Craig was instantly fast and took no time to learn the new circuit before setting some quick times. A solid start at the first round is something that has eluded Craig in recent years, but he was able to change that in 2010 to get his championship assault off to a flying start.

The weekend started well for the #888 TeamVodafone driver, with some strong early pace resulting in a place in the top 10 shootout. While the shootout didn’t go as planned, with Craig spinning during his lap, he charged back though the field in the first race, finishing second behind Jamie Whincup. In Race 2 Craig qualified strongly again, but struggled with car set-up early in the race. A late change improved the handling of the car and he was able to climb back to finish fifth.

“What a great way to start the season for me. The car came out of the box really well and I knew instantly that we were going to be strong here this weekend. I made a mistake in qualifying for Race 1, but having made it into the top 10 already it didn’t hurt me too badly. It was slightly disappointing to struggle with set-up in Race 2, but we were able to salvage a good result. I’m really happy with how the season has started and I can’t wait to get to Bahrain,” Craig Lowndes said.

THURSDAY

Thursday practice gave the first real indication of how competitive the TeamVodafone Commodores would be this season after much speculation over the summer. Craig’s strong early pace sent a clear message to everyone on the grid and it continued as the practice sessions wore on, with Craig eventually finishing second fastest.

“I’ve had a positive feeling about this weekend for sometime now. A lot of people doubted that our cars would be competitive right away, but I think we’ve proved them wrong,” Craig said.

“I’m really happy with how today has gone and I think we learnt a lot that will put us in a good position tomorrow.

“The car has really good one lap speed as well as on the longer runs, so I’m excited for tomorrow’s race.”

FRIDAY

For 2010 V8 Supercars have adopted the popular 20-minute qualifying session for both races, however only qualifying for the first race features a top 10 shootout. Craig went out early in the session and set a benchmark time before returning to the pits to prepare for his final run. A final lap from Craig saw him in fourth and safely in the shootout.

In the shootout Craig was on course for a solid starting position until a spin late in the lap saw him start down in 10th place, which became ninth when Garth Tander was penalised for a pitlane infringement.

V8 Supercars’ first twilight race in Abu Dhabi proved to be a popular event, with drivers and fans enjoying the spectacle.

Craig made a strong start and avoided a number of first lap incidents. He moved from 10th to sixth with some classic overtaking before pitting early on lap nine to get some clean air.

The TeamVodafone star returned to the circuit with a clear track in front of him and set about producing some quick lap times to give him an advantage later in the race.

With the first round of pit-stops complete, Craig emerged in first position, ahead of teammate Whincup. Craig stopped again late in the race for fuel and this time rejoined behind Whincup, setting up a thrilling run to the flag.

Craig set some blinding lap times towards the end of the race, but his charge was halted when it was revealed the car was running low on fuel. He backed off slightly and nursed the car home to finish just behind Whinucp in second place.

“I made a mistake in the shootout which cost me a good starting position for the race but thankfully a great start and awesome pitstop strategy helped me fight back,” Lowndes said.

“I had to be mindful and drive conservatively mid race to conserve fuel but I was able to stay in front of Frosty (Mark Winterbottom). I don’t know how much fuel was in the car at the end it, must have been vapours.

“When you consider the work the guys put in at the workshop over Xmas to build these cars, a one-two is the best way for we drivers to show our appreciation for all of their hard work.”

SATURDAY

After a great debut in Race 1, Race 2 held plenty of promise for Craig and he was keen to secure another strong result.

Qualifying for Race 2 featured a 20-minute all in session and Craig was again able to extract some good speed from the #888 TeamVodafone Commodore, to finish the session in sixth position.

Craig started well in Race 2 making a good start from the third row. After such a strong first race he elected to start the second event with the same set-up, but a change in track conditions resulted in a lack of speed.

A late stop gave him the chance to make a small change which dramatically improved the handling of the car and he was able to fight his way back into contention, finishing in fifth place.

Whincup won his second consecutive race ahead of Winterbottom and Shane Van Gisbergen, who took his first podium finish.

“Overall it was a great weekend for the team,” Lowndes said

“I didn’t quite get the finish I would have liked today but to finish in the top five is still a good result considering the hurdles we faced coming into this round.

“We have a little bit of work to do ahead of next weekend’s event in Bahrain but I am fortunate to be part of one of the most dedicated teams in pitlane, so I know no stone will be left unturned in terms of preparation.”

2010 V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after one event)
1. Jamie Whincup, TeamVodafone, 300
2. Mark Winterbottom, Ford Performance Racing, 267
3. Craig Lowndes, Team Vodafone, 249
4. Shane van Gisbergen, Stone Brothers Racing, 231
5. James Courtney, Jim Beam Racing, 222
6. Lee Holdworth, Garry Rogers Motorsport, 207
7. Rick Kelly, Jack Daniel’s Racing, 198
8. Paul Dumbrell, The Bottle-O Racing Team, 165
9. Steven Johnsom, Jim Beam Racing, 152
10. Jonathon Web, Dick Johnson Racing, 141