Seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes chasing production 4WD glory in the famed desert race
Australian motorsport legend Craig Lowndes will contest this year’s Tatts Finke Desert Race in June with a Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 thanks to the backing of longtime partner Supercheap Auto Racing.
Lowndes has unfinished business at the event and says conquering Australia’s toughest off-road race, on its 50th anniversary, is a massive bucket-list item for the seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner.
“It’s great to be back racing Finke with Dale [Moscatt – co-driver] this year thanks to the support of Supercheap Auto and GMSV,” said Lowndes.
“After my first crack at the event in 2024 I was blown away by just how demanding the race is on both driver, team and vehicle. So we’re heading back with the team from Rampex with the Supercheap Auto Racing Silverado with a goal of taking out the Production 4WD class.”
The Tatts Finke Desert Race is one of Australia’s most famous off-road endurance races, held each year over the King’s Birthday long weekend between Alice Springs and the remote community of Apatula (Finke).
Competitors race motorcycles, cars and trucks over a 460km off-road course across two days, travelling from Alice Springs to Apatula on day one and returning the next.
Lowndes will compete behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Off-Road Racer with technicians from General Motors Australia and New Zealand working tirelessly with off-road motorsport engineering and race team Rampex to have the Supercheap Auto Racing Silverado battle ready for this year’s Tatts Finke Desert Race.
Finke Desert Race President Antony Yoffa said “it is exciting for both fans and competitors to have Craig Lowndes back at our event in a Chevrolet Silverado with the iconic backing of Supercheap Auto Racing. The event is also excited to welcome Supercheap Auto as an event sponsor to help us celebrate 50 years of Finke.
“As one of the world’s most difficult off-road races, having drivers of Craig Lowndes calibre take on the challenge of the Tatts Finke Desert Race always makes for a great spectacle, especially for the 50thedition.”
The unveiling of the striking Supercheap Auto Racing livery, which took place in front of a huge crowd at the National 4×4 Show today, is a massive coup for the Automotive Retailer according to Emma Halasz, Head of Marketing – Supercheap Auto.
“As we continue to expand our position in the 4×4 retail market, this partnership between Supercheap Auto, Craig Lowndes and GMSV, to compete in one of Australia’s most iconic desert races, felt like the perfect fit for our brand and our customer base,” said Halasz.
“We’re taking our motorsport commitment to the world of off road racing,
and to have an event like the Finke Desert Race to showcase what the Silverado ZR2 is capable of, with our longtime ambassador Craig Lowndes behind the wheel, is something we’re extremely excited about,” said Chris Payne General Manager Marketing Aftersales & Motorsport GM Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re also delighted to broaden our motorsport partnership with Supercheap Auto, alongside the Supercars Wildcard program with Craig and Team 18, and now take that partnership to the red dirt of the Finke Desert Race with the unveiling of the Supercheap Auto Racing Silverado ZR2.
The Supercheap Auto Racing Silverado will be run by motorsport engineering and race team Rampex, who have a raft of experience in motor-racing stemming back to Formula 1, Indycar and V8 Supercars racing, alongside running Lowndes and the Silverado in the 2024 edition of the Finke Desert Race.
The 50th Tatts Finke Desert Race will run from Friday 5 June to Monday 8 June 2026 from Alice Springs to Apatula (Finke) and back. For more information and tickets visit finkedesertrace.com.au
