AFTER a number of false starts, plans to build a new karting track in Bathurst are finally coming to fruition.
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And the end result will only be better for all the time and frustration it has taken to get this far.
A previous attempt to get the track off the ground involved a plan to build it on the site of Bathurst’s former premier soccer ground, Alec Lamberton Field on the Oberon Road.
That plan had the full support of Bathurst Regional Council which was seeking to consolidate the Proctor Park precinct as the region’s home of soccer and needed to find another use for Lamberton Field.
A development application was lodged to build the track at the site and council staff had recommended it go ahead, but no-one had counted on the vocal opposition that came from nearby residents in White Rock.
They convinced councillors that the planned track was too close to homes and that the noise generated during race meetings would be an unfair burden for residents to bear.
So the search for a new site began – and the result could not be more perfect.
Where better in Bathurst – or anywhere, for that matter – to build a new go-kart track than the top of Mount Panorama?
As the home of Australian motor sport it simply makes sense to continue expanding that motor racing precinct as a way to foster and develop new talent.
And being built on Mount Panorama will ensure Bathurst’s newest track has a real head start in terms of racing credibility and brand awareness among the karting community.
If anything, the development of a go-kart track on the Mount is long overdue.
Despite being home to Mount Panorama, Bathurst does not have a great history of developing champion racing drivers.
The fact Mount Panorama is a 60km/h road for most weeks of the year obviously doesn’t help in the development of racers, but a dedicated go-kart track – and the likelihood of a second circuit being built at the Mount some time in the future – could change all that.
These tracks would create real pathways for local drivers and attract the best young talent from across the state for them to compete against.
And, who knows, one day we might see a Bathurst born and bred driver lifting the Peter Brock Trophy on that great day in October. It’s a dream well worth investing in.