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Up to 12 cars could genuinely win the Bathurst 1000 this year.
While 26 cars and 52 drivers will contest the ‘Great Race’, some teams and pairs look to be stronger than the rest this year.
Leading the charge will be the Holden Racing Team, Ford Performance Racing and Red Bull Racing.
Over the last nine years at the mountain, these three teams have ruled Bathurst, winning all the races between 2005 and 2013.
Last year, Ford broke the streak of Holden and Triple 888, by winning their first ever Bathurst 1000 as a team.
They return this year with two strong combinations.
Winterbottom, as the defending champion, returns with a new co-driver after Steven Richards left the team to join Triple 888.
He is now joined by Steve Owen who raced with Will Davison in the other FPR car last year.
At the recent Sandown 500, the team struggled with problems at the front of the car.
They finished 10th but will be looking for a higher finish in Bathurst.
If they replicate the car setup from last year, this combination will be among the front runners.
They are the best chance for Ford this year.
Winterbottom’s teammate, Chaz Mostert, is also in contention for the event.
His co-driver, Paul Morris, is one of the most experienced drivers in the field.
Last year, with a perfect strategy, he helped Lucas Dumbrell Racing achieve their best result in V8 Supercars with a sixth placed finish at Bathurst.
With his strategy, and the pace and youth of Mostert, this combination could surprise at the mountain.
One team that will be expecting a result is Red Bull Racing.
They are the favourites this weekend and lead the betting to win the Peter Brock Trophy. The outright favourites are Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell.
After dominating the Sandown 500 with pole position and the win, the duo head to Bathurst full of confidence.
They also have a wonderful record at Bathurst after winning in 2012 and finishing in second last year.
Whincup and Dumbrell will be tough to beat this year and they will be in the calculations on Sunday.
Their teammates, Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards, are also contenders.
Lowndes and Richards, with 41 starts between them, are the most experienced combination at the mountain.
They are also the most successful with eight Bathurst wins between the two.
These two drivers know how to win and Richards is one of the defending champions.
A fourth win for Richards, and a sixth win for Lowndes, is not out of the question.
Another driver looking for another win at Mt Panorama is Greg Murphy from Holden. Murphy will be looking for his fifth victory at the mountain.
His team, with James Courtney as the lead driver, are the sentimental favourites for the race among the fans.
They are also looking to bounce back from a horror Bathurst last year when Murphy made a mistake at the top of the mountain that ended their race.
He will be looking to make amends for that this year.
James Courtney has never won the Bathurst 1000. Can 2014 be the year he adds his name to the Peter Brock Trophy? Plenty of people will be hoping he can.
Courtney’s teammate, Garth Tander, and his co-driver Warren Luff are also among the pairings to look out for.
Tander knows how to win Bathurst and raises his game at the mountain.
He was instrumental in the 2011 win with Nick Percat, and was strong in his 2000 and 2009 success.
This team, with the experience of Luff, can’t be discounted and they will be around the mark on Sunday.
Two other pairs to look out for involve drivers from New Zealand.
Shane Van Gisbergen, and his co-driver, Jonathon Webb, from Tekno Autosport will be a contender this weekend.
If Van Gisbergen is in the mix with 30 laps to go, it will be an interesting race to the end.
At the Bathurst 12 hour in February, Van Gisbergen drove the wheels off the McLaren he was driving, to finish in fourth at the event.
He could do the same this weekend if he gets the chance.
Scott McLaughlin, from Volvo, is also a big chance to shine this weekend.
As Volvo return to the mountain for the first time since the Super Tourer days, they could steal the show.
McLaughlin, who has shown pace with two race wins this year, will race with Alex Premat in the 33 car.
The only problem with this team is reliability. Can the Volvo last 1000 kilometres?
The two Brad Jones Racing cars, of Jason Bright and Fabian Coulthard, also look to be among the front runners this weekend.
Both drivers have won races this year and both have strong co-drivers.
Bright, who is racing with Andrew Jones for the fourth straight year, has finished in the top five at Bathurst in 2011 and 2013.
They will be around the mark this weekend.
Coulthard, who is racing with Luke Youlden, will also be quick and could surprise this weekend.
Finally, there are two dark horses from the Ford paddock that could spring an upset.
David Reynolds and Dean Canto, from Bottle O Racing, is an experienced duo who has had big results as a combination.
They won one of the Gold Coast races last year and finished second at the 2012 Bathurst 1000 after a thrilling battle with Whincup and Dumbrell.
Provided the car is good for the weekend, this duo can surprise.
The other dark horse is from Dick Johnson Racing.
At the Sandown 500, Scott Pye and Ash Walsh finished in fifth and produced the drive of the race.
After finishing in sixth last year at Mt Panorama, a strong result for Pye is not out of the question.
With a stronger car than last year the sky is the limit for this combination.
With so many combinations in contention, and others who could surprise during the day, the 2014 Bathurst 1000 could be one of the most open races in a long time.
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