The form guide to the great race Man of the Mountain: Jamie Whincup is favourite but will face stiff competition. IT'S the other race that stops a nation. The Bathurst 1000 is V8 Supercars' showcase, the ultimate test of man and machine. In the recent past, it has been dominated by two teams - Triple Eight Racing and the Holden Racing Team. The two teams have split the wins for the past eight years. Despite those numbers, Bathurst is anything but predictable. The race always throws up surprise performers who threaten to end the Triple Eight-HRT dominance. So what are the chances of Triple Eight (now Red Bull Racing) and HRT continuing their success? And who are the most likely to breakthrough? Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell Red Bull Racing, Holden Commodore Will Davison of Ford Performance Racing. The defending race champions, the current championship leader (Whincup) and the best team in the sport over the past five years - how could these guys be anything other than the favourites. Despite all the changes to the cars this year, Whincup has stayed at the head of the field. And even though there are important championship points on offer, Whincup will be gunning for his fifth Bathurst win - which would cement his place as one of the race's greats. The weakest link in this line-up is Dumbrell but he looked very strong at Sandown - so this is a formidable team. Dumbrell did a great job last year but this year will be a greater challenge for him, because he has been out of the sport full-time for two years. But what he lacks in recent race mileage he makes up for with plenty of experience - having made his first Bathurst start at 16 in 1999. Bottom line: Hard to beat. Craig Lowndes of Red Bull Racing. Craig Lowndes/Warren Luff Lowndes has looked like a rejuvenated man this year. The change to the new generation of car has suited the five-time Bathurst champion's driving style. He may be hitting the latter stages of his career but Lowndes is still one of the fastest and most naturally gifted drivers in the sport. His experience, especially around Mount Panorama, gives him an edge on some of his younger rivals. Luff is an experienced Bathurst campaigner and has spent the year staying match-fit in the Porsche Carerra Cup. Bottom line: Experienced, fast and with something to prove. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards Ford Performance Racing, Ford Falcon There is no doubting Winterbottom's speed or Richards' pedigree. What is in doubt is Ford Performance Racing's ability to put together a mistake-free day at Bathurst. The team has been quick at the Mountain before but has, through either poor management or bad luck, never got a result in the race. Now would be the perfect time to shake off those problems and score Ford's first win since 2008. The blue oval is weighing up its long-term future in the sport and a Bathurst win would certainly help negotiations. Bottom line: Got the speed, but do they have the smarts? Will Davison/Steve Owen Davison had a disastrous Bathurst last year, and not of his making. Tyre problems and a bad day for co-driver John McIntyre turned a promising weekend into a nightmare. The 2009 winner is having a steady year but is desperate to make amends for last year. Owen is one of the best co-drivers in the business. He's fast and experienced - he's previously driven alongside Whincup at Triple Eight. Sandown was a classic example of FPR's problems - they were forced to queue both cars during a pitstop early, which effectively ruined Davison and Owen's chances. Bottom line: Looking for redemption. Garth Tander/Nick Percat Holden Racing Team, Holden Commodore The Holden Racing Team is coming good at the right time of year after a lean patch. Tander took the team's first win in almost two years at Townsville in July. Tander has had a lean few years by his usual standards but remains one of the best talents in the sport. Remarkably, despite winning Bathurst on debut in 2011, Percat wasn't originally part of HRT's squad. Despite being behind the wheel last year when a part failure sent him into the wall, Percat remains one of the most promising young talents in the sport. But after failing to find a suitable candidate common sense prevailed and he was called up to partner Tander again. Bottom line: A formidable duo. James Courtney/Greg Murphy Courtney has been one of the most consistent performers at Mount Panorama without reaching the top step of the podium - and this could be his year. HRT is back in form and Courtney has perhaps the best co-driver in the pit lane. Murphy is a genuine Bathurst legend, having won the great race four times. With a bad back and the worst car of his career he still managed to finish on the podium in 2011. He may have been out of racing this year but only a fool would write off Murphy at the Mountain. Bottom line: Never underestimate these two. David Reynolds/Dean Canto Rod Nash Racing, Ford Falcon At Bathurst last year, Reynolds turned all his promise into a great result, taking second place behind Whincup in a thrilling duel over the closing laps. It looked like a turning point for his career but Reynolds has struggled to match the progress he made last year and is still searching for his first win. At some races he has looked like the promising young gun but other races he's been nowhere. Mount Panorama could be the perfect venue to rediscover his magic. Canto is one of the best co-drivers in pit lane. He's been around the block and is a consistent performer despite not racing regularly. Bottom line: Fast but unpredictable. Jason Bright/Andrew Jones Brad Jones Racing, Holden Commodore Brad Jones and his team have always risen to the occasion at Bathurst - without ever climbing the top step of the podium. But the little team from Albury has made regular podium appearances over the years and 2013 could be the year everything comes together. The team was quick to adapt to the new car at the start of the season with both Bright and teammate Fabian Coulthard taking race wins. In Bright, the team has one of the most underrated drivers in the series. Not only is he quick, he's got one of the best technical minds in the sport. Jones is a capable co-driver who has inherited his uncle's affinity for Mount Panorama. Bottom line: Long overdue a win. Shane van Gisbergen/Jeroen Bleekemolen Team TEKNO, Holden Commodore Van Gisbergen almost turned his back on V8 Supercars at the end of last season, saying he was burnt out. He changed his mind and ended up in a new team, with a Triple Eight built Holden and a rejuvenated outlook - but he's got the same old talent. SVG, as he likes to be called, is very, very quick. If he's near the front by the final safety then he can't be discounted. He's also one of best in the business when it rains, so if the skies open look for him to excel. Dutch import Bleekemolen is a question mark. He's got plenty of experience in sportscars and has raced a V8 Supercar at the Gold Coast, but Bathurst is an entirely different challenge. His job will be to stay out of trouble and hand the car back to SVG in good condition. Bottom line: A lot rides on the overseas talent. Scott McLaughlin/Jack Perkins Garry Rogers Motorsport, Holden Commodore McLaughlin has burst onto the scene this year, jumping from the development series to the main game with apparent ease. He's already notched up two wins this year to mark himself as a future champion. Bathurst is the biggest stage of the year and has seen young stars become racing heroes, so this could be McLaughlin's time to shine. Perkins has been racing in the development series, so he's got plenty of recent mileage, and as the son of a Bathurst legend he's got plenty of experience. Bottom line: Young and fast. Keep an eye on ... Fabian Coulthard/Luke Youlden Brad Jones Racing/Holden The second Brad Jones Racing entry is a strong podium chance. Coulthard took provisional pole at Bathurst last year, so he's fast enough. Youlden is a co-driving veteran and reliable. The pair were seventh at the Sandown 500. Chaz Mostert/Dale Wood Dick Johnson Racing/Ford Johnson's team has struggled in recent years. But in Mostert the team has one of the best young talents in the sport. Wood is a capable co-driver. Russell Ingall/Ryan Briscoe Walkinshaw Racing/Holden This looks like Ingall's swansong and a strong result at Bathurst would be a fitting end to his career. Indycar ace Briscoe is extremely talented and has plenty of V8 Supercars experience. Lee Holdsworth/Craig Baird Erebus Motorsport/Mercedes-Benz After a surprise fourth at Sandown it's hard to count the Mercedes duo out. The drivers have the talent but the Mercedes is still in its early days of development. Andy Priaulx/Mattias Ekstrom Triple Eight/Holden The third Triple Eight entry is a marketing exercise for Xbox, but that doesn't mean you should discount it. That's because the team has hired two of the best touring car drivers in the world to steer it. Priaulx is a former World Touring Car champion and Ekstrom has twice won the German touring car title.