Biante B12H18D 1/12 Holden ZB Commodore Autobarn Lowndes Racing 2018 Bathurst Winner Lowndes/Richards BIANTE

LIMITED EDITION OF 580 PIECES
The 2018 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was always going to be a special one for Craig Lowndes. The popular evergreen veteran announced at that July’s Townsville 400 that he was stepping down from full-time Supercars competition at the end of the season, making October’s trip to Mount Panorama his last as a main driver. If his 22nd championship season was to be his last, Lowndes was keen to ensure he went out in top form. Entering his second full-season with race engineer John ‘Irish’ McGregor, the arrival of the new Holden Commodore ZB, clad in the black and silver with green and gold accents of new sponsor Autobarn, combined to propel Lowndes back into being a regular contender at the front of the field. A victory from pole position at Symmons Plains – the 106th of his career – plus a strong run to third at the Sandown 500 with co-driver Steven Richards (also completing an all-Triple Eight Race Engineering lockout of the podium), all pointed towards Lowndes being a genuine threat for victory heading to Bathurst. However the race weekend was far from straightforward for Lowndes, Richards and the #888 crew. Persistent rain on Thursday saw several contenders stay in the garage, minimising risk in anticipation of dry weather when it really mattered during qualifying and the race. The #888 also turned minimal laps, but not out of self-preservation. The Autobarn Holden was plagued with a power steering issue that the team was having difficulty tracing.