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A joint venture between the Australian Racing Group and the Bathurst Regional Council, the Bathurst International took on the circuit’s fifth event slot in 2019.
Launched with the promise of bringing international competitors and interest to Bathurst, the event has – outside of a TCR World Tour round in 2023 – largely failed to fire.
A maximum of five full circuit closure events can be run at the Mount Panorama Circuit each year.
Other event slots are currently taken by the 12 Hour GT race, 6 Hour production car enduro, 1000km Supercars classic and the Challenge Bathurst sprint event.
Recently appointed Bathurst Mayor Robert ‘Stumpy’ Taylor says the BRC is already fielding interest in creating a new fifth event.
“I believe there’s been six approaches,” Taylor told Speedcafe. “There’s a lot of options out there. We’ll look at all options and all proposals.”
While wary that too many events would take away from the Mountain’s allure, Taylor says five is the right number.
“We don’t want to lose that mystique of Bathurst,” he said.
“I’m going back to the Easter races many years ago, where with the bikes and the cars combination, you had one crack at it and if you didn’t go real well that year, you’ve got 12 months to get it right again. And that gave a uniqueness to it.
“I wouldn’t like to see any more than the five [events]. I think it would lose its uniqueness then.
“But we want to utilise it for those five events. I feel it benefits the town.”
Whether the new fifth event would be a traditional motor racing meeting is unclear. Taylor’s main mission is to make use of the circuit’s facilities on a year-round basis.
“I feel the facilities are underutilised,” he said.
“The precinct already holds over 300 events a year, because we’ve got other events off-track, which is gun clubs, driving range, archery, trotting track, running, cycling, the whole lot.
“But the facility itself, I feel it’s underutilised, I think [it can be used more] to our benefit and the community’s benefit.
“Weddings, launches of new vehicles, cars and bikes, because originally it was built for bikes in 1938… all sorts of functions.
“I’d like to see if we can look at a major music festival.
“We did have one a couple of years ago with Elton John down at Carrington Park, but I feel as if the facility here in the back of the pits could be utilised for a massive festival.
“I just think that it’s a lost cause if we just leave it for five major car events.”
