Defending champion Mark Skaife and co-driver Garth Tander are overwhelming favourites to win today's Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race at Mount Panorama.

Skaife will start from pole position after dominating practice and qualifying.

Ford's Jason Bright/Mark Winterbottom combination qualified second fastest in the CAT Ford Performance Racing Falcon followed by the Kelly brothers, Rick and Todd, in their HSV Dealer Commodore and another Holden combination of Jason Richards and Andrew Jones (Tasman Motorsport Commodore).

Todd Kelly, who teamed with Skaife to win last year's race, believes that while the top three cars have the superior pace, the event will be won in the final stint.

"If these top three cars are there for the last stint, it's going to be one hell of a race," he said.

The winners of today's race will be awarded the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy, a perpetual sterling silver prize in honour of the racing legend who died in a rallying crash in WA last month.

A final farewell tribute will be held at Mount Panorama, the circuit where the legend of Brock was created and he became known as King of the Mountain.

All nine cars Brock drove to victory will parade around the circuit, one driven by son James and another by brother Phil, followed by the V8 Supercar chaplain's address and a minute's silence.

Skaife said it will be tough to get over the initial emotion and focus on the race.

"I know it's going to be difficult in the morning ... but Brocky would say, 'Skaifey, get on with it and go and have a red hot go'," said Skaife on Saturday night.

The V8s begin with a 20 minute warm up from 7.10am AEST, the Brock tribute from 9am AEST and then the race start at 10am AEST.

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