Craig proved he had the speed to run near the front early in the weekend and built on that position, to record an excellent second place finish on Saturday. He looked to be in line for a second podium finish during Sunday’s longer feature, but a lengthy second pit-stop forced him to charge back to fifth late in the race.

“I’m really happy with how this weekend has turned out and it gives me some added confidence heading into Winton,” Craig said.

“I feel a lot more comfortable in the car, which is something we’ve worked really hard on this year, so I can’t wait to hit the track again in two weeks time.

“We proved this weekend we still have the speed to win races, but it was just unfortunate the way the races eventuated. I think if we can have a clean run at Winton, then we’ll be in with a great shot at victory.”

FRIDAY

Craig started the weekend in the best possible fashion, by dominating the opening two practice sessions for the weekend.

The #888 TeamVodafone driver used his local knowledge of the Queensland Raceway circuit to finish both practice sessions in first position, clearly adapting well to the use of the soft option tyre.

The team worked hard throughout the day to nail down a good set-up for the weekend, which resulted in some consistent pace from Craig on his way to the fastest time.

“It feels really nice to come back here to Queensland. It’s slightly unusual for me to have such successful runs here, I feel like we’re normally chasing those southern teams,” Craig said.

“The car felt really good today and it’s a fantastic feeling to be where we are right now leading into the weekend. It was a great opportunity to set both TeamVodafone cars up on soft tyres.

“Skaifey joked on my way here just now that it was all his hard work this morning that’s leap-frogged me to finish fastest, but in all seriousness we are in a very good position, but the hard work has only just begun.”

SATURDAY

Saturday started well for Craig, with the TeamVodafone driver making it easily into the top 10 shootout. With weather conditions varying throughout the morning, it made finding a consistent set-up difficult; however Craig was able to maximize his lap times to qualify well inside the 10.

In the shootout Craig again struggled to produce the speed he showed in qualifying and practice, but still produced a lap that placed him eighth.

Craig charged through the field in Race 1, proving that his starting position in no way reflected the speed of the #888 Holden Commodore.

In an eventful race, Craig managed to avoid any early dramas and conserved his tyres, which saw him finish the race strongly, while others around him struggled.

By races end Craig finished an impressive second behind run-away race leader James Courtney, while Shane van Gisbergen was third.

““I had a good start and gained a place, but then basically chased Stevie J for most of the race, using up valuable tyre condition,” Craig said.

“Our car was very nice to drive and is becoming more and more rewarding. I also know this track very well which helped today when getting on top of the sprint tyre.

“Tomorrow will see differences in pace and strategy, from different teams, at different times. Strategy is paramount.”

SUNDAY

During Sunday’s all in 20-minute qualifying session Craig continued to demonstrate the speed he showed on Saturday, by consistently running in the top three.

By the end of the session Craig was third, only narrowly beaten to pole by Jamie Whincup and James Courtney.

In the race Craig made a good start and managed to avoid any of the early lap dramas, to cement himself in third position before the first round of pit-stops.

TeamVodafone banked on a late second stop strategy to give Craig some fresh tyres towards the end of the race, but a lengthy pitstop forced him to fight back from 10th position.

In the end he charged forward in an exciting end to the race to finish in fifth position, running out of time to catch the leaders.

Courtney won the race ahead of Tander and van Gisbergen.

“We had a good start, and it was a great race, running with the pace-setters until the second stop. The final track session was good fun and I had great car speed, which enabled me to catch five cars before I ran out of laps,” Craig said.

“Our strategy of when to stop was the right decision. The car felt good, it felt fast and it was looking after its tyres. Unfortunately the long stop proved costly.

“Our pace at the end of the race was sensational and I’m delighted with the progress of our car setup. I’m a lot more comfortable in the car now, and am really looking forward to Winton.”

2010 V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after five events)
1. Jamie Whincup, TeamVodafone, 1191
2. James Courtney, Jim Beam Racing, 1167
3. Shane Van Gisbergen, SP Tools Racing, 984
4. Garth Tander, Toll-Holden Racing Team, 972
5. Craig Lowndes, TeamVodafone, 969
6. Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, 908
7. Lee Holdsworth, Fujitsu Racing, 903
8. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, 894
9. Michael Caruso, Fujitsu Racing, 834
10. Steve Johnson, Jim Beam Racing, 749