Mount Panorama has been filled with the thunder of V8s as qualifying rounds for the Bathurst 1000 get underway.

Wet conditions on the famed mountain today mixed things up for drivers.

Casey Fung reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The Bathurst 1000 has roared to life with Holden’s Garth Tander qualifying fastest.

Mark Winterbottom scored the second best time of the day and Jamie Whincup came back to qualify third, after hitting a wall in practice.

The 161 lap race around the legendary Mount Panorama track starts on Sunday morning and is expected to last seven gruelling hours.

Another kind of Roar will kick off the new A-league season against the Central Coast Mariners.

It is a grudge match the Brisbane side defeated the Mariners in the dying minutes to seize the A-league crown last year.

Despite the departure of former captain, Matt McKay, coach Ange Postecoglou is confident about the Roar’s prospects.

Ange Postecoglou, Queensland Roar Coach: “I’m on record saying I’m really happy with our squad and think we are stronger this year then we were last year.”

The Roar’s title defence begins here tomorrow night, and despite being in the middle of a 28 game winning streak, they say they are starting their season fresh.

The season opener will also be Matt Smith’s debut as captain.

He says he is certain the Roar will be title contenders again and is positive he will be playing despite back spasms.

In other football news, the Socceroos will take on Malaysia in a friendly match at Canberra stadium tonight.

Head Coach Holger Osieck says the Australian squad is the strongest possible and gives some younger players the chance to prove themselves.

Across the Tasman, the Wallabies take on World Cup favourites South Africa in Wellington on Sunday.

Kurtley Beale, Digby Ioane and Pat McCabe have all been cleared from injuries to play in the elimination quarter final.

Although Australia’s recent record against the Springboks is impressive, the Wallabies know eliminations are a completely different game.

Casey Fung, QUT News.