FINAL BATHURST BID

Final Bathurst bid expected this week – Photo: InSyde Media

SUPERCARS IS expected to make its delayed bid for the right to promote a fifth event at Mount Panorama in a presentation to Bathurst Regional Council late this week.

By BRUCE NEWTON

Rather than a traditional motor racing meeting, the Supercars proposal ties in on-track activity such as a hill climb with promotion of the NSW Central West region’s wine and food culture.

“We think it’s something different for the mountain and the motor sport community,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer told Auto Action.

The Supercars bid will compete against proposals already presented by Mountain Motorsports and the Australian Racing Group, which is pushing for a long-distance TCR race and potentially a round of the WTCR to support it.

Supercars was given an extension to present its bid because of the original deadline’s clash with the Darwin Triple Crown.

“We want to showcase the region and all motor sport,” Seamer explained. “We don’t think we need to be doing another Supercars event at Bathurst.

“What we are looking to do would be something different that brings in the whole community, families, and becomes a bit of a destination event.”

Seamer said the Supercars event could be a worthy successor to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, which was cancelled this year due to a cut in South Australian state government funding.

The Bend Motorsport Park is hosting a replacement in December called ‘The Bend Classic’.

“It’s sad to lose the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, so we obviously want to protect that and give people an opportunity to celebrate motor sport in a fun way, and remind them why they all fell in love with it in the first place,” Seamer said.

The bid for the extra Bathurst event is a step in a new direction for Supercars, but Seamer insisted it’s the type of event the business has the skills to conduct.

“Look at the capability that we have as a business and a sport to put on large scale multifaceted events,” he said. “There’s no other show that goes on the road in Australia like we do.

“Whether it’s concerts or building street circuits, the capability we have is unique. It’s something that can be applied to motorsport or something with motorsport at its heart.”

For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.