V8 Supercar: Lowndes on 300kph at Bathurst

Holden driver Craig Lowndes is not convinced V8 Supercars will eclipse the 300km/h barrier during this weekend's Bathurst 1000.

Cars have traditionally hit the 7500rpm limiter on the long run down Conrod Straight, reaching a top speed in the vicinity of 295-298km/h (183-185mph). A new drop gear with a taller final drive ratio was introduced during last month's Sandown 500, ahead of the series' centerpiece race. The change is tipped to help cars reach a theoretical top speed closer to 310km/h, but five-time Bathurst winner Lowndes is not sure that will happen.

"We changed the final drive at Sandown and it didn't change anything, to be honest, because we had a head wind for most of the weekend," said Lowndes. "But what it will do, the biggest change, will be that when we're in a slipstream it won't be running on the rev limiter, which has obviously been an issue for some teams and manufacturers, breaking components in the car. That will definitely help that cause.

"And if we get a tailwind, we might be a lot closer to that 300 mark than we have been in the past."

TRIPLE EIGHT'S BEST CHANCE OF SILVERWARE?

Ford's Prodrive Racing Australia has emerged as the form team in 2015, occupying the top three spots in the drivers' standings. Sandown winner Mark Winterbottom holds a 198-point lead over Chaz Mostert and the pair look set to fight it out to win PRA's first Supercar title.

Lowndes is fourth in the standings, 423 points behind, with six-time champion teammate Jamie Whincup eighth, 629 adrift.

While Winterbottom and Mostert won Bathurst in 2013 and '14, respectively, Lowndes acknowledges that a win this weekend could represent a high-point for Triple Eight this year.

"We always talk about that if you can't win a championship, you want to make sure you win Sandown and Bathurst, either one, to make your year worthwhile," Lowndes said. "So I know that the team is very focused on Bathurst.

"Jamie's sitting eighth in the championship, I'm fourth, and the way Prodrive is going at the moment it looks like one of their cars may end up being on the top step in the championship. So we've got to capitalize on what we can do, and we believe Bathurst might be our best shot."

Originally on Autosport.com