Triple Eight, Lowndes pre-season plans

TRIPLE EIGHT AND LOWNDES LAY STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

Fresh from their successful inaugural year together, Brisbane based V8 Supercar Team Triple Eight Race Engineering and three-time V8 Supercar Champion Craig Lowndes announced today that this formidable partnership would continue well beyond 2006.

Under a revised agreement, Lowndes will call Triple Eight Race Engineering home at least until the end of the 2009 season.

Triple Eight Race Engineering Managing Director Roland Dane said the announcement was a true indication of the foundations being laid for Triple Eights long term motor racing plans in Australia.

"We want to do our best to ensure we carry on with the same winning vein we achieved with the Team Betta Electrical Falcons during 2005," Dane said.

"This is a clear demonstration of our future direction and above all else gives us clarity and continuity. Craig is an extremely important part of Triple Eight and we are very pleased to be able to further build the Team around him.

"Triple Eight's sustained success in the BTCC was not by chance, and we now believe we have the right components to replicate that success in Australia," Dane said.

A beaming Craig Lowndes said he was delighted to confirm he would be calling Triple Eight home for the next four years.

"Both Nat and I have felt really comfortable with the team from day one," Lowndes said. "We achieved far more than I ever imagined in the first twelve months so the next four years will hopefully be even better.

"I don't think I have ever felt as much "At Home" than with this team and I genuinely believe this has been a major factor in the success of our relationship to date.

"While it has taken me a while to find consistent success with Ford, I really enjoy the vehicles and love working with Ford's Racing group.

"I am very comfortable with where the future is heading for Ford and Triple Eight and I look forward to working with the Team and, hopefully, being a consistent Championship contender over the next few years," Lowndes added.

President of Ford, Tom Gorman acknowledged today's announcement was great news for Triple Eight Race Engineering and everyone involved with the Ford Motor Company

"Craig is a valuable member of the Ford family on and off the track," Gorman said. "We know that when Craig is running well, the sport is doing great business. This in turn is great news for his team and everyone involved with the Ford Motor Company.

"Last year Craig underlined why Ford has invested so heavily in his talents. I know that this year we'll see more of that famous smile as he takes it to the competition.

"We have many goals for the 2006 season. This includes retaining the driver's, team's and manufacturer's titles. However, we have one major trophy to get back and that's Bathurst. With guys like Craig in our stable, I feel that we have a great chance of winning at Mount Panorama," Gorman said.

Lowndes and Triple Eight Race Engineering will now turn their attentions to preparations for the opening round of the 2006 season, the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, March 23-26.

The Team Betta Electrical Falcon race cars have been substantially revised over the holiday season with a series of major mechanical updates, many of which were run during the final Triple Eight test of 2005 in December.

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