New fastest lap at Mount Panorama?

A grippy new surface at the Mount Panorama circuit has many predicting the V8 Supercars will lap quicker than ever before. But how much quicker exactly?

While we will get a better indication today when the cars are on-track for practice at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, v8supercars.com.au spoke to practice lap record holder Craig Lowndes (2min06.80, 2010 practice) and qualifying lap record holder Greg Murphy (2min06.85, 2003 qualifying) about what's ahead.

"It's a really difficult thing to judge," four-time Bathurst winner Murphy said of a potential lap-time.

"It comes down to weather conditions and time of day - all sorts of things come into it.

"If we look at what's on offer and base it on previous experience, then we'd have to say this is easily the best opportunity to see it go ... Based on how we know these cars work, and how they're affected by track surface conditions so much... Say the baseline is a (2min)6.8 - you would have to think there was a second in it. But I don't know, I really don't know.

"The cars have got more horsepower than they've ever had, they're going to be faster than they've ever been through the development over the years, so you have to think that, which would be pretty cool to see.

"But we'll have to wait. I think the first practice session will give a pretty good indication early on... I don't know, I'm pretty low to put an actual time on it."

Lowndes agreed this weekend has the most potential in years for the lap record to be broken.

"I noticed when we raced here earlier in the year the cars were faster, so there's no doubt we'll be faster ... Lap time wise, I don't know," the Red Bull racer said.

"If we can get into the '5s', I'd be delighted! I think that it's one of those things - Bathurst is a long lead in to the race day, you don't want to be trying to set lap records in the first practice session, so we'll see how it goes.

"If we think we can have a good crack at a 5, I will, but we have to sit and wait.

"I'm not predicting that we will be in the 5s but I reckon we're going to be close to low 6s and that's probably a bit more realistic. If we can get into a 5, it's going to be a pretty quick lap time."

Lowndes believed it was the top of the Mountain where there was the most potential to improve on the current times.

"Because of the grip level going across the top of the mountain, the car will flow faster. The time to be made will be across there. The straights will be no different, you're obviously just going in a straight line," he said.

"Depending on the wind direction whether we get close to that 300kmh mark down at Conrod Straight, if we have a head wind we won't, but looking back at Sandown we were all hard on the limiters up the back straight as well. I think all teams have brought another diff ratio just in case that that is the case. But I think across the top of the Mountain - braking and rolling across the top - will be where you make your time."

However, Murphy - who will co-drive for James Courtney at the Holden Racing Team - said time could be made over the entire 6.2km circuit.

"Every single sector there is time to make because the track will have a much higher grip level - and that's under brakes, mid-corner speeds, the exits, the earlier you can get on the throttle.

"So, there's time massively coming across the start finish line because the earlier you get on the throttle the higher speed you're going to be coming in here, which means you should be able to break probably a little bit later, carry more speed through turn one and get on the throttle earlier, which means you'll be going faster up the hill - and that's time, that's a lot of time.

"You've got a long straight from turn 1 to turn 2 and so you've got a long time to make up time because you're on the full throttle for such a long period of time so there's time to be made in every single centimetre of the circuit."

While Lowndes ultimately has the quickest time in a V8 Supercar at Mount Panorama, it's Murphy's Lap of the Gods that remains one of Bathurst's great moments.

But, the funny thing was, the lap was not faultless.

"It was far from perfect, no where near perfect!" Murphy said.

"I made a massive mistake at The Dipper and slotted first gear. One of the big things back then was we were still running H-pattern gear boxes and that changed the way these cars were to drive massively.

"They were so much harder to drive, purely just because they had that one item.

"Now the cars are push and pull on the gear lever, unless you completely have a brain fade you really can't stuff that up.

"I slotted first gear out of the dipper when I was supposed to have slotted third and the data sort of showed us a couple of tenths of a second, so she was certainly not perfect."

While Murphy is often asked about his lap, and various moments at the Mountain, he believes that is what makes the event so great.

"I can't wait to get in the car - it's what it's all about.

"Bathurst, it's like Groundhog Day when we talk about it - for 20 years we've been going on about the same stuff - but, hey, that's cool. I think a place like this deserves to be talked about in that way every time we come here, it's very special."

With the Red Bull and Holden Racing Team Commodores coming home top four at Sandown - the first of the Pirtek Enduro Cup long-distance races - both Murphy, paired with Courtney, and Lowndes with Steven Richards are considered favourites heading into the Great Race.

What are your lap time predictions?