THE future of Challenge Bathurst is under threat following a decision from the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport which effectively prevents GT3 cars from competing.
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Staged at Mount Panorama for the first time last year, the four-day Challenge Bathurst saw both supersprint and regularity events conducted.
It attracted 31 GT3 entries plus Australian stars and foreign factory drivers, who used the event to get valuable track time and data ahead of February’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
But CAMS’ decision to reclassify FIA GT3 cars – one made to try and boost club level and grass roots competitions, plus increase fairness and enjoyment in racing – means they are no longer eligible to take part in Challenge Bathurst.
It restricts those vehicles to the Bathurst 12 Hour and Australian GT Championship events in Australia.
The directive came as a shock to Challenge Bathurst event director James O’Brien. He is determined to see the decision overturned.
“It was a complete surprise because there had been zero consultation or communication with us prior to the decision being made other than a meeting in February with CAMS raising they had an issue with GT vehicles and the Australian GT Championship,” O’Brien said.
“They ran at the inaugural event in 2016 and there were no issues in any way, shape or form related to organisers, competitors, CAMS or anyone prior to this decision being made.
“It’s quite a bizarre decision and one personally we don’t feel CAMS can make.
“I fully expect it to be overturned either internally or through motor sport appeal.
“There is a short period of time to actually lodge an appeal, so that will happen this week, the lodgement, and in the interim CAMS have put out a statement saying they are going to review the decision, which I suppose is good news.”
O’Brien feels that the inaugural Challenge Bathurst event, which drew more than 320 competitors from top level teams to part-time drivers from across Australia, did demonstrate GT3 cars are suited to racing outside of a national championship.
He was hoping to attract even more GT3 cars to Mount Panorama this year and said without their presence, Challenge Bathurst may not be commercially viable.
“[If the decision stands] We will seriously redo the numbers again because not only did we have 31 cars last year, but we expect that to grow because GT3 cars are becoming more and more popular,” he said.
“We would expect those numbers to grow in the future and we’re planning on that. If all of a sudden there are none available, we would have to have a close look to see if it’s worth running the event.
“They are perfect cars for anything from track days to state level to national. [I believe] It’s up to the competitor where they want to run the event, it’s not up to CAMS to tell the competitor where they will run their car.
“Obviously it has a detrimental effect to us if it stands, but from a competitors’ point of view, they would be livid.”
The 2017 Challenge Bathurst event has been slated for November 16-19. At the moment organisers are unable to accept entries, O’Brien saying: “once the appeal has been heard, we will be able to advise the outcome.”
