Kelly, Murphy chasing back-to-back victories.

Kmart Racing duo Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly will be going all out for victory this weekend at Bathurst, as they attempt to retain the title they claimed in dominant fashion last season.

The defending race winners had a difficult Sandown 500, eventually finishing fifth, but they remain confident that they will be among the challengers for victory at the Mount Panorama circuit.

However Murphy, himself a three time winner of the race, admits that once the race gets underway, the win from twelve months ago will count for nothing.

"As we head to Bathurst, there's a lot of talk about our performance up there last year," he said. "Sure, 2003 was awesome, the best weekend of my motor racing life, but it doesn't help us to win the 2004 race, which is what we're setting out to do. Going back-to-back is something that would be pretty special if we could pull it off.

"We're entering the race in a careful frame of mind. It's never smart to make big predictions about what you're going to do. We just work away at being the best we can be and prepare ourselves for another Bathurst campaign."

Kelly created history in 2003 by becoming the youngest-ever driver to win Bathurst. He is currently fourth in the championship standings, within striking distance of leader Marcos Ambrose and challengers Jason Bright and Steven Richards.

He admits that he is fired up for this weekends race as he aims to not only secure a good result, but keep himself in the title hunt.

"Our run at Sandown was a little disappointing, so we've got all fired up for Bathurst," he said. "It's not a hard race to get fired up for either. It's such a special race on the V8 Supercar calendar and it's the one that we all want to win. 2003 is the furthest thing from our minds because what happened last year doesn't help us this year.

"I'd like to think we're one of the favourites because we have one of the most evenly-matched driving line-ups in the race. But it's a case of making sure we do everything possible to give ourselves a chance of victory."

The Murphy/Kelly combination will also have a new-look Kmart Commodore for the Bathurst event, which will be revealed to the public at Wednesday's official opening of the new pit facility at Mount Panorama.

The #51 Kmart Commodore, driven by Steve Owen and Tim Leahey, was forced to retire from the Sandown race, but a successful test at Phillip Island last week means the duo head into this weekend full of confidence.

Owen in particular will be looking to impress behind the wheel of the car Murphy and Kelly used to win a year ago, having failed to do a racing lap at Sandown.

"Sandown was obviously a difficult pill to swallow, particularly because I didn't even get to do a lap in race conditions there," he said. "But Bathurst is something I'm pumped for. We had a good test at Phillip Island before packing up the truck, so that gives us some confidence going to the biggest race of the year."

Local driver Leahey, is hopeful that he and Owen can spring a surprise at Bathurst.

"I'm not a full-time V8 Supercar driver and I don't get the chance to drive the cars more than a couple of times a year, so when you get a great chance like the one I have with Kmart Racing, you've got to take it," he said. "Steve's form in qualifying at Sandown was great and I think we could surprise a few people at the Mountain."

Kmart Racing Team Manager Rob Crawford is only too aware of how a V8 Supercar team can get carried away with the glitz and headlines of aiming for pole position and forgetting the 161-lap race.

He has worked to ensure that the focus heading into the weekend is firmly on this seasons race.

"So much of the Bathurst result comes down to being prepared before you leave to go there," he said. "We've worked hard all year and, while the results overall haven't quite been to the high levels we've achieved in the past, we're still a great shot for The Great Race. Rick is still a chance with the championship chase and a good result at Bathurst would be the ideal set-up for the remaining three rounds."