The Shell V-Power Racing Team is confident it can be a contender for the Repco Bathurst 1000 with either of its Mustangs.

Anton De Pasquale put Car #11 second on the grid while the #17 entry led by Will Davison is set to start from sixth, up from eighth after Erebus Motorsport’s twin disqualification from the Top 10 Shootout.

With 161 laps ahead, the squad is also happy with its race pace, despite having had to revise #11’s practice programme somewhat in order to ensure De Pasquale made the one-lap dash.

“[We’re] Confident, feeling good; we’ve got two really good entries that are starting well inside the top 10, including one on the front row,” team principal Ben Croke told Speedcafe.com.

“Any day you’re starting on the front row here is a good day here, for the biggest race of the year.

“We’ve done plenty of race pace with Tony [D’Alberto] and Anton; we’re pretty comfortable with that,” he added.

“I think we’ve probably done more of that than the one-lap running, so I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, but we’re pretty confident, pretty comfortable.”

De Pasquale is also said to be “reasonably happy” with set-up, despite there seemingly having been a lot of tinkering with the rear wing on his Ludo Lacroix-engineered Mustang so far during the event.

There are also no qualms about mileage for his co-driver D’Alberto, despite the aforementioned change to practice plans for Dick Johnson Racing.

“Tony’s done plenty of laps, he’s comfy, he knows what he’s doing,” said Croke.

“He’s a very capable co-driver, and we trust him very much, so he’s done enough, he’s happy, he’s good to go.”

Walkinshaw Andretti United’s #25 ZB Commodore of Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth has been the car to beat in both one-lap and race pace so far at the Bathurst 1000, but Croke does not expect they will be too much for the DJR Fords.

“They’re definitely a speedy car, but it’s not a 25-lap race either,” he noted.

“There’s many variables and incidents and accidents and Safety Cars and stuff like that that’s going to play out tomorrow.

“I think as long as you’re there or thereabouts at the end of the race, and you’ve got some reasonable speed, I think that’s when it’ll play out.”

Alex Davison will partner brother Will in the #17 Mustang.

The Warm Up starts tomorrow at 09:10 local time/AEDT, and the Great Race itself from 12:15.