Kids around the world are about to hear a lot more about Craig Lowndes.

Actually, they will be hearing from Lowndes as he takes a new career direction that will expand his family following way beyond his own children Chilli and Levi.

Lowndes is the newest cast member for the hit children's series, Roary The Racing Car.  He voices the newest character, Conrod, in three episodes that will screen on the ABC from the end of this month. And he is hopeful of a bigger role if Conrod is popular with youngsters in the 100-plus countries where the show is played.

"This is fantastic. It's something very different for me," says Lowndes.  "Conrod is an Australian racing driver who heads to Silverhatch to visit some friends. Then he has a few races.

"He's a nice guy. Everyone accepts him except Roary, but in the end they become friends. He is very competitive and loves to win."  So, just like Lowndes, then?  "Yeah, pretty much. Actually, he's so much like me it's unbelievable," Lowndes laughs.

The idea for Conrod was hatched last year at the Australian Grand Prix, when the Roary producers were looking for an Australia character.  "Luckily I did pretty well that weekend and they saw me up on the podium. It started from that."

Lowndes had a test chat for the team and was signed for his guest- starring role, which was recorded in Queensland on a special link to London.  "They had someone there reading my part and then I had to fill in. It was a bit of a learning curve for me, that's for sure," he says.

"They knew what they wanted, and wanted an ocker style which is not really me. But we got it right and did it in one day."  Roary is a pre-schooler series with animated cars as the characters, a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine. It's already into its second series and 80-something Sir Stirling Moss, possibly the world's most famous racing driver, is the narrator.

Conrod is an Aussie muscle car, although there is no way to decide if he is a Ford or Holden. For Lowndes, who recently backflipped from a  Ford Falcon to a Holden Commodore for the 2010 V8 Supercar series, that's good.

"He looks tough. Almost like a drag racing car. The engine is hanging out of the bonnet and he's big and bold.  Is he a Ford or Holden? Well, there is a round emblem on his nose."

Lowndes comes to Roary as a confirmed fan of The Wiggles, and admits he once had Captain Feathersword — one of the Wiggles characters — as his hero.  "Not now, it has to be Conrod. I had heard of Roary and now it's personal," he says.

Lowndes is hoping the three episodes are a hit, not just in Australia, to keep him in the show.  "This character is me. And not just my voice. I'm hoping if it works well then we'll be doing more."

Conrod stars in three episodes of Roary the Racing Car which screen on the ABC on January 29, February 1 and 2.