MOUNT Panorama, Garth Tander and Holden Commodore - since 1988 that combination has become an annual fixture in the Bathurst 1000 field, but it will soon be no more.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This year's edition of the Great Race is the last time there will be a factory backed Holden team on the grid and though the Commodore will still race at the Mount in 2021, it is destined to be replaced by a Camaro.
Tander will share one of those factory-backed Holdens - the #97 Red Bull Commodore - with Shane van Gisbergen and not surprisingly, he wants it to be a winning farewell.
"As it's turned out I've been the only driver in the series that's driven solely for Holden so to be able to win that final Bathurst as an official factory car would be very, very special, absolutely," the 43-year-old said.
"Obviously there are a lot of other drivers who have different story lines attached to Holden so I'm not alone in that regard, but it would be pretty special to have that involvement on Holden's full stop in Australian motor sport."
Tander won the first of his three Bathurst 1000 crowns in 2000 for Garry Rogers Motorsport, he and Jason Bargwanna steering a Commodore VT.
That year, as is the case with the 2020 edition, the Bathurst 1000 doubled as the season-ending race.
Tander's Great Race win was not quite good enough to see him crowned the series champion - that honour belonged to Mark Skaife who finished 137 points clear.
This season the championship has already been sealed by DJR Team Penske talent Scott McLaughlin. Van Gisbergen sits fourth, but Tander said that has not altered the approach of the pair.
For them the mission has always been to try and claim the Peter Brock Trophy.
"Obviously now the championship is done and Shane's realistically been out of the championship for the last couple of events," Tander said
"So for us it isn't any different, it was always going to be go to Bathurst, win a race.
"Now that's all wrapped up, I think it's going to be more enjoyable. With the championships already decided, it's just straight out heads-up racing.
It's a place that, it doesn't matter if you're racing a go-kart or a Supercar, it's a very special place and a very special place to win.
- Garth Tander
"That's going to be really cool and the battle particularly between the Red Bull team and the Penske team is going to be full on.
"It's a place that, it doesn't matter if you're racing a go-kart or a Supercar, it's a very special place and a very special place to win. My determination for success won't be any different."
If success does come, Tander will be watching the final laps from the garage as van Gisbergen - the full-timer - will have the job of finishing.
He admits he found watching on last year when van Gisbergen brought their Commodore home in fourth position was not easy.
"That was tough, that was really, really tough because every other Bathurst I've done I've finished in the car," he said.
"So that was very different, I knew the whole co-driver thing would be different, but the toughest thing was watching it all unfold and not being in control.
"There's no-one better to share a car with than Shane and if anyone was going to have a go I knew it would be Shane, so from that point of view it was cool, but just that different point of view, watching it all unfold, was pretty tough.
"I was into it, I was watching it for sure, especially because we were so close at the end. I don't get nervous often, but I was nervous then."
The #97 Red Bull Racing entry is one of 17 Holden Commodores on the grid for this year's Bathurst 1000.
Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes share the sister Red Bull entry, there are four from Brad Jones Racing, two from Walkinshaw Andretti United and a pair from Penrite Racing.
Team 18, Team Sydney, and Matt Stone Racing also have a twin Commodores running and Garry Rogers Motorsport has a wildcard Holden. Sunday's race starts at the revised time of 11am.
