Triple Eight's full circle Ford moment in Sydney

Triple Eight Race Engineering's move to Ford in 2026 is a major Supercars story, and one that comes after a hugely dominant era for the team with General Motors.

Triple Eight, which competes under the Red Bull Ampol Racing banner, has largely dominated Supercars in Holdens and Chevrolets, winning 211 races with GM between 2010 and 2024.

While the 211 wins alone would be an outright record, the team's tally grows to 262, courtesy of its rise to dominance during its early days as a Ford squad.

In a coincidence of sorts, the team’s first round of its final season with GM comes at the scene of its very first Supercars victory, Sydney Motorsport Park.

Back in May 2005, nearly two years after Roland Dane took over Briggs Motor Sports and turned it into Triple Eight, Craig Lowndes defeated Marcos Ambrose and the might of Stone Brothers Racing in Race 2 of the weekend.

It was the first Supercars race win for Lowndes in two years, the 53rd of his decorated career and, crucially, the first win for Dane's Triple Eight squad.

Lowndes joined Triple Eight for the 2005 V8 Supercar season, and the a relationship remains to this day. While the three-time series champion retired from full-time driving in 2018, he has transitioned into co-driving, and has been Triple Eight's wildcard star since 2022.

After am awful 2004 season with Ford Performance Racing, having gone winless and finishing 20th overall in 2004, Lowndes took his new team to victory lane for the first time after just 10 starts in 2005.

Race 1 winner Marcos Ambrose left Lowndes behind off the line, but the #888 Betta Electrical Falcon remained within striking distance until they both pitted on the same lap.

At one end of the lane, Lowndes took on rear tyres. At the other, Ambrose took on right-side tyres. A quicker Triple Eight stop put Lowndes ahead, with the #888 beating the #4 by two seconds.

The Sydney win was was the first of six for Lowndes and Triple Eight in 2005, with Lowndes and a young Jamie Whincup opening 2006 with victories in Adelaide.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The 2005 Sydney win was a big result for Lowndes, but few could have predicted the success Triple Eight would produce in the 20 seasons to come.

"It is only five months into a two-year deal and it is already looking pretty good," Lowndes said after the race.

"This does get the monkey off the back a bit, although it was more of an elephant. It is great for the team, we went into this year without a pole or a race win, and now we have them both."

Triple Eight wouldn't win again at Sydney Motorsport Park until Lowndes and Whincup shared the 2012 wins. The team would add 11 more wins after that, its tally standing at 14 to the upcoming 2025 season opener.

Tickets for the season-opening round in Sydney, on February 21-23, are on sale now.