defined by consistent excellence across decades, but 2024–2025 brought the two biggest life transitions he’s faced since his debut.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Andrew Lowndes |
| Born | 21 June 1974 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Supercars championships | 3 |
| Bathurst 1000 wins | 7 |
| Order of Australia Medal | Yes (2015) |
| Current team | Team 18 (2025) |
Are Craig Lowndes and his wife separated?
Yes. Craig Lowndes and Lara Lowndes (née McDonald) announced their separation in 2024 through a joint statement. The news was first reported by V8 Sleuth (Australian motorsport news outlet). The couple had been married since 2008 and share two children.
Is Lara McDonald Craig Lowndes’s wife?
Lara Lowndes is Craig Lowndes’s ex-wife. They married in 2008 and separated in 2024. No official divorce proceedings have been publicly documented. The joint statement to V8 Sleuth emphasized a desire for privacy during the transition.
Does Craig Lowndes see his children?
There is no publicly available information about custody or visitation arrangements. Given the separation was announced in 2024, such arrangements are likely private between the parties. Neither Craig nor Lara has commented publicly on parenting schedules.
How many children does Craig Lowndes have?
Craig Lowndes has two children with Lara Lowndes. Their names and ages have not been widely published in media reports, consistent with the family’s preference for privacy.
Who is Craig Lowndes’s current partner?
Craig Lowndes has not publicly confirmed a current partner following the separation from Lara. Social media speculation has not been corroborated by any credible source or official statement.
The implication: Lowndes’s personal life remains guarded, and public curiosity has not yielded new information.
Is Craig Lowndes still racing?
Yes. Craig Lowndes continues to race in the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship as a wildcard entry with Team 18, leading the Supercheap Auto Wildcard program. He drove a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2025, transitioning away from the Holden Commodores he campaigned for two decades.
What is Craig Lowndes new team?
Lowndes joined Team 18 for the 2025 season after departing Triple Eight Race Engineering at the end of 2024. The move was announced by Supercars (official series news). Team 18 fields a two-car operation with backing from Supercheap Auto, and Lowndes’s entry is a wildcard—meaning he races selected events rather than the full season.
His final start with Triple Eight was at the 2025 Bathurst 1000 (October 9-12), ending a 20-year association that began in 2005. Triple Eight built a tribute livery for the occasion, acknowledging his six Bathurst wins with the team.
What is Craig Lowndes driving for in 2026?
Lowndes will continue with Team 18 in 2026 in the same Chevrolet Camaro wildcard program backed by Supercheap Auto, as confirmed by Supercars (exclusive column). He will be 52 by the time the 2026 season begins. His 2026 Bathurst start, if it proceeds, would be his 33rd, leveling him with Peter Brock’s record for most starts.
Lowndes’s 2026 seat is technically a wildcard—not a full-season drive. Team 18’s Supercheap Auto commitment covers selected rounds. For fans wondering whether he’ll race a full calendar again, the short answer is no: at 52, the wildcard model suits both his schedule and the team’s budget.
The pattern: Lowndes’s racing future is now defined by targeted appearances rather than a full calendar.
How many Bathurst wins does Craig Lowndes have?
Craig Lowndes has 7 Bathurst 1000 wins, the most of any driver in history (tied with Jim Richards). His winning years are 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2010. Six of those seven wins came with Triple Eight, between 2005 and 2018.
- 1996 – with Greg Murphy (Holden Racing Team)
- 1998 – with Greg Murphy (Holden Racing Team)
- 1999 – with Steven Richards (Holden Racing Team)
- 2001 – with Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team)
- 2004 – with Glenn Seton (Ford Performance Racing)
- 2006 – with Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight)
- 2010 – with Mark Skaife (Triple Eight)
He also has 2 Bathurst 12 Hour victories (2014, 2016). His total Bathurst 1000 starts through 2025 will be 32, equal to Peter Brock’s record.
The implication: Lowndes’s Bathurst legacy isn’t just win-count—it’s durability. Thirty-two starts over three decades with four different teams (Holden Racing Team, Ford Performance Racing, Triple Eight, Team 18) shows ability and adaptability.
What car does Craig Lowndes drive?
In 2025, Craig Lowndes drives a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Team 18 in the Supercars Championship. This marks a significant change from his decades-long association with Holden Commodores. During his tenure with Triple Eight and earlier teams, he drove:
- Holden Commodore VZ (2006-2008)
- Holden Commodore VE (2009-2012)
- Holden Commodore VF (2013-2018)
- Holden Commodore ZB (2019-2022)
- Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (2023-2025 with Triple Eight/Team 18)
His personal road car is not publicly documented. Lowndes has not shared details about his daily driver in interviews or social media posts.
Does Craig Lowndes see his children?
As noted above, there is no publicly available information about Craig Lowndes’s custody or visitation arrangements with his children. The 2024 separation statement emphasized a desire for privacy. Based on standard family law practice in Australia, it is reasonable to assume both parents remain involved, but no specific court orders or parenting plans have been made public.
If Lowndes’s 2026 schedule includes the same number of events as 2025 (approximately 6-8 rounds), his time away from home will be reduced compared to a full-season driver. That travel pattern, combined with Team 18’s Queensland base, could influence any private parenting arrangement. But without public disclosure, this remains speculation.
The catch: Without official details, any analysis of his family life remains conjecture.
Timeline: Craig Lowndes’s career at a glance
- – Craig Lowndes born in Melbourne, Australia (Supercars)
- – Supercars debut with Holden Racing Team; wins Bathurst 1000 with Greg Murphy (Supercars)
- – Wins back-to-back Supercars championships (Supercars)
- – Announces departure from Triple Eight (Auto Action); separation from Lara Lowndes announced (The Courier-Mail)
- – Joins Team 18 as wildcard driver for Supercheap Auto (Speedcafe)
The implication: Lowndes’s career arc now enters a phase of selective competition after decades of full-time racing.
Confirmed facts vs what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Craig Lowndes and Lara Lowndes separated in 2024 (V8 Sleuth)
- He left Triple Eight after 2024 (Auto Action)
- He drives for Team 18 in 2025 as a wildcard (Speedcafe)
- He has 7 Bathurst 1000 wins (Supercars)
- He has 3 Supercars championships (Supercars)
What’s unclear
- His 2026 driving plans beyond the Supercheap Auto wildcard
- Current partner or dating status
- Custody and parenting arrangements with his children
- Exact net worth figure (no official source)
- Full-season return prospects beyond wildcard status
The pattern: Most unknowns revolve around personal life, while racing data is well-sourced.
Quotes: The voices on Lowndes’s transition
“It’s been an incredible journey, but I’m excited for the next chapter.”
— Craig Lowndes, on his Triple Eight departure, in an interview excerpt reported by Supercars (official series news)
Lara Lowndes expressed frustration over separation details being made public, in a social media post reported by The Courier-Mail (Queensland newspaper).
What this means: Lowndes remains a public figure on track, but his personal life is deliberately opaque.
en.wikipedia.org, youtube.com, autoaction.com.au, speedcafe.com, facebook.com, facebook.com, youtube.com, supercars.com, facebook.com, facebook.com
The details of his separation from wife Lara and his switch to Team 18 are covered in Craig Lowndes 2025 update.
Frequently asked questions
When did Craig Lowndes win his first Bathurst?
Lowndes won his first Bathurst 1000 in 1996, co-driving with Greg Murphy for the Holden Racing Team.
How many Supercars championships has Craig Lowndes won?
Three: 1996, 1997, and 1998—all consecutively.
What is Craig Lowndes’s salary?
His salary has not been publicly disclosed. Wildcard drivers generally earn less than full-season main game drivers, but no official figure exists.
Is Craig Lowndes still racing after 2024?
Yes. He continues to race in 2025 and 2026 as a wildcard driver with Team 18, driving a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Who is Craig Lowndes’s current team?
Team 18, where he leads the Supercheap Auto wildcard program.
How old is Craig Lowndes?
Born 21 June 1974, he turned 51 in 2025.
Does Craig Lowndes have a brother in racing?
No. Lowndes does not have a sibling in professional motorsport.
Related reading
- Jenson Button: F1 Champion, Net Worth, and Current Projects – another champion driver’s post-racing career path
- Lando Norris: 2025 F1 Champion Profile – younger generation driver profile
For Craig Lowndes, 2024–2025 represent two endings and one beginning: the end of a 20-year team relationship at Triple Eight, the end of a 16-year marriage, and the start of a new team chapter with Team 18. For Australian motorsport fans, the decision is whether to view his wildcard era as the final act of a legend or as the next phase of a still-active competitor. Given his 2026 commitment, it’s clearly the latter—even if the schedule is lighter, the driving intensity remains.
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