THERE is secrecy surrounding who he will share his seat with at this year's Bathurst 12 Hour, but there are no surprises when it comes to Garth Tander's intent.
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Tander will be aiming for an outright win when it comes to the Mount Panorama enduro.
The 42-year-old already has an impressive resume when it comes to endurance racing at the famous 6.213 kilometre circuit - he won the 2002 Bathurst 12 Hour and boasts three Bathurst 1000 victories (2000, 2009, 2011).
But success in Bathurst 12 Hour since GT3 machines became eligible is something which has eluded Tander.
From four prior attempts in an Audi R8 LMS, his best result was his debut in 2016 when placing eighth outright. Last year he and his team-mates led for five laps, but ultimately finished with a DNF.
Tander will return to the Mount for another shot at 12 Hour glory later this month and once again he will steer an Audi Sport Team Valvoline R8 LMS.
Team boss Steve McLaughlan has expanded his assault on the enduro from two cars to three and while the full driver line-up is yet to be revealed, Tander will form part of the bid.
"Garth has been an integral part of the team since 2016 where he first drove with me and Rene Rast," McLaughlan said.
"Since then he's helped move the whole team forward, something we saw most evident during last year's Australian GT endurance series where he was instrumental in helping Geoff Emery to Audi's first ever endurance championship crown.
"As a former Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 24 Hour winner, his knowledge of Mount Panorama is without question, so we will again be looking to him to get the team up to speed from Friday's opening practice session."
Tander's preparation for his latest 12 Hour tilt included steering an Audi at Mount Panorama in November's Challenge Bathurst.
Across the four track sessions Tander drove 63 laps of the circuit and was consistently near the top of the time sheets, his best effort being a 2:03.4810.
As well as finding good speed, the event also proved valuable to the team in terms of collecting data and working on the car set up.
It will help in the team's bid to trump a quality field of international teams and driving stars.
"Bathurst is always unpredictable, but it keeps drawing you back, and this year, we're looking for another solid result," McLaughlan said.
"Last year both the #2 and the #22 cars led the race, and each year - despite immense competition from some of the best teams in the world - we've qualified and run well inside the lead pack, so this year we've added a third tier, and we're out for a podium finish."
The 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour runs from January 31 to February 2.
