Though the closest Slade has come to a Great Race podium is placing seventh – something he has done on three occasions – he feels his Brad Jones Racing Holden can perform at the Mount.

That he will be racing on the same kind of tyres that saw him rank fifth in the top 10 shootout last year and then in the top 10 on Sunday helps with his confidence.

“Traditionally the cars have been very strong at Bathurst ... I think Bathurst should be pretty good - fingers-crossed - again like the last few years,” Slade said.

“We are actually racing on the same tyre there as we did last year, so it will be different to all the other races.

“Everyone’s been flat out this year trying to get used to running on the new tyre, but we wouldn’t have really changed our base set-up from Bathurst since last year because we haven’t run on that tyre yet this year.

“I can’t see any reason why the cars wouldn’t be competitive again there this year.

“For sure with the feeling from the car last year and they speed that it had, it should be decent again this year.”

Slade heads into the Great Race sitting 15th in the drivers’ championship.

His best result thus far was a fourth in the opening race Ipswich, but he also ran inside the top 10 in the other race that weekend as well as at Clispal and Darwin.

That shows Slade had the potential to be sitting higher overall, but he is not focusing too much on the championship.

He knows if he can get a podium – especially in the endurance races when more points are on offer – he will climb up the table.

“I’m not getting too caught up on the championship, all I really want to achieve for the rest of the year is good race results and obviously the championship will look after itself,” he said.

“If we can at least a trophy that would be ideal, because we haven’t got one up until this point.

“So that is the goal.”

At Sandown – the first of three endurance rounds – Slade crossed the line in ninth before being stripped of that position due to a breach of the driving time regulations.

His co-driver Ash Walsh did a longer 87-lap stint before handing over to Slade with 45 minutes remaining.

The ruling was a disappointment, but it hasn’t dulled Slade’s enthusiasm for the enduros.

“It’s a pretty enjoyable time of the year with the format of the races,” he said.

“I look forward to Bathurst in particular out of the three.”

This year’s Bathurst 1000 starts at 11.10am on October 8.