Priaulx and Eki's Bathurst adventure

One of the most intriguing entries for this weekend's Bathurst 1000 comes in the shape of the third car from Triple Eight Racing.

Roland Dane's organisation, based in north Brisbane, has signed two of Europe's finest touring car exponents of the past decade, Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekstrom, to hurl an extra Holden Commodore VF up and down the infamous New South Wales mountain alongside the full-season enduro entries of past event winners Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, who have respectively been paired with Paul Dumbrell and Warren Luff.

Granted wildcard status and competing under the Team Xbox One banner, unlike the Whincup/Dumbrell and Lowndes/Luff Red Bull-backed entries, Priaulx and Ekstrom have no imposed targets, just a heap of hopes and expectations.

Guernseyman Priaulx is, in European terms anyway, a veteran of the endurance races that these days comprise three of V8 Supercars' 14 rounds.

Three participations at Bathurst, all for Holden rival Walkinshaw Racing, have netted a best finish of 12th in 2009, although the three-time World Touring Car champion insists he and David Reynolds were on for a top-five finish that day: "I'd just passed Whincup when we had to pit for a splash of fuel near the end, which was disappointing."

He's raced for Triple Eight in Australia too, contesting the Surfers Paradise 'celebrity' enduros in 2010-11 and taking a podium finish with Lowndes first time out on his way to netting 'best international driver' honours.

Priaulx's first appearance for Triple Eight was a BTCC one-off in 2001 © LAT

"And don't forget it was Triple Eight who started me in touring cars in 2001 - back when they ran the Vauxhall team in the BTCC," Priaulx adds, with typical modesty, failing to mention the stunning pole position he took on his tin-top debut at Oulton Park against team-mates of the calibre of Yvan Muller and James Thompson.

For the first time in four years Priaulx's BMW commitments feature a gap large enough to accommodate a trip down under - although not for any serious pre-Bathurst testing.

"That bit isn't really ideal, but I'll be on the simulator at iZone Performance at Silverstone before the race so that will get me back into the swing of things," the RMG DTM racer adds.

"Plus Triple Eight is the top team out there. You don't do anything with Roland and his guys to make up the numbers. And as a co-driver, Eki might be new to Bathurst, but he's very versatile. You can't be quick in rallycross, GTs and everything in between unless you have that skill. I think we'll do reasonably well."

Unlike Priaulx, Swedish ace Ekstrom is a complete novice to V8 Supercars. Not that the 35-year-old Swede believes that will pose too much of a problem.

"I don't think integrating myself with the team will be at all difficult," says the two-time DTM champion. "I've known Roland for a long time - I even tested for his team in British Touring Cars back when it was for Super Touring, when I was trying to get a drive with the factory Vauxhall team.

"And Ludo [Lacroix, who will head up the running of the car] spent a while as engineer to Laurent Aiello at the Abt team in the DTM, so I have a good relationship there too."

Ekstrom may be considered by most as strictly a DTM driver, but this would be to gloss over his varied achievements.

Ekstrom starred on his NASCAR appearance © LAT

While it's correct that his full-time programme since 2001 has been in the German series in Audis run by Abt Sportsline (with factory backing since 2004), he has made a pretty big impression elsewhere, proving his versatility and easing worries that he may struggle around the blind bends (although probably not the long straights) of Mount Panorama.

A Group N victory - ahead of the Production WRC regulars - on Rally Sweden in 2004, a runner-up spot earlier this year in his home round of the European Rallycross Championship, a win at the Spa 24 Hours in '11 and even a hugely impressive performance as a ringer at the NASCAR Sprint Cup road race at Sonoma in '10 - which he led convincingly until being punted off by Brad Keselowski - all back this up.

"I get bored easily," says the Swede of his reason for stepping outside of his comfort zone so readily. "So I like to try different things, see new places, drive different cars. V8 Supercars has always had an appeal, and Bathurst has more of an appeal than some of the other circuits in Australia, so I was glad to be given this opportunity.

"Bathurst is like the Nurburgring. Lots of big ups and big downs. Corners where you can't see the apex until you are there. It's a circuit for men with big balls. I guess you'll see how big mine are in October."

Ekstrom and Priaulx are normally rivals

So does he harbour hopes of becoming only the second Swede to triumph at Bathurst, and revive memories of Rickard Rydell's astonishing 1998 triumph (at a time when the 'official' Bathurst 1000 was held for Super Tourers, rather than V8s)?

"Sure you can wish, but if you are being realistic, the level is much too high for a rookie to go out there and win the most difficult race of the championship," he says.

"I think we'll just go out there and enjoy it and see what happens."

EKSTROM ON PRIAULX

"He's been successful in just about everything he's ever tried, from F3 to touring cars. He's not having the best run in his life in the DTM, but that happens to all drivers. You should never forget he has been a world champion more than once. Plus he's got Bathurst experience. I'm looking forward to working with him."

PRIAULX ON EKSTROM

"In an ideal world, you'd want a co-driver with a ton of Bathurst experience there so it flattens the learning curve, but if I have to have a rookie in the car with me, I'm glad it's someone like Eki because he's bloody quick and he's proven his adaptability in whatever he's driven."