Supercars and Motorsport Australia are preparing for another Bathurst 1000 classic, despite weather wreaking havoc on preparations at Mount Panorama.
Organisers cancelled the traditional top-10 shootout on Saturday, as torrential rain lashed the 6.2km circuit, posing a threat to drivers and cars on the eve of the 'Great Race'.
Conditions had already taken a heavy toll on teams - and support classes - during practice and qualifying through the week, but Motorsport Australia insists the Sunday schedule will remain unchanged.
"Exactly the same, nothing's changing," said race director James Taylor. "Tomorrow should remain unchanged is what we're planning on.
"Just making sure the drains are still functional, don't get clogged. More preventative... any residual, clean them out, make sure they can function.
"That’s all we're trying to achieve with the [Bathurst Regional] Council."
Further rain is forecast for the region during the 1000km journey, which poses a stern challenge to drivers even at the best of times.
Without a shootout to finalise the starting grid, Aussie Cam Waters will start on pole, after clocking the fastest time in qualifying, with Kiwi wildcards Richie Stanaway and Greg Murphy on the second row, alongside countryman Fabian Coulthard, who is teamed with defending champion Chaz Mostert.
Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen qualified fourth fastest, but was relegated to seventh, after colliding with Macauley Jones during qualifying.
Waters has defended the decision to cancel the shootout.
"As soon as you hit a river, you aquaplane, you have no control of the car," he said. "You don’t want to be writing cars off the day before the big race.
"Yesterday, it was pretty wild in the wet, there were rivers across The Chase and turn one. Yesterday we were lucky, because once you got past the rivers, the track was actually pretty good.
"Today, everything's just drenched. I'm disappointed, but the officials have made the right call. We want to have all the cars running tomorrow."
Join us at 1pm for live updates of the Bathurst 1000 from Mount Panorama
