Motorsport: Lowndes overcomes conditions to keep chase alive

Craig Lowndes driver of the Team Vodafone Holden at Sandown Challenge. Photo / Getty Images

Holden's Craig Lowndes overcame the toughest conditions imaginable at Sandown Raceway on Saturday to keep the V8 Supercar championship chase alive.

Lowndes trimmed Vodafone teammate Jamie Whincup's championship lead to 158 points with just three races remaining this season.

He produced a stunning drive from 27th on the 28-car grid to finish sixth behind race winner Rick Kelly's Holden and salvage his championship hopes.

After a horror qualifying session which left him at the back of the grid, Lowndes rose above pouring rain, low visibility and treacherously-slippery conditions to pass Whincup and claw back valuable points in the title chase.

Whincup finished 13th, but remains in the box seat to claim his third V8 championship.

But he will want to take as many points as possible from Sunday's second race at Sandown to the final two races in Sydney next month to avoid Lowndes taking the title to the wire.

Wet weather specialist Kelly also produced a phenomenal drive as he so often does in the rain, leading a Holden 1-2-3.

He beat James Courtney, with Kelly's brother Todd completing a big day for their Jack Daniel's Racing team with third place.

Lowndes had struggled badly in the morning's wet 20-minute qualifying session - producing his worst qualifying run since 2004.

Whincup qualified second and looked capable of wrapping up the title this weekend.

But Lowndes let loose during the race and, 26 laps into the time-shortened 37-lap event, he passed Whincup with a flourish and climbed even further to sixth as his teammate slid through the field.

While they were slugging it out, Kelly started from pole and never relinquished his advantage in the pouring rain.

- AAP