Richards: Steve and Craig will be tough to beat

He knows what it takes to win at Mount Panorama, having won the Bathurst 1000 seven times.

And this year, Jim Richards will continue to watch the V8 Supercars with interest as his son Steve pairs up with category great Craig Lowndes in attempt to secure another Bathurst win, and help Red Bull defend the Pirtek Enduro Cup.

Having stood on the top step with Ford Performance Racing and Mark Winterbottom last year, Steve's shift to Championship heavyweight team Red Bull Racing Australia surprised many in the motorsport community.

However, Stevehas settled in well with Lowndes - and between the two, they've won a combined eight races at Mount Panorama.

"I think it's exciting ... Steve and Craig will make a good combination," Jim told v8supercars.com.au.

"I think Steve realised he'd done all he could at FPR, they'd won Bathurst together and he'd been with them a long time and it was time for a change. So when the opportunity came to go with Red Bull he grabbed it."

While they just missed the podium at first enduro the Wilson Security Sandown 500, with Lowndes finishing just0.464 seconds behind third placed Garth Tander and Lowndes' former co-driver Warren Luff, both he and Steve are confident they can make it count at Mount Panorama.

For Jim, in addition to Steve's involvement as a co-driver,fifth manufacturer Volvo joining the V8 Supercars Championship has also sparked his interest in the sport.

It doesn't hurt that he has an affinity with the brand, having driven an 850 to victory for Volvo's first Australian Super Touring win in 1996 at Bathurst.

"It certainly has - as I said, I have renewed interest. It was getting a little bit - not dull, but a little bit processional. And I tend to enjoy the races with pit stops because that adds another variable into it. But I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I follow the Nissans, the Volvos, the Benzes with interest.

"I think it's terrific. All the cars have been up there. A little bit of bad luck on Nissan's part at Queensland, but they've been right there, and need to take those opportunities when they come. They're all doing their best and it's good to see all the different makes competitive."

While Steve will be contesting the main event at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Jim will also feature at the Mountain, contesting the Touring Car Masters support category.

He's fighting for the title with long-time foe John Bowe - and plenty of fans will be keen to see the two, who have fought it out in Australian motorsport for 30-odd years -battling it out at the historic circuit.

"We just go in and do the best we can on the day, within reason, and see what happens at the end -but JB and I have raced each other since the '80s so we know each other well and it's all nice and clean between us," Richards told v8supercars.com.au of the rivalry as they headed into Sydney Motorsport Park alongside the V8 Supercars.

Tickets are available now for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with the Touring Car Masters just one of the great support categories running at Mount Panorama. Click here for more details.