A Win to Remember
Some victories mean more than a trophy. In 2006, Lowndes and Whincup crossed the line at Mount Panorama and gave Triple Eight its first Bathurst 1000 victory – a moment filled with emotion, pride and the beginning of a legacy none of us could have imagined.
Whincup’s Launch Pad
It was Whincup’s first Bathurst 1000 victory and the beginning of an extraordinary era of success with Triple Eight.
He would go on to claim 125 Supercars race wins, four Bathurst 1000 victories and a record seven Drivers’ Championships, establishing himself as the most successful driver in Supercars history.
Twenty years later, we return to The Mountain with Ford once again, and this collection celebrates the moment that started it all – the iconic colours, the memories, the people and a victory that will forever hold a special place in Triple Eight history.
0.586 Seconds
Lowndes and Whincup won in the #888 Betta Electrical Ford Falcon BA, beating the Kelly brothers (HSV Dealer Team) by just 0.586 seconds — the 5th-closest finish in Bathurst history.
Days after the win, longtime naming sponsor Betta Electrical went into receivership — the team won its first Bathurst on borrowed time with its own sponsor, then went on to build a dynasty anyway. It’s an underdog beginning to a dominant story.
The Peter Brock Trophy
Peter Brock — nine-time Bathurst champion and Lowndes’ mentor — had died only a month before the race.
The Triple Eight/Whincup/Lowndes win became the first race ever run for the newly created Peter Brock Trophy, and Lowndes drove Brock’s 1972 Bathurst-winning Torana on the parade lap before the race.
It’s on record as one of the most emotional wins of Lowndes’ career.