It's not that the Team 18 driver doesn't relish the chance to have the famous 6.213 kilometre track to himself - like when he was in the 2016 and 2015 Bathurst 1000 top 10 shootout - but he'd prefer it to be a Great Race experience.

"I don't know if I'm a huge fan of us having a top 10 shootout this weekend. Any opportunity you have to have Bathurst on your own is amazing, but I think at the 1000, there's something special about having that track and knowing it's the only time you'll ever have it to yourself," he said.

"For me, to give us more opportunities to do that, it's just my opinion, but I think it takes away a little bit from the 1000.

"But certainly something I always strive for is trying to be in that top 10 shootout and it's race week so I'm not really complaining. If I can have Bathurst to myself two times on the weekend I'll be stoked."

Qualifying is one area in which Pye, who notched up three podiums for Team 18 last season, wants to improve on in 2021.

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Doing that will boost his chances of an improved standing in the drivers' championship as well. He finished ninth last season.

"I don't set too many long term goals, I just try to achieve something each weekend we go to. For us that has to be to improve on qualifying first and foremost and consistently trying to get top five," he said.

"Top 10s were okay last year, but we need to improve on that if we want to be expecting regular podiums. So that's the goal and I'm sure that will be slightly adjusted each time we go to a track.

"Last year we did show great race pace, so if we are starting closer to the front I think we'll be in contention. A top five in the championship is the target, top 10 last year in the championship was great, but we need to keep improving on that."