If preparation is any guide, Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell are a rolled gold chance to repeat their 2013 Sandown triumph this weekend.

The form lines have converged for Whincup – who boasts a championship lead, a last-start win at the Melbourne circuit and a co-driver given every opportunity to practise in the Red Bull Holden.

Dumbrell’s time in Whincup’s seat is in stark contrast to last year, when he came into the endurance races without similar preparation.

Last year’s edition of the 500km race was a classic, with Whincup racing through the field to win after the team copped a drive-through penalty for a spinning wheel in pit lane.

With the 2014 race on Sunday, Whincup is hoping that Dumbrell’s hours both in the Dunlop Development series and his own Commodore become a big factor.

“Paul wasn’t completely comfortable in the car last year because he hadn’t driven all year,” he said.

“We’ve rectified that this year, he’s done a heap of laps in the development series, he’s done laps in my car at test days.

“We’ll give him everything he needs, it’s up to me to give him a balanced racecar, hopefully he gets the most out of himself.”

Dumbrell leads the development series, meaning the Red Bull team will boast both championship leaders around the 3.1km track.

Sandown begins the three-race Endurance series that takes in the Bathurst 1000 and the Gold Coast 600 in October.

After storming to a championship lead in the past few sprint events, Whincup is hoping a change to endurance racing doesn’t stall his momentum.

“Traditionally we’ve generally been relatively strong in the endurance events, and hopefully that doesn’t change at all,” he said.

“To be successful you need a fast car and to stay out of trouble and that applies for sprint races and endurance races.”

Whincup certainly has the car.

The Red Bull machine sat well down the V8 Supercars field early in the championship but an incredible six race victories across four weekends has given him an 135-point lead.

But as Whincup knows, that can be wiped out with a DNF at Sandown.

“Pace is important to win races but I don’t take finishing a race for granted,” he said.

“With the competition as it is, just finishing the event is a big achievement and if we can finish in the top five, we’ll certainly take that.”