Launching Place resident Jacqui Eycken had the ride of her life with V8 Super Car champion driver Craig Lowndes at Phillip Island recently.By Dion Teasdale
LAUNCHING Place resident Jacqui Eycken has been taken on the ride of her life.
Mrs Eycken won a radio competition last month and the prize was a spin in a V8 Super Car with champion Australian driver Craig Lowndes.
The competition was run by radio station Triple M, who gave Mrs Eycken two three-day passes to the V8 Super Car Championship at Phillip Island last month.
While at Phillip Island, Mrs Eycken was invited to don a Team Betta Electrical racing suit and helmet and was taken on a three-lap ride with Mr Lowndes.
“I entered the competition because my husband Richard is a huge Super Car fan, but the prize was non-transferable, so I had to go on the ride,” Mrs Eycken explained.
“I was a bit anxious when I got there, but Craig was very friendly and personable, and once I was strapped in the car I relaxed a bit.”
Mrs Eycken said she looked at the speedometer only once during the three-lap spin because she didn’t want to know how fast she was travelling.
“At one of the first corners, when the car was slowing down, I saw that we were doing over 190km per hour and I didn’t want to look again,” she said.
Mrs Eycken said the ride was an experience she’ll never forget.
“It was exhilarating travelling at such high speeds, and travelling with an expert professional driver like Craig,” she said.
“I wasn’t really into Super Cars before all this, but I’m going to be an avid fan from now on.”
Mrs Eycken said the ride with Mr Lowndes gave her unique insight into the car-racing culture.
“When you watch car racing on TV you don’t realise how much work is involved in controlling the cars.
“The driver has to do so much to keep the car on the road,” she said.
“I’ve developed a new-found appreciation for the sport and it was an honour to meet a champion like Craig.”
