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Craig Lowndes calls for Perth pit entry changes

Craig Lowndes has suggested changes need to be made to the pit entry at Barbagallo Raceway in Perth, after being spun on his way into the lane during yesterday’s race.

Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden

Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden

Daniel Kalisz / Motorsport Images

Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Craig Lowndes, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden
Will Davison, Tekno Autosports Holden

The veteran star was tagged by rookie Alex Rullo while attempting to enter the pitlane early in yesterday’s race, the resulting spins costing Lowndes ‘nine of 10 seconds’.

The contact happened as Lowndes made the awkward transition from the racing line to the tight pit entry right after the exit of Turn 7.

Following the race Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen undertook a track inspection with race director Michael Masi and driving standards advisor Craig Baird to voice some minor concerns, including a drop off on the outside of the left-hander and the pit entry.

The pit entry has only become an issue since the new infield pit structure was built back in 2011, the previous entry having been on the outside of Turn 7.

There is another pit entry already in place, which leaves the circuit midway down the back straight approaching Turn 7. While it is currently only ratified for motorcycle use, Lowndes reckons it would be a better solution than the current system on the inside of the exit of the corner – citing his tangle with Rullo as a reason to look at changing it as soon as next year.

“It happens here because of how much you have to slow it up for the pit entry,” said Lowndes.

“It wasn’t just me, there was another incident there as well. Once you commit into pit entry it becomes very, very tight.

“That was one of the things we discussed with Craig Baird and Michael Masi. We always wanted to use the other pit entry but the officials didn’t want us to.

“Hopefully they’ll look at it to see if it’s an option for next year.”

Lowndes added that a high-speed pit entry like the one midway down the back straight shouldn’t pose any safety issues, likening it to Phillip Island.

“Everything has an issue but you’d at least leave the circuit safely,” he said.

“What happens at pit entry is no different to Phillip Island with the way that’s shaped. We’re flat going into pitlane off the race track there and we don’t have a problem.

“There’s obviously things we can look at to fix for next year.”

Lowndes endured a rather remarkable race yesterday, starting at the rear of grid after his car cut out on the grid-up lap and the warm-up lap.

But despite that, and the touch-up from Rullo, he executed a three-stop strategy expertly to fight his way back to eighth place.

“We thought we might have fixed [the problem] when we got to the grid, but when we went to start the warm-up lap it did it again and we had to cycle the master switch twice,” explained Lowndes.

“In the midst of all that we ended up at the back of the grid.

“Our strategy was always going to be a three-stopper because we’d qualified back in the pack anyway and wanted to do something different to everyone else.

“The car was much better than it was on Saturday. We learnt a lot being in traffic and having too much understeer which kills the tyre quickly. We changed the bars to suit and it made the car stronger.

“Even in hindsight we couldn’t have pushed harder than we did because it would have used the tyre. To finish in the Top 10 after starting dead last, I’m quite happy.”

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