CONTESTING two events in a Supercar at Mount Panorama - that opportunity is what has lured Bathurst's driver Michael Anderson back behind the wheel for season 2021.
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Come Friday when the combined Super2-Super3 field takes to the Mount Panorama circuit for the first practice session of the year, Anderson will be there in his FG Falcon.
The category is part of the support program for the Supercars' Bathurst 500 event, just as it will be come October's Bathurst 1000.
It will mark Anderson's return to a national series, having previously competed in the Australian V8 Touring Car Series between 2016-18.
"Ever since they announced the two Bathursts, Townsville, Sydney night race and Gold Coast, it was too good a year not to do," Anderson said.
"It was just one of those ones I don't think will happen again with two Bathursts. I still had a heap of young kids that wanted to do it, but I said 'Nup, I'm doing it, bad luck boys'.
"It's just something that I don't want to regret, I don't want to look back and think I had an opportunity like this to do two Bathursts, Townsville, the finale at the Gold Coast - this is probably the best year Super2 has ever had.
"The finale at the Gold Coast, that's a big one too. It's an awesome event and there are not too many other events I've been to that are as cool as that.
"I always thought to myself if I got back into the car it had to be worth it and for the right reason and I've got that right reason now."
In 2019 when the Australian V8 Touring Car Series was elevated to Super3 status, Anderson stepped out from behind the wheel to instead manage his team.
That season Jayden Ojeda won four races for the team on his way to placing second in the championship.
Last year as the Super3 grid was combined with Super2, Anderson signed Declan Fraser to race the Super3 Falcon, while Dubbo young gun Tyler Everingham steered an ex-Walkinshaw Commodore in Super2.
Now Anderson is back and while he feels he "should hit the ground running pretty well", he knows Mount Panorama is a circuit which always challenges.
"Bathurst is always one track you don't want to predict too much on, any other circuit you can say 'Yep we've had strong form here, strong form there', but until you put yourself on a grid of 30 cars - that changes everything," he said. "So we're trying to go in there and avoid other people so you can run your own race.
"People say to me 'Oh home track advantage' but the only advantage we've got from being from Bathurst is less transport. The race track you can't test at."
Anderson will get two 40-minute practice sessions on Friday ahead of Saturday morning's 15-minute qualifying session.
That afternoon will be the the first of two 12-lap races for the round.
"You don't have much time for mucking around, it's basically go straight out, bank a qualifying lap and see how we end up from there," Anderson said.
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