A red car – not blue flags – should be the main concern for Ford’s V8 Supercars title hopefuls, according to Australian motorsport legend Allan Moffat.

Ford Performance Racing team boss Tim Edwards caused a stir when he claimed he was “appalled” that backmarkers had been allowed to hamper the winning chances of his title aspirant Mark Winterbottom at last weekend’s Ipswich round finale.

He slammed the “disgraceful” decision by officials not to wave a blue flag that prompts backmarkers to make way for an approaching faster car.

But four-time Bathurst winner Moffat reckons V8 title contenders should be more worried about Holden veteran Craig Lowndes’ scarlet Commodore – especially teammate and defending champion Jamie Whincup.

Fourth-placed Lowndes is 256 points behind series leader Whincup on the championship ladder at the season’s halfway mark.

However, Lowndes appears primed to launch a trademark late title tilt after sweeping the Ipswich round, relegating Winterbottom and Whincup to second and third respectively in both races at Queensland Raceway.

Whincup claimed the 2011 crown just 35 points ahead of Lowndes after holding out his teammate’s late charge – and Moffat said the defending champion was sweating ahead of another expected surge.

“I think Whincup’s worried,” Moffat told the V8 Supercars website.

“Craig is driving more forcefully at the moment.”

Edwards was more concerned with the lack of blue flags ahead of what loomed as a tight championship tussle between TeamVodafone’s Whincup and Lowndes and FPR’s Winterbottom and Will Davison.

“The total and utter lack of blue flags in the final part of the race when Mark and Craig (Lowndes) were coming through the backmarkers was disgraceful,” he said.

“It needs to be addressed as we don’t want the best championship battle for many years decided by people not applying the basic rules of our sport.”

Lowndes – who won the last of his three series titles in 1999 – could not explain his traditional late title charges.

“I don’t know. As the year goes on I probably become more comfortable,” he said.

“The first half is when you set your championship up.

“After that you decide whether you are going to be fighting for it or defending it – at the moment I am fighting.”

The next round will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park from August 25-26.