DRIVERS WELCOME BATHURST BONANZA
Many drivers from Australian Racing Group (ARG) categories have welcomed the announcement of a six-day Bathurst 1000 event from November 30- December 5.
TCR Australia Series drivers James Moffat and Nathan Morcom as well as National Trans Am and S5000 driver Nathan Herne have praised organisers for the scale of the event, born out of challenging scheduling circumstances.
Former Supercars Championship full timer Moffat sits 12th in the TCR standings for Garry Rogers Motorsport, and was thrilled for fans who have been deprived of motor sport on our shores.
“There could be no better outcome from it all,” Moffat said.
“It’s been a challenging time for everyone, not just the motorsport industry. To have everything join forces in one big event is a great result.
“Plans have changed multiple times, so creating this super event is a good outcome for everyone involved, especially most importantly for the fans, who will have all these great categories to watch across an exciting six days of action.
“It will be a spectacular way to finish off the year at Australia’s most prestigious event at this country’s best circuit.
“Hopefully people embrace it and get right behind it.”
Morcom, who has guided his #11 Hyundai i30N to fourth in TCR thus far, was looking forward to getting back to racing after the forced hiatus.
“I’m absolutely stoked that TCR gets to race on the biggest motorsport weekend in Australia,” Morcom said.
“It’s been a long-time coming and I think everyone will be keen to see our two-litre, turbocharged hot hatches race door-to-door around the best track in Australia, alongside all of the other big categories.
“I’m really looking forward to hitting the track running, it’s been a while since we’ve been out on the track.
TCR will form part of a 10-category program competing over the six days, headlined by the Supercars Championship finale, the Bathurst 1000.
The national Trans Am series will also feature, providing Herne with an opportunity to bridge the four point gap to title leader Aaron Seton.
“It’s going to be a massive festival for motorsport junkies to come in and get their adrenaline fix that we’ve been missing out on for the whole year,” Herne said.
“Trans Am is a class that is growing rapidly but being part of this six-day Bathurst festival, it will be a big moment for the category.
“I think it will skyrocket the interest in Trans Am. It’s an awesome category, the way the cars move around and they’re such basic, simple things it just relates to the general public. They want to see underdogs come through and Trans Am is definitely not short of those.
Herne will also take part in the revived S5000 Tasman Series after competing in the 2021 Australian Drivers’ Championship for GRM.
“S5000 is definitely going to be a drawcard. Big banger, V8-powered open-wheelers racing around Bathurst is a drawcard in itself and I think a lot of people will be coming to just watch S5000,” Herne said.
“I predict there will be some very fast lap times and pretty good racing around the Mountain. Across the top there might be some aero wash following each other, but there’s two long straights to slipstream behind.
“It will be a pretty cool track and car combo, that’s for sure.”
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