Reaction might have been negative on the Western Advocate’s Facebook page, but Councillor Warren Aubin says the V8 Supercars takeover of the Bathurst 12 Hour will be good for the event.
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The announcement was made late Thursday that V8 Supercars would take over management of the 12 Hour from 2016 in a deal rumoured to be worth $4 million.
“Not on board with this one bit. I think V8 Supercars should stick with what they’ve got and allow the 12hr to remain in our hands,” Cody Hancock posted to the Advocate’s Facebook page.
“Well there goes another family event. It will be overpriced and no family will be able to afford it,” Jaye Carah wrote.
Cr Aubin said the event had simply “outgrown” Yeehah Events, who have run the race, in partnership with council, since 2007.
“It’s outgrown his [Yeehah Events’ James O’Brien] company basically, it’s got bigger than Ben Hur,” he said.
“Who else can run a motorsport event in Australia? Who else can do it?”
Cr Aubin said he has confidence V8 Supercars have the ability to take the event to where council have always hoped it would be.
“I think it’s a bonus for us, they’ve [V8 Supercars] got their tentacles far and wide and they will make it what we have envisaged, the biggest endurance race in Australia,” he said. “They’re in the business of running events and this is a bloody good event.”
Cr Aubin also moved to alleviate fears the 12 Hour would change from its current format, or merge with the V8s.
“It won’t be changed, I can see it’s going to be the same platform,” he said.
He also wanted to allay fears that families would be priced-out of attending the 12 Hour.
“We’re not going to let this event get to a price that is unaffordable, it’s still got to come through us, it’s a partnership.
But, he also said he doesn’t expect spectator numbers to grown, despite the V8 Supercars’ huge promotional capacity.
“Endurance racing is a different kettle of fish as far as spectators go,” he said.
He added not many spectators come to the Mount and stay for the entire race.
But, the takeover will help ensure Bathurst continues to be promoted on an international stage.
He did add that entries may changes in the form of new dealers coming into the 12 Hour mix.
“You might get a Holden dealer entering a Corvette, or a Ford might put an entry in for a Mustang,” he said.
He expects the V8 takeover of the event will not impact the number of international entries.
“Bathurst is still on the bucket list for many international drivers,” he said.
