Dean Campbell hopes for a class podium in his second Bathurst 6 Hour

It will be delivering a Bathurst 6 Hour podium at Mount Panorama that is his focus.

Campbell's passion for driving extends beyond the big rigs owned by his family transport company in Bathurst, he also enjoys getting behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X on race circuits.

Last year Campbell entered the annual Bathurst 6 Hour for the first time. It was also the first time he'd raced on his home track.

But the Mount Panorama rookie and his co-driver Cameron Crick showed they were a team to respect. At one stage they sat second outright.

A belt failure on lap 52 ultimately ended their bid, but that disappointment is now a motivator for Campbell and his team.

It means this Sunday they'll be aiming for a Class A1 podium in the enduro.

"Of course we're back, we don't want to finish on that note, we're planning on doing it multiple years to be honest, but it was a shame how that ended last year," Campbell said.

"It's hard to say whether we would've been on a podium [outright], but I think we were a good chance of winning our class.

"So our first thing is to finish, but we're going for the class win."

Campbell will again be sharing his seat in the Bathurst 6 Hour with Crick - a driver that he has huge respect for.

Crick helped Campbell to place second in class in last year's Australian Production Car Series, his efforts including some spectacular driving at Mount Panorama.

In one race at the Mount last November, Crick made up an incredible nine spots in the space of one lap.

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"He's back on deck which is good, he's not afraid to let it go pretty hard around the track, he's not scared of it, that's for sure," Campbell said.

"He's a good, young talent that is going to do bigger and better things over the next few years I'd imagine.

"He has had a lot of bad luck, he's had so much adversity it's not funny, but I think he definitely deserves to be in the top tier of drivers and I hope he does make it, because he's a brilliant talent.

"He's had two steps forward, one step back and I know many people do, but he's done it all on his own and had to fight tooth and nail to be able to race.

"Unfortunately talent doesn't always get you through, you have to have the cash behind you or a sponsor, so it's been very tough for him, but I hope he does go all the way."

Alongside the #118 DA Campbell Transport Mitsubishi, the entry list for this year's 6 Hour includes some impressive cars and drivers.

Supercars talents Thomas Randle, Will Davison, Anton De Pasquale will be behind the wheel in the race which features 60 cars and 156 drivers across eight classes.

There are BMWs, a total of 10 Holden/HSVs, Fords, Mazdas, Mitsubishis, Volkswagens, Subarus and Toyotas as well as an Audi, Honda, Lexus and Mini.

It's a prospect that excites Campbell.

"You pinch yourself when you're going around the track and see people like Will Davison and De Pasquale or people like that in another car," he said.

"You feel a little bit out of your depth when you see those guys, but racing with them is certainly a good feeling."

Being such a long race, Campbell is well aware he and Crick must balance the need for speed with the smarts of making sure their car can endure six hours.

"These cars they'll last but you can't drive them on the edge for six hours, they're essentially still a production car, a road car, and you have to drive it 90-95 percent most of the day so the car survives," Campbell said.

"If you try and drive it 100 percent and make it last six hours, there's a chance you wont. Like you can drive around there on the edge if you want to, but you might not finish."

There's one other thing that Campbell is hoping for come Sunday's race. He'd like to see the predicted rain - as of Monday morning it was a 60 percent chance - drench Mount Panorama.

"Pray for rain and let's try and win it outright I'd say. That's what I'm hoping for, I want it to pour rain," he laughed.

"Obviously it is more challenging in the rain, but it suits our car. We'll see what happens, but we're going to have a red hot crack for sure."

The Bathurst 6 Hour event runs from April 7-9, with the enduro race itself to start at 11.45am on Sunday.

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