KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - V8 Supercar Championship-leading teammates Rick Kelly and Garth Tander have been paired together for an all-or-nothing tilt at the Bathurst 1000 motor racing endurance title.
The Toll HSV Dealer team's all-star duo were split for last weekend's Sandown 500, where Kelly finished second with New Zealand's Paul Radisich as co-driver and Tander fourth with Craig Baird.
Triple Eight Ford's first-choice pairing Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup took out that endurance race, making them favourites to win a second straight Bathurst crown at Mount Panorama on October 7.
But with championship frontrunners Kelly and Tander now in the same Commodore, Toll HSV will be very hard to beat.
It's a calculated gamble, because a mishap could leave both the Holden drivers out of the points, providing a huge opportunity for Ford rivals Whincup and Lowndes to close the gap at the top.
But the risk applies to both teams.
Going into the great race - and with 72 points on offer for the winner - Kelly (443 points) has a nine-point lead over Tander (434), with Whincup (389) in third and Lowndes (374) fourth.
Toll HSV team manager Rob Crawford said pairing Kelly and Tander for Bathurst had always been an option, depending on the result at Sandown.
"We took a little insurance with a safety-first, wait-and-see position at Sandown to ensure that at least one of our drivers went through to the next round with a points lead intact," Crawford said.
"Bathurst requires a different approach.
"We have always teamed up two regular drivers at Mount Panorama, and this year is going to be no different.
"Both Rick and Garth have done it before and know what it takes."
In the past four years, Rick Kelly has won the Bathurst 1000 twice with New Zealander Greg Murphy and was second last year with brother Todd.
Tander won the race with Jason Bargwanna in 2000 and last year he and Mark Skaife started from pole position but were thwarted by a failed clutch on the start line.
The last time Tander and Kelly paired up for Bathurst was 2005 when Tander was bumped twice in the first lap, forcing him to pit for lengthy repairs. They ended up finishing 16th.
Tander was pleased to have another crack at the Mountain with Kelly.
"We have such a strong four-driver line-up I would have been happy to drive with any of them," the West Australian said.
"However, if there is any advantage to be gained in putting two guys who work with each other week in, week out, then we need to consider it, especially at Bathurst."
Kelly said he and Tander, while championship rivals, had a close working relationship.
"Our championship success to date has been all about team work," he said.
"All four drivers in this team will have a job to do at Bathurst, and regardless of who is teamed with whom, we'll be giving it a big shot.
"We always want to win. I see every round how much Garth wants to win. But for now, it is about the team winning Bathurst. We hated coming second last year."
Kelly and Tander will drive in Kelly's No.1 Commodore because he is the championship leader, while former touring car World Cup winner Radisich and Carrera Cup champion Baird will share Tander's No.16 car.
- AAP
