Leading up to the 2022 Bathurst 1000, Craig Dontas announced his intention to retire from full-time racing. Although a sad event for the team, the wet and windy weekend around Mt. Panorama was full of highlights.
The 2022 Bathurst event started off great! The RYCO 24•7 team was incredibly close to securing P1 during the practice race after leading for most of the first session. Craig was in his element disregarding the fact it was 135 days since his last race at Winton Raceway earlier this year.
A Wet Qualifying Round for our RYCO 24•7 Ute
This success from the team on Day One meant a front row start heading into Day Two. The second day of racing was wet and wild, but easy work for Craig in the driver seat. Finishing in P3, Craig was happy with the result knowing his fitness was a little off compared to the other drivers due to the long and unexpected hiatus.
Day Three started out like the others, Dontas had a fantastic start to be leading on lap 1 but unfortunately got “swamped” on the restart. Regardless, Craig still managed to finish in 6th place.
In a series of unfortunate events on the final day, Craig didn’t complete the race. With heavy hearts and wet feet, we farewelled Craig in his final dance around Mt. Panorama. It wasn’t the finish anyone was expecting but we can all be glad to have witnessed such a masterclass over the weekend and throughout his entire career.
Action Shot Down Mt. Panorama
The Future is Bright for Craig Dontas
“I won’t be lost to Utes or driving either, I will jump in where I can for a steer in different categories. Importantly I am committed to giving young drivers a shot, being a mentor to them and then my work will be best done outside of the car,” said Craig.
RYCO 24•7 formally congratulate Craig on an outstanding career both on and off the track. An all-round fantastic person and highly motivated individual who has a passion for success. Since RYCO 24•7 joined forces with Craig we have appreciated every part of the journey and look forward to the next chapter!
Although Craig will be retiring from racing, he is “still committed to the RYCO 24•7 Team Triton” and will be sticking around behind the scenes. Moving forward, Craig will dedicate more of his time to the sport in his role at Supercars. Craig is a big believer in legacy and the “next phase in [his] career is about legacy”.
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