Back more than 25-years, the biggest story to shake the local motorsport industry in recent time took place involving Craig Lowndes and a new alliance.
Lowndes was the golden boy of Holden after winning the Australian Touring Car Championship, Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 in his maiden season.
It afforded Lowndes many opportunities including a 10-year Tom Walkinshaw Racing contract and a season in Formula 3000.
Following a disappointing season in Europe contesting Formula 3000, Lowndes returned to win two more ATCC titles amidst a lot of change at the Holden Racing Team.
Bathurst winning co-driver Greg Murphy departed and Lowndes’ mentor Peter Brock retired to make way for the fiery Mark Skaife.
The partnership between Lowndes and Skaife was fierce to say the least.
Lowndes was a clear winner of the championship in 1998 and in 1999 missed a round due to his rollover at Calder Park, but still took the title.
Skaife bounced back in 2000 to secure the win to complete the hat-trick for a dominant Holden Racing Team.
A major change ahead of the 2000 season came when Lowndes’ engineer Rob Starr moved into the Skaife camp.
The wheels were in motion for Lowndes’ move as tension on-track transferred to off it and in early 2001, the move was confirmed.
A lot of water needed to go under the bridge due to the 10-year Tom Walkinshaw Racing contract Lowndes had signed in 1996.
From a team point of view, Ford had attracted veteran Fred Gibson to also make the switch.
What followed was a legal battle, but Ford had its man and Lowndes joined Gibson Motorsport after it had been purchased back by its founder.
Lowndes started the season driving a Stone Brothers Racing-build Ford AU Falcon and was a race winner in Adelaide, but was 11th by the end of the season.
Skaife was joined by Jason Bright at HRT and the pair dominated the season, with the former scoring his fourth championship.
The early Ford years for Lowndes were plagued by disorganisation and a lack of success.
Gibson Motorsport turned into 00 Motorsport when it was Bob Forbes, rather than Gibson, who purchased the team at the end of 2000.
Gibson departed due to disagreements with Forbes and the team was soon to disappear.
Lowndes moved across to the new Ford Performance Racing squad founded by UK-based motorsport specialists Prodrive.
In its early history, FPR was dysfunctional and wins were not forthcoming leading Lowndes to take a chance on Triple Eight Race Engineering.
A 20-year relationship between Lowndes and Triple Eight came to an end last year adding six Bathurst 1000 crowns.