18 Jun 2012

Lowndes enters V8 Supercar title race with victory in Darwin

1:06 pm on 18 June 2012

The Holden veteran Craig Lowndes made his bid to enter the V8 Supercars title chase with victory in Sunday's 200-kilometre race in Darwin.

Lowndes passed title holder and championship leader Jamie Whincup in the dying stages of the 69-lap race at Hidden Valley Raceway to claim his first race win of 2012.

It ended another close weekend of racing between the championship's top four with Whincup walking away from the Top End with a 38-point lead over Ford's Will Davison after Saturday's race win and Sunday's second-place.

Davison, who started both races from pole position, battled his way to a sixth-place finish on Sunday while team-mate Mark Winterbottom claimed his second third-place of the weekend to sit just 11 points behind Davison in the championship standings.

Three-time champion Lowndes is still 247 points off the lead.