Tander: DJR Team Penske will be strong at Bathurst

Marcos Ambrose is set for his first V8 Supercar laps since March in practice tomorrow - and despite having limited running time in the race car, rival Garth Tander believes the two-time Champ will be up to speedcome the Pirtek Enduro Cup.

The three-time Bathurst winner acknowledged that Ambrose - who he competed against during the Tasmanian's dominant years with Stone Brothers Racing - will struggle for miles in the DJR Team Penske V8 Supercar now he has elected to step down as a main driver. But Tander believes that challenge will be overcome once the V8 Supercars hit Mount Panorama in October, and is definitely not writing off the team that carries the names of two motorsport legends.

Both Ambrose's previous experience at Sandown Raceway, Mount Panorama and the Gold Coast street circuit, and his pairing with talented youngster Scott Pye will be advantages come the endurance phase of the season.

"He [Ambrose] knows his way around Sandown, definitely knows his way around Bathurst," Tander said on Inside Supercars earlier this week.

"Scotty does a good job, so they'll be strong in the enduros."

While it was a difficult decision for DJR Team Pensketo make early this season, electing to use its single independent test day - and not have Ambrose in the car - is something Tander highlighted as a hindrance.

"The problem they're going to have though is getting Marcos regular laps and the quantity of laps," Tander said.

"He's flying all the way to Darwin to do 10 laps - I can guarantee you the tyres he'll have to do those 10 laps on are not going to be flash...

"They've done their test day, so there's not really too many opportunities to get in the car ... prior to Sandown.

"The last time he was in the car properly was the Grand Prix, that was March, and it'll be September before he puts real miles in. So that's going to be a big problem for him."

Panelist and old Ambrose rival Mark Skaife agreed Pye and Ambrose should not be counted out as a pairing, despite the two-time champ's limited running time this season.

"Don't discount them as a combination - they'll be strong by the time they get to the enduros, they're two A-grade drivers," Skaife said.

"The Marcos thing this weekend will be good, it'll be really good for him to get back in the car and have a spin around. Especially somewhere hot like that; the match fitness part is pretty hard."

The SKYCITY Triple Crown Darwin is notorious for sweltering conditions, and this year there will be new challenges given the circuit was recently resurfaced and new tyres rules will come into play, with a soft Dunlop tyre qualifying session and race on Saturday.

"It's hot in Darwin - it's very, very hot in comparison to Melbourne where it is 10 degrees at the moment," Tander said.

"There is also very high UV in Darwin and that is the thing that will hurt the tyres the most. The heat is an issue, but the UV is the thing that hurts the tyre."

The HRT #2 driver - who is a three-time race winner at the Hidden Valley circuit - believes the new tyre rules for Saturday could mean a different pecking order this weekend.

"It will mix up the field and we have seen this year that some cars are better on hards and some are better on softs," he said.

"So instead of having both Saturday races the same this will mix it up and make it interesting.

"We also have more tyres for practice which means we will be on track more on Friday, which is better for the fans."

Stay tuned to the SKYCITY Triple Crown Darwin, which kicks off tomorrow - coverage is live on FOX SPORTS 506, or stay tuned to One/Ten for highlights. Click here for full broadcast details.