KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - Mark Winterbottom tries to forget. The problem is everyone keeps reminding him.
Thirteen laps to go in the 2007 Bathurst 1000 and Winterbottom leads.
All of a sudden the rain comes and the man they call Frosty makes the worst mistake of his career.
The Ford Performance Racing pilot overcooks the turn and is seen careering across the chase in the lasting image of last year's Great Race.
"I don't think about it too much but I do get reminded of it quite a bit because, unfortunately, it is the biggest race on the calendar," said Winterbottom.
"All the promos and everything seem to show me going across the chase so even if I forget about it 'bang' it's back on the screen in front of me again.
"It'd be nice to go up there and try and do the extra 13 laps that I should have done last year but it's a tough race. I guess last year taught me how tough a race it really is."
Winterbottom and Steven Richards and Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes are no doubt Ford's two leading contenders, but there are a number of other Falcons holding high hopes of pushing all the way at Mount Panorama on October 12.
Dick Johnson Racing's Will Davison and Steven Johnson have shown good speed this year and were one of the surprise packets last year, finishing third.
"Last year was fantastic but expectations have changed since then," said Davison.
"Will third be good enough this year? No. We're going there believing we can win and that's a great feeling to have. Sure it's going to be tough and one hell of a battle but we're prepared to give it everything on the day and we know we'll be in the mix."
Stone Brothers Racing's James Courtney and David Besnard - second at Bathurst last year - are another contender but all eyes will be on Winterbottom and two-time Bathurst champion Richards as the pair look to atone for last year's disappointment.
"The best way to turn around a bad race is to go out and win it the next year. I'll be trying to ensure I don't make the same mistake again," added Winterbottom.
The 27-year-old sits second in the championship and is well within striking distance of a maiden title.
This time last year he was nowhere to be seen and went to Bathurst with nothing to lose.
"It's a little bit of a different mentality for us this year because last year we were well and truly out of the championship," Winterbottom said.
"From a team point of view, we're not putting anything new in the car so everything's tried and tested and from a reliability point of view, we should be ok.
"But from a driver's point of view, we know we won't be taking too many risks."
Richards, whose two Bathurst wins came in 1998 and 1999 in a Ford and a Holden, will be making his 150th race start.
"Let's hope it's our year," the 36-year-old said.
- AAP