Though the man once dubbed ‘Nissan’s secret weapon’ showed what he was capable of in last year’s Bathurst 1000 when placing seventh with Todd Kelly, he could have more than that drive on his list of Mount Panorama credentials.

In 2014 he was part of the Nissan line-up for the Bathurst 12 Hour, but he did not get his chance to race the GT-R Nismo GT3 after one of his co-drivers crashed on lap 59.

This year Buncombe was again announced in the Nissan line-up for the Bathurst 12 Hour, but chose to withdraw as he waited for the birth of his first child. The Nismo entry went on to claim victory.

Still, rather than think about what could have been, Buncombe is looking ahead. He will team with Kelly in the #7 Nissan Altima for the Bathurst 1000 once more.

“Last year was tough as it was my first time in a V8 Supercar, but what I did then will stand me in good stead for this year,” he said.

“We got P7 [at Bathurst], it was a real shame, we got really close to the podium. The goal is going to be a podium at the Bathurst 1000 for sure.”

Kelly and Buncombe ran as high as fourth on lap 96 last year and with the experience the Englishman gained in the Altima, he could be even more competitive this time around.

Certainly the man whose regular drive is behind the wheel of a GT-R Nismo GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series better understands the nuances of the V8 Supercar now.

“It’s just so different to what I am used to,” Buncombe said.

“We have no driver aids at all inside the car, so you have got to be really patient with the car, you can’t over drive the car.

“The more you push the car, the slower the lap time. It’s just so different to the GT-R GT3 I drive in Europe. You can’t be really aggressive and push with a V8 Supercar, you really need to have finesse with the car and that’s what gets you the lap time at the end of the day.”

Acting as further motivation for Buncombe will be his desire to make up for a disappointing result in the Sandown 500 last month. 

While Buncombe made a solid start, he and Kelly ended up in 24th – the last of the cars which finished.

The team suffered a fuel pressure issue on lap 13 and had to enter the garage for repairs. When rejoining the race on lap 16, they were four laps down.

“After the pit stop I had green tyres and fuel and I posted some really fast times, the guys told me I was in the top six, so I’m happy with that,” Buncombe said.

“The race pace wasn’t too bad, I think our track is going to be Bathurst, I’m really looking forward to that weekend. Bathurst is all about your drive, which will suit our Nissan.”