It is an asset that Holden Racing Team star Garth Tander will most certainly have as he lines up for this year’s Great Race, given he took out the first round of the 2016 Enduro Cup.

With the help of co-driver Warren Luff, Tander claimed the chequered flag in last month’s Sandown 500. It was his first win since saluting at Townsville in 2014.

“Obviously the result gives you a lot more confidence, but the speed of the car across the whole weekend at Sandown gives us more confidence heading to Bathurst for sure,” Tander said.

“I don’t think it was a relief [to win] because I don’t think you lose faith in your own ability regardless of what has gone on with the results. I think it was more of a validation I guess.”

Tander finished the race with the front guard hanging off his Commodore, but prior to that the new car, which he shared with Luff, performed well.

The three-time Bathurst 1000 winner even ventured to say the package is better than the one he and Luff steered to third in last year’s Great Race.

“I feel like where we are now, post Sandown, 12 months on from last year, we are in a better shape speed wise and understanding the race car than we were this time last year heading to Bathurst,” he said. 

“Our car was actually pretty good at Bathurst last year, we were on the podium, so I am certainly not losing any sleep now in the lead up to Bathurst.”