Craig Lowndes out to show who's boss in V8 Supercars in Sydney

CRAIG Lowndes has declared he is a title threat and the three-time champion aims to prove it at Sydney Motorsport Park this week.

Craig Lowndes

CRAIG Lowndes has declared he is a title threat and the three-time champion aims to prove it at Sydney Motorsport Park this week.

Lowndes roared back into the championship hunt with double success at Queensland Raceway this month.

Now he is determined to take down Team Vodafone teammate Jamie Whincup at the track formerly known as Eastern Creek.

Keen to break his 13-year championship drought, the Holden hero has found blistering pace and is intent on going on a late season charge.

Lowndes trails Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison with seven rounds to go.

"I am feeling a lot better about the championship," Lowndes said.

"I am always going to fight, but what happened in Queensland gives me more of a sniff.

"I am certainly a mathematical chance and I want to win races and give it a shot. It is a hard championship to fight back in, but I will be a chance as long as I stay with the leaders. I want to continue where I left off in Queensland and take some more points out of their lead."

Lowndes is looking to snare another double next weekend when the V8s return to the western Sydney track for the first time since 2008.

The track has received a face-lift, with Lowndes promising the new-look venue will provide free-flowing races.

"The circuit is 90 per cent the same as what we remember it," Lowndes said.

"There are a couple of little variations, but they won't cause too much concern. I love the track, it is fast flowing and a tyre killer. You have to look after your tyres and that suits me. The soft and hard combination will really spice up the racing."

Lowndes is looking to put a dent in the leaderboard before heading to endurance events at Sandown and Bathurst.

"The top three are fast and consistent and it is hard to close those gaps down," Lowndes said. "You might win one race, but they will come back at you in the next one.

"I need to find chunks of points - 50 or 60 a round. All I can do is try to win races and hopefully Sydney Motorsport Park will be good to me.

"There is no doubt that I am targeting Sandown and Bathurst. They are the rounds that can hurt you enormously in the championship - or they can help you.

"There are plenty of points up for grabs and that is something that me and my enduro partner Warren Luff have already talked about.

"He is comfortable and happy, looking forward to it all.

"Bathurst for me is the golden egg, the Melbourne Cup.

"It is the race that I want to win. And it will be the race that goes a long way to deciding the title."